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Toby & Barney's Ear Follow Up

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AbiS

Adult Guinea Pig
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We have been back to the vet today.

Story so far:

1)Barney had a cyst - he still does, vet was happy that we just keep an eye on it for now but if it gets bigger he will have to have an operation to remove it
2) They are both fat - yup - still are! They have been dieting really well and are more active, I do think they have lost fat as their tummies aren't quite so chubby but the scales still say the same so hopefully they are turning into muscle men!
3) Their ear infections - they have had ear drops for a fortnight but we didn't think they were working as the boys both kept shaking their heads. We completed the course and took them back to the vet today. He said that the general inflammation appears to have subsided but there is still a lot of discharge. I also mentioned that over the last 2 weeks we have started to notice that they are scratching their bodies more and more. The vet took an ear swab from Toby and used sticky tape to collect a sample from Barney's fur. When the vet brushed Toby's back fur in the wrong direction he started to do a little scream so it looks like he might have really sore skin. The vet said he would get back to me today or tomorrow after he has looked at the samples under a microscope to see what we are going to do next. He said the ears and skin may be linked and it could be a 'general skin condition'.

I just wish I knew what was wrong for definite as I am starting to get really worried about them. I know it isn't too serious (at the moment) as it isn't something that is affecting their quality of life or appetite (see point 2 above). I just worry that it might become something serious before we find out what the problem is.
 
Aww bless them! It's such a worry when you can't pinpoint whats wrong :( I'm sending healing vibes over to your lads and hugs to you!
 
Well I am itchy now!

The vet has just called to say the sample have showed a high number of mites but they are not the 'usual' type of mites. I am picking up the spot-on treatment on Saturday and will be spending the day scrubbing their hutch clean and throwing out all the hay. I suspect they may have come from the hay bale I got from my mother in law but cannot be 100% sure so because of that I am going to throw out the Hay for Pets almost full bag of timothy and rye as well. I am also going to email gorgeous guineas to see if they have any advice. My poor little men.
 
Oh no! Poor you. Well, at least mites are something you can deal with. It would be worse if they had an idiopathic skin condition...
 
Oh no! Poor you. Well, at least mites are something you can deal with. It would be worse if they had an idiopathic skin condition...
Absolutely! I need to try to find out how long the mites/eggs live for (I think the vet said something about 14days) because I am not sure what to do about the free ranging. I will have to lift Barney's favourite curtains off the floor but then I am worried about the carpets etc. No point treating them if they are then just going to catch them again!
 
I am concerned about the ear infections - if there is still discharge (which suggests pus rather than wax) then I would ask the vets to culture it as it could be a secondary bacterial infection. Some bacterial infections in ears are really stubborn and need a special antibiotic (gentamycin given both by injection and ear drops) to deal with it.

Extra Vit C won;t hurt to boost their immune system to help get rid of the mites. I would also be wary about the effectiveness of ivermectin topical treatment given they have a heavy mite burden - my vet would give injections of doramectin in this situation (which are also effective against any ear mites - different type of mite)

Bathe them 48hrs after mite treatment with a suitable insecticidal product (eg lyclear shampoo). As you any have seen wit Dotty and Beanie we had secondary fungal develop so we then dipped them in imaverol after washing of the insectidical shapoo. Any open wounds were treated with F10SC disinfectant diluted 1/250 in warm water (bather or spray on) and left to dry.

As for the cages - Johnsons insecticidal cage spray is very effective - although you have to be careful not to breathe it in/use in an enclosed space and cages need to be left to air thoroughly for a few hours before scrubbing with an appropriate general use disinfectant.

Hope there is a speedy resolution to their problems
xx
 
The mite life cycle is 2-14 days. I would not allow them to free range until after they have completed 3 courses of treatment. It is very difficult to treat carpets etc unless you get them steam cleaned.
 
Oh poor Barney and Toby are going to be cross at the lack of freerange time!
 
@Pebble - it is all so complicated. I have ordered some lice n easy and some fresh hay. Will pick the spot-on up on Saturday and deep clean the hutch - I have a steam cleaner somewhere so hopefully that will kill a few of the mites off. I am going to stop Barney going into the curtains but wasn't sure about preventing them from free ranging completely. Problem is - firstly I will have a mutiny on my hands and secondly I don't have anywhere else safe for them to have floor time and it is not warm enough to put them in their outdoor run. What I did think is that if you had a dog with fleas you would treat the dog but wouldn't worry about the surroundings (carpets, curtains etc) that the dog has access to. I just wondered if it would work in the same way with mites? I have no experience with mites so have no idea how it works.
 
Abi, you do treat carpets and all soft furnishings if your dog has fleas :( its such hard work!
 
@abi , a dog's fleas lay eggs that drop off the dog and onto the floor and/or carpet. There they hatch and grow into adults and then jump onto any dog or human that passes nearby. That's why the carpets etc. must be treated, as Goth Mummy just said. Steam cleaning is the easiest method. With mites, I am not sure if the adults or eggs drop off.
 
Abi, you do treat carpets and all soft furnishings if your dog has fleas :( its such hard work!
oh do you! Bummer! Can you tell I don't have a dog! haha! I am just going to sit and tear my hair out because I have no idea what to do with them next!

So - do I actually need to do anything with my soft furnishings because of the mites or will they just die out on their own? also - if is is invermectin that they are given does that not also protect them from getting the mites back for a certain length of time (ie longer than 14days) therefore negating the issue of the possible mites in the carpets?

And yes - I am clutching at straws right now! I know they are only mites and therefore on their own not such a big problem but with everything else I have going on a the moment I feel like I am about to be pushed over the edge!
 
This just seems to be another reason as to why I should permanently stop them freeranging and come up with another plan for floor time.
 
oh do you! Bummer! Can you tell I don't have a dog! haha! I am just going to sit and tear my hair out because I have no idea what to do with them next!

So - do I actually need to do anything with my soft furnishings because of the mites or will they just die out on their own? also - if is is invermectin that they are given does that not also protect them from getting the mites back for a certain length of time (ie longer than 14days) therefore negating the issue of the possible mites in the carpets?

And yes - I am clutching at straws right now! I know they are only mites and therefore on their own not such a big problem but with everything else I have going on a the moment I feel like I am about to be pushed over the edge!
Injections are much more effective. The drops will take much longer to clear up - of they do at all. I tried drops on my 2 and they didnt work. My vet says the drops are rubbish- much better having injections.
The injections are much more effective for Mites, usually 3 injections (i think) over a 3 weeks. (1 injection a week) - I think that was the dosage my 2 had last year, cleared them right up.
Helen or someone else will be able to give a better answer, but i know the drops are not that good.
I am unsure about mites in the furniture, as i have hard wood floors, no carpets- carpets are such hard work. I know with cat/dog flees you have to treat rooms and furniture- But Mites i have no idea as mine didn't go on furniture- i know the fleece blankets needed changing daily on a hot wash (60degree). I imagine you would need to wash what you can on a hot wash and steam clean the carpets etc if possible to be safe.
 
Can you let them free range in the kitchen or bathroom, somewhere with washable flooring?
I will have to figure something out, bathroom is probably the best option.

So just to clarify my action plan:
1) Keep them off the carpet, curtains and furniture for 14 days and then it will be safe for them again
2) Make sure they have 3 courses of treatment
3) Bath them in lice n easy
4) Steam clean hutch and clean with Johnsons hutch and cage cleaner
5) Replace fleece daily and wash everything on a hot wash.

Do I replace all their hay bedding daily as well?

Is there anything I have missed out?
I feel so stressed!
 
I think you have it covered. Dont stress, its really a very common problem.
 
All sounds good to me, Please don't stress hun, after the first few days you quickly get in the swing of things x
 
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