How to help lice until vet appointment

[RheMae]

We're just going through it over here.

So, I lost my Guts today. And at the vets yesterday, she mentioned he had some lice. Which was surprising, considering they're indoor piggies, but it could have been an off bag of hay or a hospital stay I suppose.

Either way, now my last boy, Bert has them. He's so so itchy. I've cleaned the cage from top to bottom but I don't know how to soothe him till I can phone the vet tomorrow. He's clawed himself, I noticed, so I'm just worried and very tired.

Any way I can help him? He's still eating and drinking like a tank and maintains his weight well so far. I did notice he's drinking quite a bit more water but I also assume that's due to being uncomfortable.

 

[VickiA]

If it’s lice then he will need a two pronged approach - your vet will need to give him treatment to kill the lice, but you can help at home by strengthening his gut and immune system. A good diet with veggies rich in vitamin C and perhaps some probiotic as well to help his digestive system.

 

[Wiebke]

A good normal diet with plenty of vitamin C is key to strengthening the immune system for the long term; it plays an important role in keeping any skin parasites under control and it is the best first defence against them to prevent them from getting a foothold on a piggy in the first place.

You can conduct a short-term 2-3 weeks vitamin C booster if you wish to.
Please do not give long term artificial vitamin C supplements because they can cause serious problems as soon as the body accustoms to the unusually high levels and ignores them unless they drop suddenly for some reason and create scurvy symptoms. You will completely lose all the benefits of a short-term booster that way and gain nothing but a regular extra expense (plus the risk of more avoidable vet costs) that way.

There is enough vitamin C in a normal good hay based diet since none of us long term owners ever had a scurvy problem with our own piggies; some of us going back several decades. The booster is just there to help cover the gap until the full benefit of a good diet can kick in, which may take a bit of time.

I would also second strengthening the gut as the engine for the immune system with some extra probiotics. For the USA and Canada, bene bac or bene bac plus is the best brand in that respect. But it is not vitamin C enriched.

Here is more information on guinea pig specific lice: New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites