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lice & easy, how long do you leave it on?

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kittyla

kittyla

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Hi, I was about to shampoo the boys with lice & easy, as they've been scratching alot this week, but cant remember how
long to leave it on before rinsing, & the Gorgeous Gins website is down at the mo. Can anyone help?
 
If your gps have been scratching exc essively,this is probably mites rather than lice.Can you actually see the lice,they are like tiny wriggly maggots crawling between the hair shafts.Mirtes cannot be seen with the naked eye,but are more irritating and therefore cause morte scratching .There is no shampoo that will get rid of mites,you will need to get Ivermectin from the vet.
 
oh dear, thats a shame. I think its mites, probably from a new bag of hay. They're nice & clean now
anyway! Last time they had mites I was advised to use Flea or Die for 3 weeks running (by CCT)
It worked & they've been clear for months - till I bought the hay! The drawback was that I had to leave
it on them for 10 minutes, which they didnt like. Is Ivermectin easier to use?
 
i think it is given via an injection to the guinea pigs. not sure as it is not available here in oz. but pretty sure you can only get Ivermectin from a vet. good luck with your boys. sending hugs and healing vibes :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Ivermectin is very easy to use.It is topical so you just put a few drops on the skin at the back of the neck and down the spine.It used to be given by injection which is a bit painful.It is only available from a vet.

Mites cannot be caught from hay or anything else.They are species specific and die when off the host body.
 
mites can be a sign from stress too
if you cans ee them they are lice if you cant they are mites mainly :)
 
Mites cannot be caught from hay or anything else.They are species specific and die when off the host body.
[/quote]

How do they catch them, if they're not in contact with any other guineas?
 
I've read that stress can cause mites. I had a Sheltie that came to me from a petshop with mites I think he has been bullied within the herd! :-\
 
dont their eggs live in hay & grass like fleas in a carpet?
 
No,the eggs are buried under the gps skin,which is why they get so much irritation from mite infestation.Yes,stressed pigs are morelikely to get an overabundance of mites.
 
my vet said they can get mites from hay and it doesent matter what type you buy even the best quality can still be infected he did say also that some guinea pigs are just prone to mites and some are carries without catching it themselves i use insecticidal xenex ultra spot on from the vets contains 6 pipetts you have to weigh each guinea pig and administer the correct amount of drops as instructed on the chart quite expensive for me as i have 11 guinies and each pippette has 25 drops and most of my piggies need 10-15 drops each piggiey and it has to be given every two weeks kills fleas ticks and lice for up to 2 weeks what does everyone else use ?
 
I am afr4aid your vet is wrong,gps cannot get mites from hay,.Mites are always present in small numbers on gps but when the pig is stressed or unwell,they can sometimes multiply to the extent they become an irritant.Some gps are more prone to this than others.

Spot on should not be used on gps.The best product is Zeno 450,available from vet.
 
thanks for info about zeno 450 but the xenex ultra spot on was recomended by my vet and can be used on guinea pigs rabbits and all small animals
 
Is you vet guinea pig savy? Some aren't although they think they are. Lice can be caught from hay I've had that with my two girls. I could pick it up easily on Flora as she is black.

I use Ivermectin administered by my vet. Spot on, I have used when I was new to guinea pigs and thought the hairloss behind the ears was a problem but thats just normal for them.

Mites are an absolute pest, I always find Lice easier to get rid of! :)
 
You should try tea tree oil. It will take care of whatever it is. It could be lice, but unlikely if you can't see them. Mites usually leaves scabs and pin holes. Fungus is also really easy to get from dirty bedding and them laying in it or laying under the water too much. Tea tree oil is much safer for your pigs. Apply several drops and massage into coat. Let soak several hours then bathe them using twice as much tea tree oil as shampoo (just mix in hand). Clean cage and wash everything. Day 2 massage morning and night into coat. Day 3 massage in coat in morning and bathe again at night. Now wait 1 week and bathe again, 1 more week and bathe again, and finally 1 last time a week later to make sure everything is gone (eggs, fungus, mites, etc). Found at health food stores or online. No toxicity as long as they don't drink it (which they shouldn't be). Says it can irritate the skin of small children, but I have never had the pigs have a problem. However, if irritation develops you can rub primrose oil into their coats to soothe.
 
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