Cleo’s got mites! 😡

[Betsy]

My little Cleo, I didn’t sit on her head, that’s her hairdo!

 

[alpacasqueak]

Thought I’d point it out just in case!

 

[Claire W]

Aw bless her. At least lice are easily treated x

 

[alpacasqueak]

Thanks @Claire W xx

 

[alpacasqueak]

I may as well say too, didn’t want to make a big deal of it in case it doesn’t happen, part of my upset with poor tiny Cleo!
When I picked her up she was in with 3 other sows and there were 2 boars in the cage/tank next door. I was told that when the breeder brought in the babies that they thought one of the boars was female. So I’m guessing he was kept with the females!
So I’m obviously also guessing there’s a possibly that the obvious could’ve happened! Really hoping not but why I feel so bad for this little one (and the other girlies involved)!

Will be keeping a close eye of course, unfortunately we had pregnant pet shop piggies when I was a teenager (many years ago!) at my mums, with my beloved silver agouti Trevor who was originally a female(!) and Honey his cagemate! Also very young!

 

[Wiebke]

I may as well say too, didn’t want to make a big deal of it in case it doesn’t happen, part of my upset with poor tiny Cleo!
When I picked her up she was in with 3 other sows and there were 2 boars in the cage/tank next door. I was told that when the breeder brought in the babies that they thought one of the boars was female. So I’m guessing he was kept with the females!
So I’m obviously also guessing there’s a possibly that the obvious could’ve happened! Really hoping not but why I feel so bad for this little one (and the other girlies involved)!

Will be keeping a close eye of course, unfortunately we had pregnant pet shop piggies when I was a teenager (many years ago!) at my mums, with my beloved silver agouti Trevor who was originally a female(!) and Honey his cagemate! Also very young!

All the best! It sounds like you have your hands full. Please don't feel guilty about having bought a special needs piggy from a shop. You have done the right thing. But keep in mind that we don't have control of which threads turn up in a google search so me making certain points repeatedly is not necessarily personal but done with an eye on future potential readers.

Cataracts are not pretty, and the adjustment period if they come on very quickly is somewhat harder than in slow cases. But having had plenty of cataract piggies over the years, it is not going to impact badly on their long term quality of life and they can still lead a normal life.
When you look at my enrichment guide, the brindle aby is actually a cataract piggy that eventually went pretty fully blind apart from lighy/dark. She still enjoyed free roaming in the garden and even learned to walk herself back into the moved run over the distance of several years as long as I stood next to the opening and kept up a constant vocal update of whether she was going right or wrong.
Sight is thankfully the weakest of the piggy senses; the other ones will step in to compensate over time.
If it is any consolation to you, one of my Meleri's congenital cataracts has just accelerated badly and I expect the other eye to follow in the coming weeks or months.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

You'll get through this! This year is very hard on all of us but at least a number of promising vaccines seem to be coming along so there is light at the end of the tunnel. But it is easier to overreact with all the added strain from the pandemic right now.

 

[alpacasqueak]

All the best! It sounds like you have your hands full. Please don't feel guilty about having bought a special needs piggy from a shop. You have done the right thing. But keep in mind that we don't have control of which threads turn up in a google search so me making certain points repeatedly is not necessarily personal but done with an eye on future potential readers.

Cataracts are not pretty, and the adjustment period if they come on very quickly is somewhat harder than in slow cases. But having had plenty of cataract piggies over the years, it is not going to impact badly on their long term quality of life and they can still lead a normal life.
When you look at my enrichment guide, the brindle aby is actually a cataract piggy that eventually went pretty fully blind apart from lighy/dark. She still enjoyed free roaming in the garden and even learned to walk herself back into the moved run over the distance of several years as long as I stood next to the opening and kept up a constant vocal update of whether she was going right or wrong.
Sight is thankfully the weakest of the piggy senses; the other ones will step in to compensate over time.
If it is any consolation to you, one of my Meleri's congenital cataracts has just accelerated badly and I expect the other eye to follow in the coming weeks or months.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

You'll get through this! This year is very hard on all of us but at least a number of promising vaccines seem to be coming along so there is light at the end of the tunnel. But it is easier to overreact with all the added strain from the pandemic right now.

Thanks @Wiebke, I’ve had far worse! Just not with teeny babies I’ve taken on, especially from a pet shop scenario which I’d never, ever normally do! She’s just extra special! Why I freaked a little yesterday, knowing how bad fleas are for young kittens I was worried it may be similar with the lice for young Cleo! (Jess on the right on my avatar has been my only baby pig for many years and she arrived in 2013!) Totally understand you need to repeat yourself repeatedly(!)!

Thank you. I’ve dealt with cataracts with Sheepy the alpaca so have been through it all before, followed by Pedro the one eyed chinchilla and his masses of care and then Jess losing hers too! So eyes seem to be a speciality these days! It’s just very quick with Luigi and he’s lost loads of his cheeky chappy confidence the last couple of weeks, so it’s not that I’m worried about care or enrichment etc, more just me being a soppy owner that has a bit of favouritism and it’s sad to see! During a bit of a mad spell with losing Jess and taking on Jasper and Cleo!

Thanks, hopefully! Lots of lovely members on here that support me massively so sure me and my wonky gang will be fine! Epilepsy and anxiety not helping much atm but the beasties and them keep me going!

 

[alpacasqueak]

Hope Meleri’s eyes don’t deteriorate too quickly x

 

[Rivervixen]

Maybe aliona sat on her head because she got her oats pinched you’re doing a wonderful job and everything comes at once or it doesn’t come at all!

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks @Wiebke, I’ve had far worse! Just not with teeny babies I’ve taken on, especially from a pet shop scenario which I’d never, ever normally do! She’s just extra special! Why I freaked a little yesterday, knowing how bad fleas are for young kittens I was worried it may be similar with the lice for young Cleo! (Jess on the right on my avatar has been my only baby pig for many years and she arrived in 2013!) Totally understand you need to repeat yourself repeatedly(!)!

Thank you. I’ve dealt with cataracts with Sheepy the alpaca so have been through it all before, followed by Pedro the one eyed chinchilla and his masses of care and then Jess losing hers too! So eyes seem to be a speciality these days! It’s just very quick with Luigi and he’s lost loads of his cheeky chappy confidence the last couple of weeks, so it’s not that I’m worried about care or enrichment etc, more just me being a soppy owner that has a bit of favouritism and it’s sad to see! During a bit of a mad spell with losing Jess and taking on Jasper and Cleo!

Thanks, hopefully! Lots of lovely members on here that support me massively so sure me and my wonky gang will be fine! Epilepsy and anxiety not helping much atm but the beasties and them keep me going!

The pandemic has an impact on all of us; especially those with underlying health problems or advanced age that are trying to stay out of harm's way as much as possible. Just hang in there and concentrate on what you can positively do in those areas where you can make a difference.

A quick cataract devolpment does have an impact but concentrate on the sensory enrichment that appeals to his other senses and challenge him on living as normal and active a life as he can; he will regain his personality once he has learned to compensate. The timing is just a bit awkward.

Discuss the vitamin C booster course for your little girl with your vet if you wish to. It depends on the variety of lice and how resistent to ivermectin they are (some are more so than others)/how strong your little one is.
A medicated bath may additionally help in the case of very bad or persistent lice to help remove them from the body as much as possible. But you need to wait at least 48 hours between any application to the skin in order to allow any treatment to be fully absorbed.

Don't separate her from her companions because this lowers the immune system even further. Your other piggies should hopefully be able to fent off the livce easily with the help of a course of spot-on ivermectin.

 

[alpacasqueak]

The pandemic has an impact on all of us; especially those with underlying health problems or advanced age that are trying to stay out of harm's way as much as possible. Just hang in there and concentrate on what you can positively do in those areas where you can make a difference.

A quick cataract devolpment does have an impact but concentrate on the sensory enrichment that appeals to his other senses and challenge him on living as normal and active a life as he can; he will regain his personality once he has learned to compensate. The timing is just a bit awkward.

Discuss the vitamin C booster course for your little girl with your vet if you wish to. It depends on the variety of lice and how resistent to ivermectin they are (some are more so than others)/how strong your little one is.
A medicated bath may additionally help in the case of very bad or persistent lice to help remove them from the body as much as possible. But you need to wait at least 48 hours between any application to the skin in order to allow any treatment to be fully absorbed.

Don't separate her from her companions because this lowers the immune system even further. Your other piggies should hopefully be able to fent off the livce easily with the help of a course of spot-on ivermectin.

She’s been next door to Jasper since last week when she arrived, so no real companions bless her, not quite the same as a C&C to get up close. So don’t worry I’ve done quite the opposite!
C&C turned up unexpectedly so a bit of a temporary mess but me and my piggles mental health (well and little Cleo’s health) more important!

I know only a 3x2, but I’m restricted! Temporary! Had to be done today really!
They’re getting properly acquainted atm! I’ve had to leave them to it, Cleo’s terrified of everything (good with a cuddle and likes her kisses but just have to move very slowly!) so although I’d love to sit and see how they go I’m not that mean!
There’s a blanket over half of their cages, obviously Jasper is part chinchilla so not risking it open totally. He’s very chuffed though, even slightly louder noises from her after 10mins while he shouted about how happy he was! ❤❤❤ Sure she will be too when comes out of hiding!

She really needs to watch another pig eating hay, well just be around another piggle, and a massively confident little man like him (wasn’t 7 weeks ago!) will spur her on I think!

Cleo’s in on Wednesday at C&R to check on her little wonky feet (and Jasper for his neutering check up as he’s naughty!) so I’ll mention it, thanks @Wiebke. She’s thankfully quite into the high calcium veg (broccoli etc),likes a bit of greenery, carrot and apple but I’ve given her top-ups of Pro-C, think a lot depends on how much I’m around with how much she eats! Not that I’m loud, used to scaredy-rodents, she just really hasn’t been handled and my noises are terrifying! Poor girl.
Jasper the utterly bonkers but very sweet lad will help now I’m sure! ❤❤(Although I’m slightly gutted I’m missing out on seeing them having a chit chat now they can get so close!)

 

[alpacasqueak]

What a fun day!
But all cleaned and dosed and left in peace to moan about what a terrible, evil mummy I am!
(Sorry didn’t want to start a new thread, would rather forget about this part of Cleo’s welcoming to the wonky house!)
Luigi’s eyes looking worse now but very well behaved like his lady! Just not too impressed all the good stuff from the cage pinched!



And The Beavers sorted afterwards (seems to be their new name! Blaming @DougalandDiego OH who has called Jasper a beaver for a while now!)



They’ve had me all soppy, totally in love through the bars already! Well loving pig company and looking great anyway!
Even normal poo from Cleo today, Jaspy the fuzzy stud is definitely helping her to settle!

So lovely to see, and hear! He’s almost silent, well happy pig noises all day but not the noisy screeching I’ve had for weeks now! Very content tbh! So lovely!
Sod off nasty lice!

 

[DougalandDiego]

Ahhh look at the gorgeous Beavers and Luigi! they’ll soon forgive you!

 

[alpacasqueak]

Ahhh look at the gorgeous Beavers and Luigi! they’ll soon forgive you!

Haha I’d just have to give Luigi one of his blueberries and he’d soon forget I bet! He’s a lover not a hater! Or just a happy fatty!

 

[Watsoon]

hi everyone,
I just wanted to express my apologies to you @alpacasqueak, I know I’ve messaged you privately also but I promise if I’d have known about the lice she would have of course been treated. The other piggies in the shop have also now been vet checked and treated (I’m out of work for a few weeks because of a positive covid test in my family so I’ve been a bit stressed haha ). I’m absolutely mortified though
I know pet shops have a bad rep and completely understand why, but where I work we try our best to be one of the hood ones so I’m gutted this has happened and again am so so sorry. We are definitely and 100% not getting from this breeder again.

I’m just so sorry for the added stress.

 

[alpacasqueak]

Honestly @Watsoon, you really don’t need to apologise at all, really not your fault! Please don’t feel mortified at all!
They’ve all been treated and I can’t see any crawling on her now, think she’s feeling much better already! 2 more treatments to go and hopefully we’ll never see or feel them again!
So glad her little friends have been treated too, hope they’re all shifted quickly, nasty creepy crawlies!

Little Miss Confident!

Massively thankful that she’s here so please don’t feel bad, I’m totally smitten, she’s lovely and Jasper’s already slightly in love!
Hope you and your family are ok with the nasty Covid around too xx