Lice, ovarian cysts

[Spaniel]

The piggies have been at the vets today and I’ve had a call to say that Lily has lice and that there has also been ‘movement’ on the ultrasound. Something about inflammation somewhere too but it was a bad line so I couldn’t hear very well.

Going to go and collect them and find out more.

First question though is how did Lily get lice?

 

[Wiebke]

The piggies have been at the vets today and I’ve had a call to say that Lily has lice and that there has also been ‘movement’ on the ultrasound. Something about inflammation somewhere too but it was a bad line so I couldn’t hear very well.

Going to go and collect them and find out more.

First question though is how did Lily get lice?

Hi

The lice could have come with the hay. A healthy piggy with a fully working immune system can often fend them off but if she has an infection, she may need some extra help with them. Some strains are much more resistent to treatment than others.

New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

 

[Spaniel]

I couldn’t really get much information or advice. The nurse wasn’t sure from the vets notes and the vet who treated them was not the vet we booked in to see, so I’m not too happy as you can imagine.

So they said she’s got lice. I asked if that was lice or mites/static lice and she just said lice. Vet said they don’t know what type yet. They’ve looked under the microscope and sent a skin scraping sample off. Both piggies have been given Exzolt?

Said she has scaly skin on her underneath.

She was given chorulon. She’s had a course of this before for her ovarian cysts. Two injections 7-10 days apart last time. Worked very well for her.

Ovarian cysts have not grown but have moved?

Thickening of her urethra?

I had to really push for this info. Treatment given without any call to discuss and for permission. No after care advice, just come back in a week and book with the vet we originally asked for!

Cost a fortune! 4x the estimated cost given!

 

[Wiebke]

I couldn’t really get much information or advice. The nurse wasn’t sure from the vets notes and the vet who treated them was not the vet we booked in to see, so I’m not too happy as you can imagine.

So they said she’s got lice. I asked if that was lice or mites/static lice and she just said lice. Vet said they don’t know what type yet. They’ve looked under the microscope and sent a skin scraping sample off. Both piggies have been given Exzolt?

Said she has scaly skin on her underneath.

She was given chorulon. She’s had a course of this before for her ovarian cysts. Two injections 7-10 days apart last time. Worked very well for her.

Ovarian cysts have not grown but have moved?

Thickening of her urethra?

I had to really push for this info. Treatment given without any call to discuss and for permission. No after care advice, just come back in a week and book with the vet we originally asked for!

Cost a fortune! 4x the estimated cost given!

Ouch!

Exzolt is a treatment for red mites in poultry. I haven't come across it being used in guinea pigs so far, so cannot comment on how effective it is against guinea pig lice - it may be.

Is it thickening of the urethra (i.e. the tube leading from the bladder to the anal exit) or the uterus (womb)? The first doesn't make any sense to me in the context. The second may be a side effect of the chorulon?

I am unfortunately not medically trained or a vet so I cannot comment on the considerations that have gone into your vet's notes and treatment choice. You can always ask the clinic for a talk with the treating vet if you are unhappy with what you have been told and do not want to wait a week.

 

[Spaniel]

Ouch!

Exzolt is a treatment for red mites in poultry. I haven't come across it being used in guinea pigs so far, so cannot comment on how effective it is against guinea pig lice - it may be.

Is it thickening of the urethra (i.e. the tube leading from the bladder to the anal exit) or the uterus (womb)? The first doesn't make any sense to me in the context. The second may be a side effect of the chorulon?

I am unfortunately not medically trained or a vet so I cannot comment on the considerations that have gone into your vet's notes and treatment choice. You can always ask the clinic for a talk with the treating vet if you are unhappy with what you have been told and do not want to wait a week.

The nurse went to speak to the vet between his consults but he wouldn’t come to speak to me. They were busy which I understand but equally I would have been sent on my way without knowing what is going on.

Do you think we should throw all the bedding and hay away and order new? We use Hay Box meadow hay, Small Pet Select timothy hay and Small Pet Select paper bedding.

Edit - it sounded like urethra but it was a bad line so I don’t know for sure.

 

[Wiebke]

The nurse went to speak to the vet between his consults but he wouldn’t come to speak to me. They were busy which I understand but equally I would have been sent on my way without knowing what is going on.

Do you think we should throw all the bedding and hay away and order new? We use Hay Box meadow hay, Small Pet Select timothy hay and Small Pet Select paper bedding.

Edit - it sounded like urethra but it was a bad line so I don’t know for sure.

Personally, I would conduct a thorough deep clean and start afresh two days after the first treatment has been applied and the lice been hit hard. It is better to close out all the more likely angles when it comes to hygiene.

 

[Spaniel]

Feeling guilty for not realising she had lice. She gets quite mucky at times underneath. Urine easy enough to rinse off but tangled hair close to skin not so easy to sort. One of the main reasons we were at the vets yesterday for some assistance. That plus her routine ultrasound too.

 

[Wiebke]

Feeling guilty for not realising she had lice. She gets quite mucky at times underneath. Urine easy enough to rinse off but tangled hair close to skin not so easy to sort. One of the main reasons we were at the vets yesterday for some assistance. That plus her routine ultrasound too.

Have you tried clippers and keeping the hair underneath short at all times as part of the life-long weekly weigh-in and health check regime?
An Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?

Pale lice on a light piggy are not easy to spot; especially when there are not masses of them but a regular health and maintenance check may help you to keep on top of your issues.

 

[Spaniel]

Have you tried clippers and keeping the hair underneath short at all times as part of the life-long weekly weigh-in and health check regime?
An Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?

Pale lice on a light piggy are not easy to spot; especially when there are not masses of them but a regular health and maintenance check may help you to keep on top of your issues.

We trim her and she has a wash when needed. Her hair is very fuzzy and soaks urine like a sponge! She’s always been a bit mucky but it seems a bit worse now she’s older. She’s 5.5 years with stiffness. She’s on metacam.

Is there an easy trick to loosening matted hair away from the skin? It’s too close to cut or trim at times.

I’ve re-ordered a replacement timothy hay as I think that’s most likely if the lice did come in the hay.

They had their lice treatment at the vets yesterday so tomorrow is day 2. Planning to do a deeper clean of the cage.

Is there anything else we need to do from here?

 

[Wiebke]

We trim her and she has a wash when needed. Her hair is very fuzzy and soaks urine like a sponge! She’s always been a bit mucky but it seems a bit worse now she’s older. She’s 5.5 years with stiffness. She’s on metacam.

Is there an easy trick to loosening matted hair away from the skin? It’s too close to cut or trim at times.

I’ve re-ordered a replacement timothy hay as I think that’s most likely if the lice did come in the hay.

They had their lice treatment at the vets yesterday so tomorrow is day 2. Planning to do a deeper clean of the cage.

Is there anything else we need to do from here?

Hi

I would consider a glucosamine-based joint supplement (like the Oxbow one) for the arthritis to help with mobility.

My Tanni was another 'sponge' piggy with a tendency to get a really messy bum. If it is really close to the skin, you have to either work your way very carefully down little by little. Try to give her a soak first before tackling the bits you can't get at immediately so you can try and soften up some of the deeper mats. Try whether a little bit of the Gorgeous Guineas long-haired shampoo with conditioner may help. I am not usually a fan of using too much shampoo but in some cases they may do the trick.

 

[Spaniel]

Feeling much better after the follow up appointment.

Lily had her second injection for the ovarian cysts. She needs a third one in 7-10 days.

Vet said Lily seems fine and is doing well. She said she’s not too bad at all and not over-run with lice or anything like that. We caught it right at the start so that’s good. We need to keep changing the bedding and cleaning as best we can over the next few weeks whilst the lice die off.

The lice treatment is the one for chickens but fine for guinea pigs. The one treatment they’ve had will cover them for 90 days I think she said. I think it’s a fairly new treatment.

Lily’s weight is good and everything else seems fine.

 

[Spaniel]

Lily had her third ovarian cyst injection today.

Forgot to say last update that it was indeed thickening of her uterus that they’d found.

The vet couldn’t find any lice on her so looks like the treatment is working.

So we are continuing with thorough cleaning for a while to make sure and we go back for another check up in 6-8 weeks all being well between now and then.

 

[Wiebke]

Lily had her third ovarian cyst injection today.

Forgot to say last update that it was indeed thickening of her uterus that they’d found.

The vet couldn’t find any lice on her so looks like the treatment is working.

So we are continuing with thorough cleaning for a while to make sure and we go back for another check up in 6-8 weeks all being well between now and then.

Thank you for the update. All the best!

 

[Spaniel]

Another follow up yesterday. All good. Still all clear of lice and ovarian cysts responding well to treatment. Both pigs had a health check and nail trim. All good.

Next ultrasound for Lily in 4 months, all being well between now and then.

Very pleased.