Beaphar Anti-Parasite Spot On

[Womble]

Hi

Is Beaphar Anti-Parasite Spot on safe to put on Guinea Pigs of 7 weeks old. If Not what is the safest spot on to use.

 

[superka]

I've been told and read that guinea pig fur is too thick for them to get flees. they can get mites tho. are you afraid they might have gotten mites? if not or you dont think theirs a possible risk of them getting mites, i wouldnt personally risk it. if they are you could probably call the vet just to ask his professional opinion. you shouldn't have to pay or bring them in to get advice on a medication. can usually get that over the phone.

 

[Womble]

I will be bonding them with my other 3 adult piggys in a couple of weeks. So I wanted to make sure none of them have any mites etc before I bond them

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do not treat on spec with such a product.
This kind of preventative is not recommended in any event.
These kinds of pet shop products are too low dosed to do any good even if they do have mites, not to mention that one treatment won’t do much anyway (an active infestation requires multiple treatments because the eggs are not killed by treatment).

Please only use a vet prescribed treatment where there is an active and diagnosed infestation.

 

[Womble]

Please do not treat on spec with such a product.
This kind of preventative is not recommended in any event.
These kinds of pet shop products are too low dosed to do any good even if they do have mites, not to mention that one treatment won’t do much anyway (an active infestation requires multiple treatments because the eggs are not killed by treatment).

Please only use a vet prescribed treatment where there is an active and diagnosed infestation.

I have used this before on my piggys and it has worked really well. It stopped them scratching in a few days.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I have used this before on my piggys and it has worked really well. It stopped them scratching in a few days.

As I say, they aren’t advised and certainly not as a potentially unnecessary preventative on such young piggies.

 

[superka]

Please do not treat on spec with such a product.
This kind of preventative is not recommended in any event.
These kinds of pet shop products are too low dosed to do any good even if they do have mites, not to mention that one treatment won’t do much anyway (an active infestation requires multiple treatments because the eggs are not killed by treatment).

Please only use a vet prescribed treatment where there is an active and diagnosed infestation.

did you read something about that specific product or type of product? cause you seem to know something i don't. if so could you share it i'd love to read it.

I'd say "vet recommended" then perscribed. some over the counter stuff does work fine and have had vets tell me to just go buy that, like pet shampoo's ect. depends what it is. but yeah as you said most pest control stuff is made weak cause you'll always end up with a case of some baby was chewing on it or w/e. my buddy does pest control in arizona and told me how most stuff now a days is only really harmful to insects. only time you gotta watch out for animals is if they're for eating and its because of FDA standards not cause you'll kill the animals. as he said they outlawed the "good stuff" over 30 years ago. it effect insects not mammals. at worst it gives mammals a rash and thats our immune system responding to the chemicals not the chemicals damaging our skin. still not good but you can get an allergic reaction to anything.... even the vets taking that dice roll every time he presribes something. its a very low chance. only real poison would be one for rats as that will effect all mammals and all rodents especially well.

That being said if you have read something on this product then that would take precedent. if it was a general about the product types as a whole its something to consider but not all products are are equal. again vet will know. usually they don't know the product they just ask you what the active medical ingredients are and how much of it is used.

 

[Siikibam]

Pet shop meds will usually not be the correct strength (even if active/main ingredient is the same) to treat the issue.

The other issue is treating when you don’t know what (of anything) you are treating. Incorrect treatment could have the potential to make things worse because you’re not giving the correct thing.

The other risk is that preventative treatment in piggies can lead to parasites building up a resistance to the drugs. Guinea pigs aren’t an animal/pet that needs preventative treatment. I guess it would be like a person deciding to take antibiotics during winter in case they catch bad flu or similar.

 

[Piggies&buns]

This.

Often these products suppress rather than actually deal with an issue. Thus making resistance more likely.

As the forum health team we don’t recommend preventative treatments and instead vet diagnosis should be sought and the correct course of treatment given according to the piggy’s weight (the three treatments two weeks apart to catch the full life cycle of the mites) where there is a diagnosed and active case.
We are aware the US has single treatment products.
No point in treating for something they may not even have, particularly in such young piggies.

 

[Wheekallweek]

I certainly wouldn't use any product without needing to. If they are showing no signs of parasite infestation then there's no need, as @Siikibam has said this can contribute to anti parasitic resistance. Similar to with human antibiotics, only use a medicine if it is needed, but make sure it is the correct treatment for the issue first!

 

[Eriathwen]

Ivermectin is dosed by weight, not age, the box says to use the hamster/gerbil version if under 300g which would suggest even though it is a weaker product than what you can get via the vet, this adult version may still run the risk of overdose to babies.

Ivermectin overdose can cause lifelong neurological damage, personally I would not risk this product on 7 week olds, and the hamster/gerbil version is likely also too weak for the animals it's being used on.

If you have concerns about parasites I'm sure your vet would be more than happy to prescribe the appropriate drug to use

 

[Engel]

did you read something about that specific product or type of product? cause you seem to know something i don't. if so could you share it i'd love to read it.

While I can't speak for Piggies&buns I strongly agree with their statement and heres why:

Parasite resistance has been seen in cats and dogs because of routine prevention treatment giving rise to the 'super flea', something you normally hear about it every few years. For example any vet practices who used the likes of Frontline for fleas (active ingredient: fiprinol) had to change to a different medicine like Advantage (active ingredient: imidacloprid) or Advocate (active ingredients: imidacloprid and moxidectin).

As Siikibam mentioned, parasites can become resistant much like we can with prolonged and unnecessary antibiotic use. Eventually the bug/parasite will become immune and a different or stronger medicine will be needed.

It's worth noting that fleas, in general, are host specific (excluding cat fleas. They'll munch on anyone). For example your cat isn't going to get fleas from a hedgehog. Neither is you guinea pig going to get them from a dog. My point is, for your pig to have fleas, it's got them from another animal as they aren't a natural host for them.

Lice typically comes off the hay and is easily treated by the vets. Mites you can't see, and will need a diagnosis from the vets and they'll prescribe the appropriate treatment. Typically these are seen more often than fleas but regardless, it takes more than one dose to eradicate them. You also need to keep on top of the cage hygiene as these bugs will live in the environment too.

The last point I want to make is, like Eriathwen mentioned, dosage. Members of the public aren't expected to know how to calculate the correct dosage for their pet. Over the counter medication is a lot weaker than prescription drugs to lessen the risk of overdose. This unfortunately means that over the counter antiparasite treatment isn't effective and just suppresses the symptoms, if anything at all.

Overdose of ivermectin seems to be more and more common now; I hear about it all the time. I've heard of quite a few deaths due to ivermectin overdose in Guinea pigs, especially during the pandemic. While done with good intentions, ivermectin can and does kill. Those lucky enough to survive typically suffer with neurological problems as a result.

For @Womble; please know that not all scratching is caused by parasites. More importantly, I'd have your new piggies checked over by a vet and quarantined for a minimum of 2 weeks before meeting your other pigs. This will help prevent any disease spreading through the herd which I'd be more concerned about than them scratching. The vet will also be able to rule in/out the possibility of parasitic infection and advise you on the best course of action.

Here's a list of our recommended piggy vets:
Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

 

[Womble]

While I can't speak for Piggies&buns I strongly agree with their statement and heres why:

Parasite resistance has been seen in cats and dogs because of routine prevention treatment giving rise to the 'super flea', something you normally hear about it every few years. For example any vet practices who used the likes of Frontline for fleas (active ingredient: fiprinol) had to change to a different medicine like Advantage (active ingredient: imidacloprid) or Advocate (active ingredients: imidacloprid and moxidectin).

As Siikibam mentioned, parasites can become resistant much like we can with prolonged and unnecessary antibiotic use. Eventually the bug/parasite will become immune and a different or stronger medicine will be needed.

It's worth noting that fleas, in general, are host specific (excluding cat fleas. They'll munch on anyone). For example your cat isn't going to get fleas from a hedgehog. Neither is you guinea pig going to get them from a dog. My point is, for your pig to have fleas, it's got them from another animal as they aren't a natural host for them.

Lice typically comes off the hay and is easily treated by the vets. Mites you can't see, and will need a diagnosis from the vets and they'll prescribe the appropriate treatment. Typically these are seen more often than fleas but regardless, it takes more than one dose to eradicate them. You also need to keep on top of the cage hygiene as these bugs will live in the environment too.

The last point I want to make is, like Eriathwen mentioned, dosage. Members of the public aren't expected to know how to calculate the correct dosage for their pet. Over the counter medication is a lot weaker than prescription drugs to lessen the risk of overdose. This unfortunately means that over the counter antiparasite treatment isn't effective and just suppresses the symptoms, if anything at all.

Overdose of ivermectin seems to be more and more common now; I hear about it all the time. I've heard of quite a few deaths due to ivermectin overdose in Guinea pigs, especially during the pandemic. While done with good intentions, ivermectin can and does kill. Those lucky enough to survive typically suffer with neurological problems as a result.

For @Womble; please know that not all scratching is caused by parasites. More importantly, I'd have your new piggies checked over by a vet and quarantined for a minimum of 2 weeks before meeting your other pigs. This will help prevent any disease spreading through the herd which I'd be more concerned about than them scratching. The vet will also be able to rule in/out the possibility of parasitic infection and advise you on the best course of action.

Here's a list of our recommended piggy vets:
Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

I won't be using this on any of my Guinea Pigs. By what everyone has said. It's more trouble than its worth

 

[Engel]

It is more trouble than it's worth. I understand why you would want to do it though and that your intentions are good.

Have you introduced your piggies? We'd love to see photos of the furry potatoes

 

[Womble]

It is more trouble than it's worth. I understand why you would want to do it though and that your intentions are good.

Have you introduced your piggies? We'd love to see photos of the furry potatoes

No not yet. They are in quarantine at the moment

 

[Engel]

No not yet. They are in quarantine at the moment

Sorry I meant introduced to the forum.