Static Lice... Will They Ever Go Away U__u

[Pamby]

Feeling really sorry for my pigs right now! About a month ago I discovered they had static lice (I thought it was just dirt in my males fur and since one is black it was hard to spot)
I did a bit of research and saw most people suggesting gorgeous guinea's lice 'n' easy, so I bought a big bottle of that and yesterday they had their third weekly shampoo and it doesn't seem to of touched the lice when I bath them I see a few come out but the fur still seems to have tons in!
Every time they have a bath I disinfect their cage/hides/bowls and throw away their toys. They have excel hay.
Since they've had them my male seems to be a lot more moody with my female and it's very sad to watch. Not sure if i'm being paranoid there as I read these types of lice don't affect the pig (itching, etc) but he seems a lot more irritable!
Are there any other treatments out there except this shampoo!? It seems to be doing nothing U__U is it something i'm going to have to keep doing every week with them as they really hate the whole bath process!
Thanks <3

 

[Coco&Luna]

Hey! Welcome to the forum!
can you not take your pigs to the vets to get them an effective treatment such as Xenex ultra spot on?
You can buy these online, but it's always advised not to treat them on speculation but to have them taken to the vets for a proper diagnosis.
I'm sure someone else will jump in at some point with more help.
Good luck!

 

[Coco&Luna]

@Pebble is probably best to ask about stubborn parasites and skin conditions.

 

[Pamby]

Hey! Welcome to the forum!
can you not take your pigs to the vets to get them an effective treatment such as Xenex ultra spot on?
You can buy these online, but it's always advised not to treat them on speculation but to have them taken to the vets for a proper diagnosis.
I'm sure someone else will jump in at some point with more help.
Good luck!

Hiya, will a spot on work for these though as they don't suck blood? It's all very confusing, a spot on would be perfect if there was one effective against static lice though because they find the constant baths unbearable!

 

[Coco&Luna]

Hey, it says it's a "broad spectrum spot-on that kills fleas, mites, lice, ticks and even the flies which cause fly strike" and i've heard of alot of people use it for lice? Your best bet is to wait for one of the experts to jump in though, i've tagged pebble in, so I'm sure she'll be on to help at some point. She'll almost certainly tell you to take them to the vets though? Are you able to do that? I've never used gorgeous guineas stuff before (but i know alot of people on here swear by it), so i don't know anything about the product your using, sorry!

EDIT: i just read up a bit on this xenex stuff, please don't buy it. Apparently it can be quite unsafe. I meant xeno 450 is commonly used by members.

I'd wait for one of the experts to reply before you do anything

 

[Pebble]

Hi
Thanks @Coco&Luna for taggiog me

I think the first thing to establish is whether the vet has confirmed your diagnosis of static lice?
Skin issues with piggies are extremely difficult to self-diagnose.....because of the plethora of information available on the internet, a lot of which is misleading.
Static lice (= hay mites) are not to be confused with mange mites (which burrow into the skin) or running lice (almost visible on the surface of the coast) which are the two other forms of skin parasites.. You also need to b aware that secondary fungal skin infections can occur with lice/ mite infestations.
That is why we always advise owners to seek a definitive vet test/diagnosis and therefore , if you have not already done so, I would urge you to get a vets diagnosis before considering further treatment.

Moving on and assuming they are indeed hay mites/static lice...
You should be able to effectively treat this condition with Xeno450 spot-on - providing you
a) treat at regular intervals with the correct dosage to break the life cycle - ie dose every 7-10 days for 3 weeks AND
b) you bathe 48hrs after each treatment with an insecticidal shampoo.such as lyclear

I think it's important at this point to distinguish the difference between
a) preventative treatment for skin paraistes (which GG and beaphar are very good at) vs
b) curative treatment of active infestations - which need extra "ooomph" in the form of strong ivemermectin products.(spot -on by Xeno or preferably even injections) and chemical shampoos

This above is always assuming the problem is "just" static lice/.hay mites.,
If mange mites - then injections are the way forwards - see this thread
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/2-more-dying-piggies.122408/page-10#post-1701264
Note the secondary fungal and what was done to treat it (F10 disinfectant sprays)

I'm sure it;s just a case of getting the spot-on treatment regularly applied and following good hygiene/husbnadry measures to eliminate any sources of active mites from your beddig/cosies/hideys etc.
I would however suggest you check with the vet that it IS static lice/hay mites and not mange mites that you are dealing with.

HTH
x

 

[Dindypig]

A good shampoo is Vetsect. It's never failed to work for me.

 

[Veggies Galore]

I agree with Pebble that you need to - the best to do is get you Guinea Pig seen by a vet who can confirm diagnosis.