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Some questions about a mites outbreak - long question!

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happycath

happycath

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Hello all,

You'll have to forgive me for asking so many questions on here - Rufus and Rocky are my first piggies and I'm so paranoid about them all the time! Everything worries me. I was almost crying last night because Rufus was laying down outside the pigloo which he hasn't done before and I thought he must be ill...but he's absolutely fine now, oh dear I guess I'll get used to them in time!

Anyway we've had a mites outbreak recently, both piggies have had a spot on treatment which was then repeated two weeks later. Rufus' poorly scab patch has now cleared up and the fur is growing back and he isn't scratching at all. However a nasty patch has now appeared on poor Rocky's face :(
We've been treating it with the Fuciderm gel the vet gave us for Rufus as it looks exactly the same.

The problem is that the whole situation is starting to upset me, although they are behaving normally as far as I can tell, it must be horrible for them having nasty patches on them. I feel so guilty sometimes.

What can I do to well and truly get rid of these mites? Shouldn't they have already gone after two spot on treatments?

Could it be something in the cage irritating them?
They have a big C&C cage bedded down on newspaper, towels and then fleece. The whole lot is changed and washed every three days. They have lots of hay for munching/playing, a card tunnel, a plastic pigloo with hay in it, a bendy wooden structure which they love (for chewing, hiding, climbing etc) as well as food bowls/water bottle.
The ramp to the upper level is carpeted to help their grip, I'm wondering whether the mites could have got into the carpet and be returning to the piggies repeatedly? Would any of the other items be potential hosts for mites?
If so what can I use to kill the mites?

Sorry for the long drawn out question, I just feel sick with worry and guilt sometimes even though I'm doing my best to take good care of them and make them happy and healthy.

Catherine xxxxx
 
Hi Cath,

Mites aren't 'caught' from anything in the cage there is talk of them being born with mites and they come out in times of stress. I have used two doses of Xeno 450 to get rid of mites and it works a treat. It is like spot on just put on the back of the neck and down the spine.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1500 I got mine here.

If the boys have any fungal going on the Xeno will clear that up too. If the boys are young then Xeno 50 should be used.

Good luck with it,

Louise
 
Lou has said it all - mites are not catchable, you are referring to lice!

excellent advice given as always!
 
Thanks them. :) I wasn't sure whether the Xeno 450 would clear up Fungal come to think of it but the injections of it do so I expect it is the same.

Cath you could always email Chrissie at gorgeous guineas for advice if it is fungal and maybe get some Lice N Easy for any lice it is handy to have in and comes in on the hay! Pesky things, Nutty has it at the moment so he is being shampooed as we speak, mental case is still popcorning though! :(|)
 
me too

I hope you dont mind me posting in your thread. I too have noticed that my Boys have been scratching a little bit lately. I thought perhaps it was due to the warmer weather.

one of them is long haired one short how can I tell if they have lice or mites.. I have looked in there fur and can't see anything... i.e a flea? are they like cat fleas ?
will I need to get the vet to look or is there something I can look for? also if i use the spot on treatment can this harm them if they don't have mites/lice or can it be done as a preventative measure?

sorry for the questions

A xx
 
Lice look like wiggly things in the fur, I've found them to be cream in colour. Mites, you won't see them but there will be hairloss and maybe open sores if they have been scratching a lot. There may also be weight loss which happened with 2 of mine and I was so shocked at how down hill they went. But thankfully back to chunky monkey status now!

Not sure about preventing them, I think it wouldn't work as you can only treat when there is a problem but hopefully someone else can advise on that. :)
 
Thanks for all the great advice :)
The vet said they had 'trixicarus caviae' (excuse spelling) - thats mites isn't it? So hopefully not re catchable then! Phew.
Actually now I come to think of it the vet did say they are born with them and then the mites breed more when they are stressed and their immune system is low which is why they irritate more which causes them to scratch and end up with sores :( so I don't know why I'm going on about getting rid of them totally! Oh dear, so worried about them I'm losing my common sense!
Xeno 450 or 50 sounds good - what sort would be best for them at 13/14 weeks old?
I think I will invest in some Lice 'n' Easy too, just in case. Haven't attempted to bath them yet but I suspect the first time is looming! I'm just nervous about stressing them out when they're already suffering from a stress-related problem. Although hopefully if they're anything like Nutty they'll love it! My boys do love a good popcorning session :)
Thanks for all the advice and kind wishes :) I'm so glad I found this forum - it's full of such lovely people
xxxxx
 
Aww bless them! I'm sure they will be as right as rain in no time. 800g upwards is Xeno 450 so I expect your boys to be smaller than this so Xeno 50 would be ideal. :)
 
Brilliant, thanks :)
Seems much easier to buy the 'pipettes' and treat them myself, seems simple enough to dot it along their necks and spines and make sure it goes onto the skin. I love their 'hair-styles' when they've had a treatment, very funky :))
When they come out for cuddles tonight I'll give them a sneaky weigh-in just to be sure I'm getting the right Xeno, although I doubt they are more than 800grams. Can having mites cause them to lose weight? They feel a bit bony sometimes, although it might be their positioning. They aren't underfed - they have plenty of hay and pellets and fresh veg at least once but often twice a day. The dry food bowl is never allowed to be empty and there is always hay for them. So I think if they are underweight perhaps they mites are upsetting them?
What weight should I expect them to be at 13/14 weeks?
x
 
Around 500g I would say I've got Ron here who is 6 months and just over 700g but it does vary.

Yep mites can make them have weight loss. Leia and Lyra were liket hat I thought I would lose Leia she was so skinny! But thankfully she picked up after 48 hours of treatment and is doing great now. :) x
 
Thats great :) its a huge comfort to hear your success story!
When Rufus was all better and healed (well all except for a very cute tufty patch of regrowing fur!) I thought that was the last we'd see of nasty mites sores, but then only a few days later Rocky suddenly had a big sore patch. It must have been hiding under his fur and he'd scratched it all off :(
Anyway I will keep dabbing the gel onto his face and I will weigh them tonight and get some Xeno 50 ordered.
x
 
hi what did you use to get rid of the mites? as this sounds like what mine have got. also how do they get mites?
 
beckywheek6 said:
hi what did you use to get rid of the mites? as this sounds like what mine have got. also how do they get mites?
Click to expand...

I answered in your mites post :)
Guineas inherently have mites in small numbers living under the skins surface. They can multiply in times of illness or stress and proliferate causing a problem for the guinea. The skin becomes very itchy and inflamed and the guinea scratches thus causing open sores. Mites are easy to treat but if left untreated, is very painful and can kill.
 
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