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Scratching

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redred79

redred79

Junior Guinea Pig
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I have 2 piggies. They are 12 weeks old. I noticed they scratched a bit after we got them. Then seemed to quit for about a week now are back to scratching more then before. We just changed the bedding. Thought maybe that's what it was but it's the same bedding as before when the didn't scratch. Would it be a good idea to give them a bath? And can I use soap for a cat? Or could it be mites? Thanks for your help.
 
Could be mites or lice, getting a dose of ivermectin or revolution wouldn't hurt just to rule those two out.
 
redred79 said:
I have 2 piggies. They are 12 weeks old. I noticed they scratched a bit after we got them. Then seemed to quit for about a week now are back to scratching more then before. We just changed the bedding. Thought maybe that's what it was but it's the same bedding as before when the didn't scratch. Would it be a good idea to give them a bath? And can I use soap for a cat? Or could it be mites? Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

Mange mites are not visible to the naked eye. All the other skin parasites are. Mange (or selnic mites) need treatment with a good quality ivermectin product, not a cheap low dosed pet shop one, which is going to make matters only worse rather than better.
If you can afford it, please have your guinea pigs properly diagnosed by a knowledgeable vet with experience with guinea pigs. Otherwise follow the recommendations of this link here, as it lists the best products available in the US: Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites
We generally do not recommend treatment on spec without proper diagnosis; it has led to much unnecessary suffering and even death. All we can do is guess without seeing the guinea pigs ourselves.

You need to treat each guinea pig at least three times, spaced 1-2 weeks apart, depending on the product to make sure that you catch any more emerging mites and prevent a return.

Please do not use cat shampoo for any baths and rather a very mild unparfumed baby shampoo. However, with mites the skin is very painful and inflamed as the eggs are burrowed in the skin, so a bath is not recommended until the infestation and any treatment is well over. It can cause fitting in severe cases.
 
Thanks for your help. I didn't know if there was something wrong they are not scratching all the time. I will check out the link you posted. And get them into the vet and see if I can find ivermectin to treat them with. Thanks for the advice and the help.
 
redred79 said:
Thanks for your help. I didn't know if there was something wrong they are not scratching all the time. I will check out the link you posted. And get them into the vet and see if I can find ivermectin to treat them with. Thanks for the advice and the help.
Click to expand...

By the way, here is a list of recommended piggy savvy vets for your state, courtesy of Guinea Lynx: Veterinarians Minnesota - The GLX-Files
 
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