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are mites easily identifiable?

piggiemummy03x

piggiemummy03x

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so i’m probably just being super paranoid but i just wanted to ask a question to put my mind at ease!
is it quite obvious when a piggy has mites? will you be able to see them or notice certain things ie hair loss or flaky skin? i’ve gotten into my head that since spending the day at the vets for dellas bladder flush, my girls have come back itching / grooming more often, however i do tend to over worry about everything and think this could just be my head winding me up again!🙄they don’t have any other symptoms but once i’ve got something in my head, its hard to ignore!
if anyone has had experience with mites or any easily identifiable mite symptoms id be really interested to hear from you! i’ve done a bit of research online but try to now keep to TGPF for all help, advice and research, thankyou!
 
Piggies who have been to the vets or in any unfamiliar environment often groom a lot when they get home to get the nasty alien smells off.
Most piggies probably have a few stray mites that are usually kept well under control by grooming and their immune system in healthy pigs, and unless there is fur loss and sore irritated skin, no need to worry.
If you suspect mites, this can be confirmed by the vet, who can examine a fur sample and a skin scrape under the microscope- but these tests do require a specific target area like a sore bald spot to be sure of finding anything.
I really wouldnt worry unless there are bald patches- often mites first show as a v-shape/arrow shape bald patch on the back.
As we approach summer in the northern hemisphere, piggies may be grooming a lot and shedding a lot of fur generally as they lose their winter coat, this is quite normal, and wont produce any bald areas- just an overall thinner layer of fur for summer.
 
PigglePuggle said:
Piggies who have been to the vets or in any unfamiliar environment often groom a lot when they get home to get the nasty alien smells off.
Most piggies probably have a few stray mites that are usually kept well under control by grooming and their immune system in healthy pigs, and unless there is fur loss and sore irritated skin, no need to worry.
If you suspect mites, this can be confirmed by the vet, who can examine a fur sample and a skin scrape under the microscope- but these tests do require a specific target area like a sore bald spot to be sure of finding anything.
I really wouldnt worry unless there are bald patches- often mites first show as a v-shape/arrow shape bald patch on the back.
As we approach summer in the northern hemisphere, piggies may be grooming a lot and shedding a lot of fur generally as they lose their winter coat, this is quite normal, and wont produce any bald areas- just an overall thinner layer of fur for summer.
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oooh okay thats interesting thankyou so much!
 
Percy and Pepper have been treated for mites twice (maybe 3 times). Pepper had red scabby patches both times from biting himself because he was uncomfortable. Percy showed no signs but was itching more often.
 
Flora arrived with mites: she was scratching noticeably more than the others at the time and had no bald or thinning patches. However she curled up for a sleep on a white fleecy bed and when she got off she'd left a Flora-shaped 'shadow' of hair behind her which was a bit alarming!
My vet's first way of checking is to grasp a little clump of 5 or 6 hairs on the rump and gently pull. If they have mites the hairs will very easily come away as a clump with the root on - and piggy will often squeak - it's not without pain. That's the point at which they either have a look under the microscope or just hand over the Xeno depending on how many other patients are in that day!
 
Wiebke said:
You can find practical information on skin parasites in this guide here: New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights

It is part of our New Owners practical information and care tips kit, which we have linked into your threads a few times already: Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners
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oh brilliant thankyou!
yes sorry, i have read through all this but there was so much to take in! i need to remember i can go back at any time!🤦🏼‍♀️
 
weepweeps said:
Percy and Pepper have been treated for mites twice (maybe 3 times). Pepper had red scabby patches both times from biting himself because he was uncomfortable. Percy showed no signs but was itching more often.
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okay thankyou!
 
Free Ranger said:
Flora arrived with mites: she was scratching noticeably more than the others at the time and had no bald or thinning patches. However she curled up for a sleep on a white fleecy bed and when she got off she'd left a Flora-shaped 'shadow' of hair behind her which was a bit alarming!
My vet's first way of checking is to grasp a little clump of 5 or 6 hairs on the rump and gently pull. If they have mites the hairs will very easily come away as a clump with the root on - and piggy will often squeak - it's not without pain. That's the point at which they either have a look under the microscope or just hand over the Xeno depending on how many other patients are in that day!
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okay thanks so much for the information!
 
right just seen an almost see through little thing crawling in lunas fur so i wasn’t just being paranoid, vets this evening, my god its never ending, my poor girls! going to do some research into what kind they could be.. what do i do?! does everything need disinfecting?! i get them out on our bed and everything!
 
do i need to chuck out all hay or should i wait till it’s confirmed that they’re hay mites.. we use 3 different hays! how do i know which one contains them? this is such a nightmare!
 
i have F10 SC disinfectant concentrate

Hay mites are annoying but not such a huge problem (its mange mites which cause most problems)

Mites themselves aren’t usually visible.…
 
Piggies&buns said:
i have F10 SC disinfectant concentrate

Hay mites are annoying but not such a huge problem (its mange mites which cause most problems)

Mites themselves aren’t usually visible.…
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getting some ordered now, i completely forgot to get it for my emergency pack!🤦🏼‍♀️ i’ve got johnsons clean and safe i think its called, will this be okay for now? thats strange, i definitely saw something white, almost dandruff looking moving on her!
 
piggiemummy03x said:
getting some ordered now, i completely forgot to get it for my emergency pack!🤦🏼‍♀️ i’ve got johnsons clean and safe i think its called, will this be okay for now? thats strange, i definitely saw something white, almost dandruff looking moving on
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It’s generally the egg casings of mites you see attached to the hair shaft, as the mites are absolutely tiny.
lice are visible though as pale crawling creatures.
in reality though, you are going to just need to wait and see what the vet says
 
Piggies&buns said:
It’s generally the egg casings of mites you see attached to the hair shaft, as the mites are absolutely tiny.
lice are visible though as pale crawling creatures.
in reality though, you are going to just need to wait and see what the vet says
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not good.. i knew something was up! i completely forgot to mention it monday, feel like such an idiot!🤦🏼‍♀️😢
 
To be honest, I wasn’t completely switched on to notice the difference but after a very quick look (and I mean very quick, so don’t rely on me) on the notes, it seems the sc can be sprayed and left but the sc xd has to be rinsed off afterwards as its much stronger
 
Piggies&buns said:
To be honest, I wasn’t completely switched on to notice the difference but after a very quick look (and I mean very quick, so don’t rely on me) on the notes, it seems the sc can be sprayed and left but the sc xd has to be rinsed off afterwards as its much stronger
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right got you! thanks, i suppose it’s probably better to get whichever comes first!
 
Lice are easy because you can see them. It's just like the kids getting nits (the kids won't get the piggie lice). You can see them so there's less of a problem - unless they are lathered and then you'd definitely see more than one.
I had two girls at one point; one was tufty all over, and one had a single coronet. So I looked down at her 'crown' not long after she'd arrived and saw a massive fat louse right in the middle!
 
Free Ranger said:
Lice are easy because you can see them. It's just like the kids getting nits (the kids won't get the piggie lice). You can see them so there's less of a problem - unless they are lathered and then you'd definitely see more than one.
I had two girls at one point; one was tufty all over, and one had a single coronet. So I looked down at her 'crown' not long after she'd arrived and saw a massive fat louse right in the middle!
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interesting, thankyou! oh yes its very hard to find them on my girls, but there are some there! hopefully i’ve caught it fairly early on! ooo oh no bless her!
 
Piggies with rosettes or crests are easier to find lice on because you can see down to the skin more easily - before the lice run away. Smooth coats require a quick eye. They've very treatable, though. I would say symptoms were that the piggies were itchy and then I saw the little pests while combing (half Peruvian piggy). What's ironic is that I hadn't actually heard of guinea pig lice until about or two prior, when the vet commented on checking for them at their new piggy appointment. (Guess they had nits but no lice at that point.) My babies got treated with ivermectin and quarantined from my other piggy, who fortunately didn't get them (though I think the vet would have given me a prescription for her with just a weigh in if she had).
 
Princess Dustmop said:
Piggies with rosettes or crests are easier to find lice on because you can see down to the skin more easily - before the lice run away. Smooth coats require a quick eye. They've very treatable, though. I would say symptoms were that the piggies were itchy and then I saw the little pests while combing (half Peruvian piggy). What's ironic is that I hadn't actually heard of guinea pig lice until about or two prior, when the vet commented on checking for them at their new piggy appointment. (Guess they had nits but no lice at that point.) My babies got treated with ivermectin and quarantined from my other piggy, who fortunately didn't get them (though I think the vet would have given me a prescription for her with just a weigh in if she had).
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thanks for your reply!
 
sorry guys i forgot to update this thread!🤦🏼‍♀️
so.. been to the vets, was a nightmare trying to find them on their fur! after the vet had seen one she believes they are type of mite rather than lice and the girls have been treated with xeno and we’ve been given some treatment to give again in a months time!

going to give the hutch and everything a deep clean and wash (ordering some f10, however johnsons will have to do for now!) and stop using the hay bale we just bought in case the mites came from this, sadly it was the girls favourite hay!😔

any more advice on what more i should do is greatly appreciated, thanks!
 
piggiemummy03x said:
sorry guys i forgot to update this thread!🤦🏼‍♀️
so.. been to the vets, was a nightmare trying to find them on their fur! after the vet had seen one she believes they are type of mite rather than lice and the girls have been treated with xeno and we’ve been given some treatment to give again in a months time!

going to give the hutch and everything a deep clean and wash (ordering some f10, however johnsons will have to do for now!) and stop using the hay bale we just bought in case the mites came from this, sadly it was the girls favourite hay!😔

any more advice on what more i should do is greatly appreciated, thanks!
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I’ve seen your other thread and would again echo that the treatment interval of a month is too long so would go for the shorter interval.
 
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