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The rescue gave me pigs with mites. What next?

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Dusty_bugs

Dusty_bugs

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So I've had the pigs 3 days now and I took them to see Alan my vet just this afternoon. As I was discussing my concern over his excessive 'eye milk' during grooming I scratched a clump of fur from his hind. We stuck it under a microscope and sure enough it was riddled with mites (C.caviae). So was she.

I was told that the female had been treated with ivermectin 3x already by the sanctuary. But obviously the boys had it or she spread it to them before they cleared.

Question is: Is this is a natural hazard when adopting from rescues or should they not let animals go which still need quarantine? I paid £78 for a double consult and treatment, on top of the £40 for the pigs on Saturday. I have 2 more treatments to go over the next month. I feel a bit swindled.

Secondly: What can I do to improve the chances that the cage wont be a source of re-infection? I have wooden toys only :s but I do have vetarc disinfectant (will this help?)

Thirdly: Should I adopt from this sanctuary again, as I was hoping that when they are clear and settled, to adopt another pair of females to bond with them and have a family of 4. I don't want to end up with another £100+ vet bill for the privilege of taking their pigs, but I want to remain loyal. How do I ask for guaranteed proof/certification that all pigs are treated and past quarantine?

Cheers guys!
 
Ive been there and will only go to piggybank approved places in future, think your doing a lovely thing and end up with a huge bill. No advice apart from once you have got your girls ok maybe look at another rescue that quarantines them :)
 
I am sorry you had this experience. I assume the rescue was not very observant. I got mooli from a rescue and he is in perfect health.
 
I just think its a case of more space than people to cope, but if these two have them, the whole place does!
 
Here is the map of Piggy Bank approved rescues; these rescues have also been personally visited to make sure that they have all got a high standard in rescue care as claimed (which includes a mandatory full quarantine and adequate vet care when necessary amongst other requirements! Only fully healthy piggies will be put up for adoption.)

Sadly there is no licence, description of standards or even definition as to who can call themself a "rescue" (and neither is there for "breeder", by the way); both can be a mine field to navigate. "Rescues" can vary from the really good and dedicated ones to those that are meaning well, but are overhelmed and basically need rescuing from themselves. Some breeders run a rescue on the side, but it can as well be just a channel for getting rid of no longer needed breeding stock. The very bottom of the pit are rescues that have no idea of piggy biology or care, or are even deliberately breeding from rescue piggies. If a rescue is a registered charity, you can be reassured that it is at least operating to a certain level.

What the Piggy Bank are doing has been trying to establish a guide on which places are safe to go to without any nasty surprises. The Piggy Bank would love to include as many rescues as possible, but it will only include those that are up to a high standard at every stage of the rescuing/rehoming process and are safe to send people to. There is sadly no Piggy Bank rescue in the wider Liverpool area that we can recommend with a good conscience. Here is the Piggy Bank map from the Piggy Bank (UK) facebook page: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=209994852075231951564.0004b8fd9391b4257d8eb&msa=0

It is experiences like yours that are giving rescues in general a bad name.
 
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I cordially wish you didn't have to find this out the hard way, and I hope that your little piggles will recover quickly and well with the correct treatment and a proper full interval course of ivermectin.

You may find us a bit dogmatic banging on so much about using only a few specific rescues, but there is a good reason for it. We would like as many new members to be spared the unhappy experiences and very steep, expensive and sometimes heart-breaking learning curves that others have had, so they can go and simply enjoy their piggies.
 
Once these two are treated and healthy I will be looking for a second pair to bond with. Fingers X'd I will have managed to keep the place sterile so any newcomers wont be infested!
 
Dusty_bugs said:
Once these two are treated and healthy I will be looking for a second pair to bond with. Fingers X'd I will have managed to keep the place sterile so any newcomers wont be infested!
Click to expand...

Please wait until they have recovered well from their full interval course of mites. You may have more success with finding character compatible piggies if you date them at a good rescue that allows you to bring your own piggies, so they can choose. It is worth going a bit further for a bonding under expert supervision, especially if you don't have any experience; especially with boars!

Please read up on it in our behaviour section.
 
thanks wiebke, I think I was thinking of waiting 5 or 6 months after the last treatment to make sure they are still clear.. and to give us some more time to get used to each other. They are till both hand shy, but will relax in the lap when they come out. The sad thing is, we won have them out on our carpets and beds whilst there is the chance that mite eggs can be shed on them. Once the adults are gone that's fine, but I'm concerned that the eggs will persist and re-infest in months to come :/

How does Ivomectin work on C.Caviae anyway? Static mites don't drink blood I thought.
 
Static lice or fur mites (same thing with two different names) live on the hair.
Here is an overview over piggy skin parasites: http://www.guinealynx.info/parasites.html

Mange mites are not visible to the naked eye. What causes the problem is that they burrow into skin to lay eggs. It is unlikely that you can ever catch all eggs; you just have to live with the fact that mites are present in pretty much every piggy and can make an unwelcome reappearance whenever the immune system is lowered by stress or illness. Piggies can even be born with mite eggs in their skin. Once piggies have undergone the full 3-4 rounds treatment, you should be perfectly safe to let them roam.
If you treat as soon as mites are making an appearance, you will be fine and it won't be a huge affair. Please always check whether you are up against mites, fungal or something else; they can look much more similar that example pics would let you suspect, but they need different treatment.

It is certainly a good idea to wait and let your current pair settle in; that will make it easier for the next pair to take their cues from their new friends and have an easier ride. Dating is still the best way.
 
it could be that the stress of a new home has caused a flare up of mites aswell, although 3 days isn't that long, but it could be possible, especially if one or both had just had issues with a previous mite condition? just a thought. :)
 
they had mites of all stages, we checked with tape/slide under the scope. Definitely not mange mites, although the boy has become quite tender around the rump and the hair is starting to darken. I have been removing free scabs with hair clumps on it so that it doesn't provide a refuge. Trying to keep them clean!

I've also bought a GG. mite treatment shampoo. Once the ivermectin is done I will be giving them some baths and hopefully that will help strip eggs from the fur. I've also been boiling all their bedding on a 90 degree baby wash and mopping down the hallway after every run with zoflora and a vet approved sanitizer. Hopefully the hot water and chemical warfare will help prevent the eggs from being able to hatch/last long.
 
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