Dirt or static lice?

[Rebecca01]

Hi

Whilst cuddling my girls I noticed a couple of them had small areas in their fur that looked like there were little brown/black specks of dirt
It was around their bums and wasn’t loads but enough to be noticeable. I spotted it on 2/4 girls, the two with the lighter fur on their bums
They haven’t been itching (seen then scratch maybe once each whilst I’ve been home last couple of evenings) but reading up I’ve noticed it could be static lice?

Am I rigjt in thinking these are uncomfortable but not as bad as other parasites? I have four girls and last time I had to treat only two for running lice it cost me almost 200 pounds!
Is there anything I can do at home to treat it? Or is it just a bit of dirt on their fur?
Sorry pics aren’t good they were fidgety!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Static lice is an outdated term - they are called hay mites now.

The way you can try to tell is by running your finger down the hair shaft. If the specks come off then it is likely just debris.
If it is does not come off then it is likely hay mites and they need treatment.

You will need the same treatment as when when they had lice.
Pet shop parasite products are too low dosed to be effective. They can suppress but not necessarily cure - thereby meaning if you try to save money by using such products it would probably cost even more in the long run as you’d l end up still needing to get the proper treatment in the end.

 

[Claire W]

I once thought one of my guinea pigs had hay mites but it turned out to be dirt

Hay mites can be resembled as ground pepper and do not come out of the fur when brushed. The specks that you see in hay mites are the egg casings as the actually mites are microscopic

It’s hard to see on your photos but if you’re unsure, a quick trip to the vets should tell you. Sadly if it is hay mites, no home treatment will get rid of them, only vet strength treatment but hay mites are more of a nuisance than anything else and they will not hurt your guinea pigs. They come in on hay x

 

[Rebecca01]

I’ve seen people say that the gorgeous Guinea shampoo worked, is that not the case?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’ve seen people say that the gorgeous Guinea shampoo worked, is that not the case?

A diagnosed case of hay mites needs to be treated with ivermectin, along with cutting the hair off to remove as many of the eggs as possible

 

[Rebecca01]

A diagnosed case of hay mites needs to be treated with ivermectin, along with cutting the hair off to remove as many of the eggs as possible

That makes sense. The vet used xeno mini for their running lice when I got them, 2pipettes every 2 weeks I think for 3 times
Would it be the same? Pets at home sell xeno mini online by looks of it

 

[Piggies&buns]

That makes sense. The vet used xeno mini for their running lice when I got them, 2pipettes every 2 weeks I think for 3 times
Would it be the same? Pets at home sell xeno mini online by looks of it

Yes it would be the same product. Don’t forget it is dosed by weight though so you’d need to check the dosage.
However you must not treat unless you have a diagnosis of hay mites

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

Here is our guide to guinea pig species specific skin parasites. The new generation of hay mites (chirodiscoides caviae) can be more resistant to treatment because it often comes with industrially harvested international hay brands.

Thread 'New piggy health problems: URI - Ringworm - Skin Parasites'

Nov 4, 2018

1 Vets and your customer rights
- What makes newly bought guinea pigs so vulnerable?
- Do I need to see a vet?
- Documenting illness and your customer rights
2 URI (Upper respiratory tract infection) and sensitivities
- Typical symptoms in order of development
- What to do immediately
- Sensitivity to hay dust and pollen
3 Ringworm (highly contagious fungal...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Guides

• 

Hay mites fix their eggs to the hairs at the bum and the underlayer. It feels like minute beads on a string; this is how you diagnose them.
The outdated name 'static lice' actually refers to the egg cases as the mites themselves are invisible. Cutting off any affected hairs with their egg cases is not the prettiest way but it is very effective in reducing the number of mites you need to treat chemically in one fell swoop. The hair will grow back to its genetically determined length,

What we cannot tell you from a picture is whether you are actually dealing with dirt or mites.

 

[Rebecca01]

Managed to get sone pics and cut out the worst areas! I can’t tell on my darker girls- would the eggs be visible?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Managed to get sone pics and cut out the worst areas! I can’t tell on my darker girls- would the eggs be visible?

They will be harder to see in dark hair.
As I mentioned above, if you run your fingers down the hair shaft you will hopefully be able to feel little bobbles