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Static Mites? Help!

anyar.dris

anyar.dris

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I was just checking Vegas a few minutes ago after weighing her. Last night I noticed a small bump, like a hard scab at the back. While I was checking it this morning, I noticed very tiny white bugs/mites (what I think it is) in her hair and they are all moving in her fur. It wasn't there a few days ago when I was cuddling her. Now I plan to give them all a bath and put a dose of Ivermectin. Good thing it's cage cleaning day today and I can replace everything and do a very deep clean with F10.

One concern I have is Rocky taking Itrafungol. Would it cause any side effects or such with Ivermectin?
 
anyar.dris said:
I was just checking Vegas a few minutes ago after weighing her. Last night I noticed a small bump, like a hard scab at the back. While I was checking it this morning, I noticed very tiny white bugs/mites (what I think it is) in her hair and they are all moving in her fur. It wasn't there a few days ago when I was cuddling her. Now I plan to give them all a bath and put a dose of Ivermectin. Good thing it's cage cleaning day today and I can replace everything and do a very deep clean with F10.

One concern I have is Rocky taking Itrafungol. Would it cause any side effects or such with Ivermectin?
Click to expand...

Hi!

If you can see pale parasites crawling around on piggies, then you are dealing with lice. Either form of mites specific to guinea pigs is invisible.

Skin parasites and fungal skin infections are all opportunists that come up when the immune system is weakened for some reason or other. It is NOT a reaction to the medication but a reaction to there obviously being an underlying issue which causes the immune system to not work as fully as it normally does. A fully working immune system in a healthy piggy is normally strong enough to depress skin parasites without any extra help or fend off an attack on an ill mate with comparatively little outside help.

Please do deep clean at the start and at the end of the treatment and contact your vet for a formal diagnosis as well as re. the most appropriate treatment seeing that your piggy is already under medication.

I am very sorry; a rat-tail of opportunistic secondary issues is not what you would like... Thankfully you have noticed early so it shouldn't get beyond a temporary nuisance. Lice live off blood in the skin, which they bite. They are species specific and won't jump to humans or other pets. :(
 
Thanks @Wiebke ! It's annoying really coz if I have noticed it a couple of days before, then I would have taken the other 2 piggies with Rocky yesterday to see Kim. I'll do a deep clean of their cages today and hopefully treatment with Ivermectin would be enough for them. I have to speak with Kim/Simon with regards to Rocky.
 
You’ve caught it early so it should be better soon. Both our pairs had it. With the boys, I took them to the vet as I wanted confirmation. They were gone after one treatment (think I caught it early).
the girls also had lice and luckily I had some doses left over from the boys’ visit (the vet gave them to me in case I needed to repeat the treatment). One dose was enough for them as well.
you’re observant so pat yourself on the back. Healing wheeks.
 
Siikibam said:
You’ve caught it early so it should be better soon. Both our pairs had it. With the boys, I took them to the vet as I wanted confirmation. They were gone after one treatment (think I caught it early).
the girls also had lice and luckily I had some doses left over from the boys’ visit (the vet gave them to me in case I needed to repeat the treatment). One dose was enough for them as well.
you’re observant so pat yourself on the back. Healing wheeks.
Click to expand...

Skin parasites do usually transmit to healthy companions at some point but in this case they have a fully working immune system that helps fending them off in addition to the medical treatment; so it is always much easier in well kept piggies to get on top of any parasites.
Especially when you catch the problem early on before it can become more than a minor nuisance!
 
I called the vets yesterday and was told it's perfectly fine to give Ivermectin to Rocky along with his Itrafungol. Was advised to give each of the 3 piggies one drop of Ivermectin. If there are still lice by the next application (Vegas is the one who I've seen has it, easy to see with her being black), increase it to 2 drops.

We have an appointment for Rocky with Kim on 10th Feb. If the lice issue is still there, we'll bring them all to see Kim. I'm sure hubby will be annoyed. 🤣🤣
 
anyar.dris said:
After a week of treatment, I can't see any lice in Vegas now. :yahoo: Do I still need to continue with the Ivermectin?
Click to expand...

Like with any antibiotic, you always have to do the full course with any antiparasitic treatment and not stop as soon acute symptoms disappear; or you risk a return.
 
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