• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Signs of Mites

Status
Not open for further replies.
nutmeg

nutmeg

Senior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 28, 2008
Messages
7,462
Reaction score
49
Points
695
Location
North West of England
I'm sure you will all think that this is an incredibly thick query/question. None of my piggies have ever had mites (I now immediately worry that fate is going to strike them all for saying that :...) but everyone seems to have them, and deal with them. I have seen piccies on here showing poor skin, hair/fur loss, bleeding in extreme cases. Are there always outward signs?
I should say I still don't think any of mine have got mites, as there are no signs, but worried in case I am missing something. (Sounds like I feel as if I am missing out :{ but just concerned) x Thanks
 
Have you tried rubbing the hair on the pig's back the "wrong way"?
The presence of "black bits" is another test for mite infestation.
Most often the pig with a mite problem will scratch itself to the point of breaking the skin.
It doesn't seem that your pigs come into any category for mites. You/pigs should be grateful!
 
Hi jane,

Cuzzy had mites it was near the rump and looked like cradle cap on babies scalp, he was red too! He was treated with three injections and that worked. He had no hair loss other than a piece where it was infected.

Leia and Lyra on the other hand had massive hair loss all of a sudden (In the space of 48 hours), huge weight loss and what I can only describe as black coating to the skin. I expect this was Mange mites. They were treated with Xeno 450 and they cleared up. My vet thought best to treat with the drops rather than injections because the injections may have stressed them further.

At the same time we lost Elora their sister so I wonder whether the stress was knowing she was ill.

x
 
Interesting about Cuzzy. The rump area is usually where fungal troubles begin, especially if it looks like cradle cap. I usually give Ivomec by mouth unless the problem is severe, ie prolonged scratching and the pig seems to be in acute discomfort, in which case I inject the Ivomec. I find that severe cases respond quicker to Ivomec given by injection. Any stress is minimal, far more stress for the pig to have it's toenails clipped!
 
Last edited:
Thanks Al, there is every chance it could have been fungal the vet I used wasn't great and 3 months later he became very ill and didn't treat him with antibiotics or know where to start with his treatment in all honesty. Thankfully Jane and I both have the same vets and they are fantastic.

It was only when Leia and Lyra both came down with mites at the same time that I realised maybe Cuzzy had something different. I just couldn't believe how quick they because 'unwell' I can only put it down to Elora being ill and them feeling threatened by the others. They now live as a duo and seem much better for that. :) I did think they wouldn't make it, they looked so awful.
 
Thanks, I will just keep checking each time they're out, and extra looks if they start scratching or going off food etc. I thought a mite was an insect sort of thing, so where/why do they appear all of a sudden? I know people have said stress can be a cause, but they still have to come from somewhere don't they? (Can you believe how many piggies I have got through (fosters - not killed off!) and don't really understand mites? x
 
My understanding is that they are born with mites but they come out on them in times of stress. :)

Going back to Cuzzy the vet did a test and couldn't find any sign of mites (sellotape rubbed on rump and looked under a microscope) so as you say Al it was probably fungal, I didn't question it as I had nothing to compare with. :)
 
SunshineAndTwinkle said:
My understanding is that they are born with mites but they come out on them in times of stress. :)
Click to expand...

Morgan had a bad mites attack just after giving birth, there were 4 babies and all a reasonable size (about 80-100g i think) and I thought this probably caused her stress so the mites came out, however I was once told (by a vet I think) that mites come in hay.
 
Lice come in hay, crawly horrid things! We had a bad bout of them last spring (fingers crossed they don't come back) Poor Milo had them in his coronet for ages! Poor boy! :(
 
Oh ok thanks, I always get confused between Lice and Mitesrolleyes. What the vet was talking about was Lice then as he showed me them wiggling on the pig.
 
If a guinea pig is ticklish and starts to wiggle when you gently rub an infested patch that can be a sign of mites.

Best luck to yours!
 
when bootle had mites the skin above her bottom went all white and flakey, and when i scratched it she stretched out because it was obviously driving her barmy as she couldn't scritch it there! there was also a bit of hairloss, but fortunately we got her treated quickly enough for it not to get too bad.
 
I have yet to understand how stress can make a pig prone to mites.
Eczema, psoriasis, yes because there is no "external" cause. I also find it difficult, if not impossible, to accept that pigs are born with mites but they only cause problems when the animal is stressed.
Time to start looking for a definitive answer.
 
alcesterpigs said:
I have yet to understand how stress can make a pig prone to mites.
Eczema, psoriasis, yes because there is no "external" cause. I also find it difficult, if not impossible, to accept that pigs are born with mites but they only cause problems when the animal is stressed.
Time to start looking for a definitive answer.
Click to expand...

Interesting thought. Obviously as you can guess from this thread I don't have the answer to that :{ Just know that it seems to be generally accepted that stress 'brings them out' So are they living there under the skin or something doing no harm until something sets them off?
 
I was hoping you were about to give me the answer!
Google probably has the answer, the problem is knowing where to look.
 
alcesterpigs said:
I have yet to understand how stress can make a pig prone to mites.
Eczema, psoriasis, yes because there is no "external" cause. I also find it difficult, if not impossible, to accept that pigs are born with mites but they only cause problems when the animal is stressed.
Time to start looking for a definitive answer.
Click to expand...

they have some mites all the time, but their immune system keeps them under control. so when they are stressed, the immune system has more to deal with so sometimes this allows the number of mites to increase. this is what i've always been told anyway. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top