They're really oilly!

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jnenbnb

jnenbnb

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Hi every1, need a bit of advice please :) ive had my guinea pigs 4 a week now, theyre female, about 9 weeks old and are getting along fine and seem 2 b healthy, its just that in the last few days i've noticed that their fur is getting really greasy/oily and they seem 2 b itchy and jumpy as if their skin is irritated, i dont know if these problems are related? could it be mites or something like that? they are short furred so i didnt think that they would need 2 be bathed 98) i got them from P@H so was thinking of taking them 2 the vets on monday anyway 2 get them cheked over in general as ive heard so many bad experiences of buying from P@H, does any1 have any ideas though as 2 what this could be and how i could make them more comfortable? any help would be appreciated :)
Emma
x
 
Sorry to tell you but practically every pig they sell has mites - it's rare for them not to. You're doing the right thing by taking them to the vet - it's not normal for them to be oily looking and itchy.

A bath in gorgeous guineas shampoo also couldn't hurt - www.gorgeousguineas.com
 
ok thanks for the help, what kind of treatment does mites involve? are they easy 2 get rid of? x
 
Usually ivermectin is used to get rid of them - it's pretty simple I think really. For my pigs when they had mites, I used Beaphor Spot On ivermectin stuff then a week or so later I bathed them in Gorgeous Guineas Lice 'n' easy shampoo :)
 
I would still see a vet - the Beaphar stuff is messy and the recommended dose is inaccurate can be an underdose or an overdose depending on the size of your piggy.

It's very straightforward to treat mites but you will need at least 2 treatments, the second one kills off any mites that may have hatched from eggs.
 
I agree with DSL, if its sold in petshops its not allowed to be that strong, save yourself the time and get some GG Melts and shampoo and if the condition persists go to the vet for an Ivomec treatment on day one and day ten with a bath on day three.
 
Thanks for all the advice evry1 its really helpful, i think i will take them the vets 2morrow anyway 2 get a general check up and i will mention that i think they have lice or mites, to be honest after what i've heard about piggies from P@H i will be over the moon if lice/mites is all they have, there have been so many horrible cases of fatal diorhea etc :( x
 
No Ivermectin needed for lice remember :) Just a bath. Greasiness suggests mites :)
 
ok thanks :) i suspected mites myself because i've checked their fur (as best i can, i dont want 2 upset them 2 much as they're still settling in) and i cante see any lice or signs of lice, is there any way i could check myself for mites or is that not possible? xx
 
You can't see mites only the effect they're having on guinea eg broken hair, pimples, greasy coat, thinning coat, scabs where guinea has scratched because of irritation.
 
As far as i can tell, one of them in particular has an oily coat and possibly thinning fur but this could just be where the oil is making it clump together? dont know if that makes sense? neither have any other symptoms apart from itching, thanks for the help anyway and il get them 2 the vets tomorrow x
 
Hi! I'v just got back from the vets with Bumble and Bee, the vet checked them over and said she couldnt see any signs of a bad case of mites ( scaly skin/thinning fur) but that as they are irritated and itching she said we'd probably caught it early and has started them on a course of mite treatment :) iv disinfected their cage and bedding, is there anything else i should do to make them more comfortable? Apart from the mites the vet said that they appeared to be healthy, bright eyed piggies which i was relieved about :) just going to feed them lots of grass and veggies now 2 make them like me again after their ordeal lol!
Thanks again for the advice guys! O0
Emma x
 
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