Xeno 450

[Heykids!]

I did a cellotape test on my guinea pigs on 14th May and having looked under my microscope I sadly found that they had parasites. Clegg had recently been to the vet and had a fine needle aspirate on a small lump and I guess the stress of this may have provoked the mite outburst. I took my findings to the vet the next day and together we think that they are static lice (Chirodiscoides Caviae). He put Xeno 450 Spot On on both piggies and I came away with another 4 pipettes.

I applied the second application 2 weeks later on 29th May and last Tuesday I bathed them both in Gorgeous Guineas' Lice N Easy shampoo. I intend to bath them again this Tuesday.

According to the instructions on the Xeno 450... "For the treatment of an existing infestation, repeat doses are required two weeks and four weeks after the initial application." I guess the third and final application will need to be applied on 26th June - does this sound right? 4 weeks sounds an awful long time to wait?

 

[Wiebke]

I did a cellotape test on my guinea pigs on 14th May and having looked under my microscope I sadly found that they had parasites. Clegg had recently been to the vet and had a fine needle aspirate on a small lump and I guess the stress of this may have provoked the mite outburst. I took my findings to the vet the next day and together we think that they are static lice (Chirodiscoides Caviae). He put Xeno 450 Spot On on both piggies and I came away with another 4 pipettes.

I applied the second application 2 weeks later on 29th May and last Tuesday I bathed them both in Gorgeous Guineas' Lice N Easy shampoo. I intend to bath them again this Tuesday.

According to the instructions on the Xeno 450... "For the treatment of an existing infestation, repeat doses are required two weeks and four weeks after the initial application." I guess the third and final application will need to be applied on 26th June - does this sound right? 4 weeks sounds an awful long time to wait?

The application has to happen in a two week rhythm. The third application therefore happens four weeks after the first application and not six weeks after the first application.

The last round of xeno is due tomorrow - but you need to wait 48 hours between any skin treatment, so you can't do the next lice'n'easy before Wednesday at the earliest, otherwise the xeno cannot work fully.

 

[Heykids!]

The application has to happen in a two week rhythm. The third application therefore happens four weeks after the first application and not six weeks after the first application.

The last round of xeno is due tomorrow - but you need to wait 48 hours between any skin treatment, so you can't do the next lice'n'easy before Wednesday at the earliest, otherwise the xeno cannot work fully.

Oh I see! Sorry, I misread it - what an idiot I am! I thought 4 weeks seemed a long time! Doh!

So final Xeno application tomorrow and Lice N Easy bath on Wednesday at the earliest... Perfect - thanks Wiebke! I guess it won't matter too much if the baths are slightly more than a week apart which is what Gorgeous Guineas recommends?

Also, is there anything else I should be doing? They live on fleece and hay. The hay is discarded daily and the fleece is washed daily at 60 degrees. But should I be disinfecting their wooden houses or anything else?

 

[JenniferG]

I wasn't sure if washing my fleece at 60 degrees was enough (I now use a long cotton wash rather than a quicker one) because my new boar got mites even when I was keeping him separate from the sows but I used washed fleece that had been in their cage. You can use F10 insecticide on the cage. I removed everything from the cages, switched to finacard and plastic houses while I treated them. Any parasites should die being 3 weeks away from the guinea pigs but I make it at least 4 weeks to be on the safe side. I try not to put the guinea pigs down on the same places I had them while they were infected, like on the sofa.

 

[Wiebke]

Oh I see! Sorry, I misread it - what an idiot I am! I thought 4 weeks seemed a long time! Doh!

So final Xeno application tomorrow and Lice N Easy bath on Wednesday at the earliest... Perfect - thanks Wiebke! I guess it won't matter too much if the baths are slightly more than a week apart which is what Gorgeous Guineas recommends?

Also, is there anything else I should be doing? They live on fleece and hay. The hay is discarded daily and the fleece is washed daily at 60 degrees. But should I be disinfecting their wooden houses or anything else?

We recommend F10 disinfectant for deep cleans because it is not only antibacterial, but also antifungal and the only one proven to kill ringworm spores. It is widely available online. I prefer the concentrate, as that allows me to dunk any wooden hideys and stuff into a solution of appropriate strength and then let everything dry without rinsing.

The mite you are dealing with comes via hay, that is why it goes by the name of hay mites; it is also called fur mites or static lice because it fixes its egg cases to hairs at the bum end. We used to see it only in piggies fed with untreated farmer/equine hay, but for the last 2-3 years it's been turning up with pet shop bought hay in a much more resistent strain that can be difficult to get rid of. Hay mites are the least harmful of all skin parasites that guinea pigs can get, but it can be a bit of pest.

If your two pronged approach is not working, ask your vet to try stronghold (selamectin) instead of ivermectin. It doesn't matter if the bath is a day or two late.

 

[Heykids!]

I wasn't sure if washing my fleece at 60 degrees was enough (I now use a long cotton wash rather than a quicker one) because my new boar got mites even when I was keeping him separate from the sows but I used washed fleece that had been in their cage. You can use F10 insecticide on the cage. I removed everything from the cages, switched to finacard and plastic houses while I treated them. Any parasites should die being 3 weeks away from the guinea pigs but I make it at least 4 weeks to be on the safe side. I try not to put the guinea pigs down on the same places I had them while they were infected, like on the sofa.

We recommend F10 disinfectant for deep cleans because it is not only antibacterial, but also antifungal and the only one proven to kill ringworm spores. It is widely available online. I prefer the concentrate, as that allows me to dunk any wooden hideys and stuff into a solution of appropriate strength and then let everything dry without rinsing.

The mite you are dealing with comes via hay, that is why it goes by the name of hay mites; it is also called fur mites or static lice because it fixes its egg cases to hairs at the bum end. We used to see it only in piggies fed with untreated farmer/equine hay, but for the last 2-3 years it's been turning up with pet shop bought hay in a much more resistent strain that can be difficult to get rid of. Hay mites are the least harmful of all skin parasites that guinea pigs can get, but it can be a bit of pest.

If your two pronged approach is not working, ask your vet to try stronghold (selamectin) instead of ivermectin. It doesn't matter if the bath is a day or two late.

So I need to get some F10 disinfectant then? How often should I be using it in order to help get rid of the static lice?

 

[Wiebke]

So I need to get some F10 disinfectant then? How often should I be using it in order to help get rid of the static lice?

You may find the tips in our ringworm guide helpful: Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

 

[Heykids!]

You may find the tips in our ringworm guide helpful: Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

Thanks Wiebke and apologies for the delay in replying. I have the F10 SC and am ready to start killing some bugs! Can I just check please...?

1. Should I use a concentration for high level disinfection i.e. 4ml in 1 litre as opposed to a general disinfection?
2. Once the solution is made up, I just dunk everything in (wooden houses, toys etc) and if necessary turn so that all sides/roofs get covered?
3. Does it need to soak in and if so for how long (Minutes, hours, over night)?
4. Do I need to replace the water or can I put everything in the same batch?
5. No need to rinse?
6. Allow to dry and will then be able to put back in so if they chew the toys or houses it won't hurt them?
7. How often do I need to repeat this?
8. Is there anything that I cannot disinfect and should be thrown out? I have a lot of posh expensive wooden houses so these won't need to be thrown away once disinfected?
9. The lady at the shop also suggested freezing their toys and houses to help kill any bugs - is this necessary?

Sorry to be such a pain but my anxiety levels are up again. I think I may switch to plastic houses for now to make cleaning easier until the problem is under control.

I have also spoken with Vedra at the CCT who recommends using Flea or Die shampoo. Obviously I have been bathing them in the Lice N Easy from Gorgeous Guineas - will this be suffice or do I need to buy some of the Flea or Die?

 

[JenniferG]

My vet recommended removing all houses and toys for 3 or 4 weeks (I do 4 weeks to be safe). I switch to plastic houses in the meantime. I change from fleece to disposable bedding too in case washing doesn't kill the mites.

 

[Wiebke]

I would disinfect everything once; you can dunk everything into the same solution and let it dry without rinsing. No need to soak for any length of time, just as long as the solution can get into every nook and cranny. Normal strength is OK for mites.

If you have got other options, I would supply your piggies with plastic huts, which are easier to disinfect during the mites treatment and only switch back to your wooden stuff afterwards. Otherwise, I would disinfect everything a second time at the end of the mites treatment (re. nooks and crannies). I have wooden huts, and they (and the piggies) have survived two rounds with ringworm and dunking into the stronger solution years ago. The piggies have all lived a normal life span.

 

[Heykids!]

We recommend F10 disinfectant for deep cleans because it is not only antibacterial, but also antifungal and the only one proven to kill ringworm spores. It is widely available online. I prefer the concentrate, as that allows me to dunk any wooden hideys and stuff into a solution of appropriate strength and then let everything dry without rinsing.

The mite you are dealing with comes via hay, that is why it goes by the name of hay mites; it is also called fur mites or static lice because it fixes its egg cases to hairs at the bum end. We used to see it only in piggies fed with untreated farmer/equine hay, but for the last 2-3 years it's been turning up with pet shop bought hay in a much more resistent strain that can be difficult to get rid of. Hay mites are the least harmful of all skin parasites that guinea pigs can get, but it can be a bit of pest.

If your two pronged approach is not working, ask your vet to try stronghold (selamectin) instead of ivermectin. It doesn't matter if the bath is a day or two late.

After treating with Xeno 450 and Lice n Easy and disinfecting thoroughly with F10, I thought I had got on top of the chirodiscoides problem and produced a clear cellotape test on both of my pigs. However, last night a further cellotape test shows that the little blighters are back! Can you explain a little more about how the Stronghold works and advise as to which hays are sterilised before being sold please as I suspect this is where they are coming from?

I was also going to try the Flea or Die shampoo but was a little concerned about its safety for guinea pigs as Guinea Lynx say "Avoid flea and tick powders and shampoos -- many contain pesticides that are dangerous for guinea pigs."

Finally, are hay mites common and do pigs generally carry them to some degree anyway? I just feel like such a bad piggy mum because they've got them.

 

[Wiebke]

After treating with Xeno 450 and Lice n Easy and disinfecting thoroughly with F10, I thought I had got on top of the chirodiscoides problem and produced a clear cellotape test on both of my pigs. However, last night a further cellotape test shows that the little blighters are back! Can you explain a little more about how the Stronghold works and advise as to which hays are sterilised before being sold please as I suspect this is where they are coming from?

I was also going to try the Flea or Die shampoo but was a little concerned about its safety for guinea pigs as Guinea Lynx say "Avoid flea and tick powders and shampoos -- many contain pesticides that are dangerous for guinea pigs."

Finally, are hay mites common and do pigs generally carry them to some degree anyway? I just feel like such a bad piggy mum because they've got them.

Please see a vet for using stronghold and consider changing your hay brand.

 

[Heykids!]

Please see a vet for using stronghold and consider changing your hay brand.

Ok thanks.