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Why does this keep happening to my Guinea Pig...? (lice, mites, hair loss)

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Kat190

Kat190

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She's three years old and since she was a baby she's had problems with parasites on her fur. She had mites shortly after we brought her home but they were treated easily with ivermectin. Then she had Lice which looked like tiny strands of hay and were treated, but kept coming back. And now I'm not even sure what she has and I feel so frustrated with it that I feel like crying.

When I stroke her loads of fur comes out (but she doesn't have any bald patches) and she doesn't seem to like being touched on her back. I tried ivermectin behind her ear but it didn't do anything. I tried Lice N Easy last week, and although she looks whiter and healthier she still feels like her fur's dry, the hair loss is still happening, she still doesn't like being touched on her back and I can see little specs on her fur again too.

Sorry this is long, I'm really lost as to what I can do. Should I just wait until the next Lice N Easy treatment? Any advice? Thank you.
 
Please have her seen and health checked by a piggy savvy vet. There could be an underlying health problem that is causing her to have a lowered immune system. Please do not home treat unless you really know what is up; you can make things easily worse than better! Here is our piggy savvy vet locator for UK members: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/

The pain on the back/refusing to be stroked is rather typical for mange mites, which are invisible to the skin. You need at least 3 rounds of a good ivermectin product in order to get rid of them. The usual shop products are too low dosed to do the job; they are geared towards prevention, not the treatment of mange mites.
She also sounds like she's got hay or fur mites/static lice, which sit on the hair at the bum end, but do not irritate the skin. These usually make an apprearance in autumn and often come in with the hay (hence one of the names).

PS: With members from all over the world, we are grateful if you added your country, state (US/Aus) or general area (UK) to your details, so we can give you the appropriate advice, links, product names and - if possible - local recommendations straight away. You can do by clicking on your name on the dark green bar/personal details/location. Thanks!
 
Hi, it could be a combination of mites and a fungal condition as they often do go hand in hand if the pig is run down. The spot on Ivermectin is not often that strong and it may be that she needs a course of injections at the vets.

If it is fungal that needs to be treated differently, please could you post some photos?

The specs on her hair could be mites, skin debris or dandruff from fungal. If she is sensitive I am leaning more towards mites but not necessarily static mites but the type of mites that are in her system and can multiply when a pig is run down.
 
Is difficult to see but I think I can see the flecks. When you separate the hair, does the hair shaft look broken at all?

I would definitely get a vet appointement though as they will be able to see exactly what is going on and treat accordingly. As far as I am aware actual lice are treated with shampoo but I have never had them in my own pigs. If it is mange mites though, ask for Ivermectin by injection or orally as this is more effective.

It doesn't look fungal from the pictures but I would need to see the skin to know for certain.
 
I can't get a good picture, but her skin looks healthy. It's just all the flecks on her fur and when I do stroke her a lot of fur will fall out. Also, when I hold her I feel really itchy. :(
 
Could be phsychological but sounds like it is more hay mites then. I would get a vet appointment and they should be able to recommend the appropriate course of treatment.

I have been advised that Lyclear creme rinse is good for treating hay mites, so you could discuss this with your vet. You would need to patch test behind the ear fo 48 hours before shampooing though.
 
Thank you so much. I'll make an appointment asap with them. We did get the ivermectin from the vet and we do keep going back but whatever this is keeps returning. Very annoying, feel so bad for my poor piggy, hope I can get it sorted out.
 
I once had to get ivermectin injections to clear mites, it cleared it up very quickly whereas I had been treating with vet-prescribed topical treatments for some time....
 
I agree, she needs a vet visit asap. Pain like that means there is a problem that can't be seen, fungal or mange which is really irritating her.

Please get her to see an experienced vet who can do tests to check what the problem is and get you an appropriate treatment. Like Wiebke says a lot of the over the Counter ones are not strong enough for some parasitic infections. They can also give some pain relief until she is feeling better.n It may be that she has an underlying problem which is causing her to get parasitic infections frequently. It is not normal for a healthy piggy to have repeated problems with mites.

In the mean time try not to handle her too much is she is uncomfortable and if you do, wrap her in something soft like a fleece or smooth blanket so her skin isn't too traumatised by it.

Please also check your bedding and hay supplies to make sure you are not re-introducing the mite each time you clean the cage. A good strong disinfectant like F10 will help get the cage as clean as it can be of all bugs etc.
 
MerryPip said:
I agree, she needs a vet visit asap. Pain like that means there is a problem that can't be seen, fungal or mange which is really irritating her.

Please get her to see an experienced vet who can do tests to check what the problem is and get you an appropriate treatment. Like Wiebke says a lot of the over the Counter ones are not strong enough for some parasitic infections. They can also give some pain relief until she is feeling better.n It may be that she has an underlying problem which is causing her to get parasitic infections frequently. It is not normal for a healthy piggy to have repeated problems with mites.

In the mean time try not to handle her too much is she is uncomfortable and if you do, wrap her in something soft like a fleece or smooth blanket so her skin isn't too traumatised by it.

Please also check your bedding and hay supplies to make sure you are not re-introducing the mite each time you clean the cage. A good strong disinfectant like F10 will help get the cage as clean as it can be of all bugs etc.
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Does the fur look like it has had a bad hair cut as well?

Ruby especially has had the problem for a long time, it seemed to clear up well in summer with injections and melaseb shampoo from the vets so I think the two do happen at the same time, but it has come back again.

Mine had a piece of dandruff on the end of a hair which came out very easily.
 
Actually no, she's had no hair loss (as in balding, when stroked hair does fall out but never leaves bald patches), she doesn't scratch it either. I would say it's only a bother when someone touches her back and for me when I hold her because I get a bit of a reaction on my neck from them. I think they might be static lice after looking around online, they fit the decription. I'm really unsure about seeing my vet since they normally just give some injection or spot on that never helps. Ahh, really lost right now.
 
Also, I bought Lice N Easy and bathed her in it last weekend and it seemed to bring them all out. I don't know if that's good or bad or what. I wish vets were better with Guinea Pigs.
 
Where do you buy your hay from? As a kid, I got mine from a farm, but after I had a really serious mite problem in a guinea pig, I switched to shop-bought hay, which costs about ten times more, but is vacuum packed into solid blocks and far less likely to have any dampness or parasites in it.
 
I buy it from a pet shop, it's from a farm though and is loosly packed, do you think that could be where it keeps coming from?
 
It could originate from bedding but in all honesty a healthy Guinea still shouldn't end up with recurrent infections even in that scenario. Check the bedding carefully and if you are at all worried then throw it away and try new stuff.

It is likely there is an underlying health issue that means she is run down and susceptible to other issues, a bit like cold sores when humans get run down. If you don't trust your current vet then please try our vet locator for a cavy savy vet near you, it's worth the extra travel sometimes to get problems like this sorted out. Your girl is clearly very unhappy and it needs addressed.
 
Okay, I'll see the vet asap then. Really sad to hear she's unhappy, need to know what the problem is and sort her out :(
 
Just about to contact one of the vets listed on this site. I'll keep everyone updated, thanks for all your help.
 
Kat190 said:
Okay, I'll see the vet asap then. Really sad to hear she's unhappy, need to know what the problem is and sort her out :(
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I think mine either came from shavings or the loose hay from a local pet shop so I changed to dust extracted meadow hay from a garden centre near me and they also have the dust extracted dandelion and marigold Burgess which Pets at Home do.

I know nasties still live in dust extracted but I think it is less dusty for a start of.

I think vets tend to inject for mites first as I suppose that's the first thing they usually get.

My vet did tend to blame being kept indoors with the heating on and not having direct sunlight near them I don't know if that is true or not.

my guineas fur also comes out easily you can tell when you get them out on your clothing but like yours there is no fur loss patches.

Do they get a lot of vitamin c rich foods at all?

I do understand where you are coming from regards it though as it is a worry and harder to enjoy them especially if you are covered in hairs and can't seem to get to the root of the problem.:mal::agr:

Just to add when I bathed them loads of hair came out complete with the dandfuff scabs as well, I used the coco neem melt to get the small areas of dandruff off. No patches though.
 
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Silly said:
I think mine either came from shavings or the loose hay from a local pet shop so I changed to dust extracted meadow hay from a garden centre near me and they also have the dust extracted dandelion and marigold Burgess which Pets at Home do.

I know nasties still live in dust extracted but I think it is less dusty for a start of.

I think vets tend to inject for mites first as I suppose that's the first thing they usually get.

My vet did tend to blame being kept indoors with the heating on and not having direct sunlight near them I don't know if that is true or not.

my guineas fur also comes out easily you can tell when you get them out on your clothing but like yours there is no fur loss patches.

Do they get a lot of vitamin c rich foods at all?

I do understand where you are coming from regards it though as it is a worry and harder to enjoy them especially if you are covered in hairs and can't seem to get to the root of the problem.:mal::agr:

Just to add when I bathed them loads of hair came out complete with the dandfuff scabs as well, I used the coco neem melt to get the small areas of dandruff off. No patches though.
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General shedding of loose hairs without bald patches is completely normal just as we do! Dandruff and dry skin can happen and some piggies are more prone than others. Both my rex boys are considerably drier skinned than my other piggies and sometimes need a bit of extra moisturiser on some patches if they get very dry. Washing a piggy too often can also result in dry skin, they need the natural oils they produce to keep skin and coat healthy and in good condition.

Having enough vitamin C is important for a good coat and skin but most foods (as long as it is used quickly and not sat for weeks as it degrades quickly) and supplemented with veg should give a normal piggy enough vit C. Having piggies indoors with heating should have no bearing on it other than perhaps to increase the likelihood of dry skin. Piggies do not have seasonal moults like dogs, cats and other animals, they don't have winter and summer coats so any change in moulting needs to be investigated. My boys have always been indoor piggies with the only skin problems resulting from a fungal infection one of them brought home with him from the 'rescue' he came from.

If you ever have more than a few episodes of mites or skin issues then a vets opinion should be sought as over the counter products are not always strong enough to combat a serious infestation and an underlying immune problem may be leading a piggy to be more likely to get infestations and infections.
 
Kat190 said:
Thank you both, I agree it's not normal so I just rang the vet and made an appointment for Friday. Hopefully this will be the end of it, thank you all I'll keep you updated.
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Hope you get sorted, can't wait to see what the cause is.:tu:
 
Is she kept on her own or with other guineas? Because if she is kept with others then you are best off taking them all to the vets together because they would all need treating at the same time.

Black specks in the fur are easily seen on a white piggy; part the fur over her rump, down towards the bottom & where you see the dark specks carefully stick a little bit of sticky tape to the base of the hairs, lift away & then look under a microscope or magnifying glass. Hay mites are tiny black specks but you may see them moving slightly. These have to be treated with shampoos like Lice & Easy or Flea or Die, you need to repeat the shampoo a week apart to kill the hatchlings. Ivermectin is used for Mange mites, they live under the skin so a different type of mite entirely. If the vet recommends treating with this then you can still shampoo but leave 48 hours after the treatment before you do. You will also need to completely clear the hutch/cage of any wood or cardboard tunnels etc & bin them & hot wash any plastic pigloos etc. Thoroughly clean the hutch/cage with a piggy safe hutch cleaner (Not bleach) before replacing everything fresh & clean. If you buy Oxbow hay (Western Timothy) or Alfalfa King Timothy hay these are imported from the US so heat treated, they don't have parasites. These hays are expensive but I have been using them for 2 years, my piggies love Timothy hay & we have not had any unwanted little visitors at all :)
 
No she's on her own, her cage mate died over a year ago. Thank you for the advice, I'll get the vet to have a look under the microscope while I'm there but I'm sure they'll do it anyway. I think a new type of hay is much needed, I think I might be using dodgy batches. I'll look into Timothy Hay, thanks again. :)
 
Kat190 said:
No she's on her own, her cage mate died over a year ago. Thank you for the advice, I'll get the vet to have a look under the microscope while I'm there but I'm sure they'll do it anyway. I think a new type of hay is much needed, I think I might be using dodgy batches. I'll look into Timothy Hay, thanks again. :)
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Pets at Home have dust extracted Timothy hay if one is near you.
 
Kat190 said:
She's three years old and since she was a baby she's had problems with parasites on her fur. She had mites shortly after we brought her home but they were treated easily with ivermectin. Then she had Lice which looked like tiny strands of hay and were treated, but kept coming back. And now I'm not even sure what she has and I feel so frustrated with it that I feel like crying.

When I stroke her loads of fur comes out (but she doesn't have any bald patches) and she doesn't seem to like being touched on her back. I tried ivermectin behind her ear but it didn't do anything. I tried Lice N Easy last week, and although she looks whiter and healthier she still feels like her fur's dry, the hair loss is still happening, she still doesn't like being touched on her back and I can see little specs on her fur again too.

Sorry this is long, I'm really lost as to what I can do. Should I just wait until the next Lice N Easy treatment? Any advice? Thank you.
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My vet says that anything and everything that goes in a piggy cage should first spend a few days in a deep freezer. Pellets and hay , grasses are kept in freezer. Toys and cage accessories spend a few days in freezer before going into cage, even bedding from store. Deep freezer kills fleas and other creepy crawlys. I've had my little guys 4 months and no bugs. Hope I've solved your problem.
 
Been to vets, update: It's not mites, lice, etc. It's cysts on her ovaries. That's the reason she has hair loss, isn't keen on being touched, etc. The bits in her fur were just debris. She's being spayed next week. Just goes to show that going to the vet is always a must could be something coompletely different to what you think!
 
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