Advice for mites

[CavyCanadienMom]

I have 2 boars and they just had their third and fourth round of revolution. This is my first time dealing with mites, vet is treating them for mites for now because all their signs point to that. Skin scrapping might be in future which I don’t want for them. I’m wanting advice on should I bath them and any other tips to help get this under control. For the bathing it’s been 72hrs since the treatment of revolution and I have neem oil shampoo from gorgeous guinea. Is a good bath going to help clear up the mites and the eggs? I’ll freely admit this is my first mite experience with guineas and I messed up with not cleaning cage as good first 2 rounds of treatment. But for the past 4 weeks I removed all toys, plastic igloos and food dish got a hot water an vinegar scrub. Every 4 days I’ve cleared out and wiped every surface down with hot water and vinegar and for the last 2 weeks have done a extra wipe with a little neem oil added. I’ve even replaced the corrugated plastic on their favorited sleeping levels. I’ve scrubbed and replaced ramps and their carpets. I use fleece and every 4 days liners (which I just sewed new ones 3weeks ago) an anything else fleece in the cage gets sanitation wash with vinegar, little bleach and borax. I change their pee pads and fav bedding areas, along with emptying and cleaning their kitchens every day. Sorry it’s a long one but I’m at a loss on what else I can do to help them, from what I’ve read 3 to 4 treatments don’t seem to be the norm. The itching an biting has lessened from what it was by 60%, no open sores and wounds at all,just hair loss on my one boy the other has little of the dandruff look in his fur. So please any advice on the bathing if it will help or should I even do it? Also I’m open to any more tips on cleaning the cage.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Can you please clarify whether you are dealing with mange mites (trixacarus caviae, which burrow their eggs in the painful and inflamed skin) or with hay/fur mites (chirodiscoides caviae), which fix their egg cases to the hairs, especially at the bum end? Hay mites

If 4 rounds of revolution have not worked on mange mites, then you are more likely dealing with a fungal skin infection (not necessarily ringworm; there are other milder forms that can cause hair loss). Only after having excluded the fungal angle can you look at other issues like dry skin from heating or air conditioning, problems with the laundry soap you are using (plain non-bio is best), perfumed skin products of yours etc. Revolution can suppress a fungal infection temporarily, but not cure it. Labs will only test for ringworm, but not the many other forms of fungal that a guinea pigs can contract.

If you are dealing with hay mites, which are less invasive but harder to get at because they live on the debris on the hairs, then here is what you can do. The hair has tiny knobbles when you feel at the back. In light coloured piggies it looks like somebody has
- give your piggies a gentle shave to remove as many egg cases physically in a really bad case; the hair will grow back within a month.
- bathe with a vet approved small pet lice shampoo (please be aware that cat/dog shampoos may contain ingredients that are harmful to rodents). In the case of persistent hay mites, a two-pronged strategy between ivermectin (ask your vet to try that rather than selamectin as in revolution) and topical lice treatment can work.
Lice n Easy Shampoo 150ml
- change your brand of hay, which is where hay mites come with.

 

[CavyCanadienMom]

The vet never clarified what type of mites, but both of their skin is all clear an healthy looking. The hair loss on my one boy is just his sides, not completely bald but very noticeable an sparse. My second has no hair loss just dandruff. The hair on both look healthy and soft to the touch. I’m diligent in making sure my hands an arms are washed before touching them, not wanting to pass anything on to them. I’ll give the hair shave a try. They just had the revolution treatment 72hrs ago, how long should I wait to see if it’s doing any good or have to go back to the vet.

 

[Wiebke]

The vet never clarified what type of mites, but both of their skin is all clear an healthy looking. The hair loss on my one boy is just his sides, not completely bald but very noticeable an sparse. My second has no hair loss just dandruff. The hair on both look healthy and soft to the touch. I’m diligent in making sure my hands an arms are washed before touching them, not wanting to pass anything on to them. I’ll give the hair shave a try. They just had the revolution treatment 72hrs ago, how long should I wait to see if it’s doing any good or have to go back to the vet.

Mange mites typically are a v on the back; hair loss on the sides could point more to a fungal skin infection.

Please contact your vet if nothing has changed within a week. I would strongly recommend to consider a course of fungal treatment as the next avenue. I am very sorry; you are in the territory where skin complaints are not clear cut, so it can be very difficult to diagnose and treat. It is often a matter of trial and error, as I know from past piggies of my own.