Scratching - Lice/mites Or Something Else?

[penny_babe2001]

I've been watching Lewis for a while, and he seems to scratch a lot. Not constantly, but a fair few times a day. He's quite long haired, so I thought maybe he was moulting?
I had him out and went through his coat but couldn't see anything, and no red areas or anything.

If he had lice or mites, would they be visible?
I don't want to put chemicals on him unless I have to.

One of the babies is scratching too, but the other isn't.
Wondering if I'm just paranoid or not!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Scratching can have various reasons - dry skin, fungal issues other than skin parasites. You can see any parasites, bar mange mites. The latter are the worst kind of parasites that piggy can come down with, but they are only visible under the microscope.

If in any doubt, please see a good vet for a proper diagnosis and the appropriate medication rather than home treat on spec as the wrong treatment can make things easily worse! Shop stuff is primarily geared towards the prevention, not the the treatment of an outbreak of parasites; it is too low dosed to do the job. It is also worth mentioning that the various parasites as well as fungal need different courses of treatment.

 

[penny_babe2001]

Would mange mites cause hair loss and skin irritation?

 

[helen105281]

Yes mange mites would cause that but so can fungal. Best to get your pig checked by a vet.