Lice

[Becca]

I took my little girl to the vets yesterday as she didn,t seem her normal self and her eyes looked sore :'(The vet said it was lice and gave her an injection.
I don,t know how she got lice,her keep her cage clean etc :-\I have four other piggies who are going to the vet tonight to be checked over.
The question i have is do lice make the piggies a little off colour?When i brought her home she just sat in her bed all night :'(I am so worried about her.

 

[kellyandpiggies]

They can get lice from bedding too. Lice can live/stay dorminant until they (piggies) start to feel unwell, have an illness or generally run down. Lice break out then.

It's not your fault that she has them

It will make her feel unwell, but you have done great by getting her checked out

 

[Becca]

Thanks for your quick reply I do feel better now knowing i am not at fault I just hope my little girl feels better soon.

 

[kellyandpiggies]

No problem

I'm sure she will soon

Have you ever visited www.gorgeousguineas.com ? Chrissie sells some wonderful shampoos for lice etc

 

[Becca]

I was looking this morning and ordered two bottles of shampoo

 

[cavykind]

Hello Becca,
Do you mean lice or mites?
Lice live on the surface of the animal and though they can cause irritation, they don't do so to the extent that mites can and do.

While lice are undesirable, they won't generally make a guinea pig feel ill. They live on the surface, rummaging through the hair and eating dead skin cells. Or attach themselves to the hair shaft, depending on type. Mites can cause horrendous discomfort and the scratching can lead to skin infection, loss of appetie and even seizures. Mites cannot be seen as such and live wi thin the skin itself.

I'd guess your vet has diagnosed skin mites and has given Ivomec and that you will have been asked to return for further treatment?
If in doubt, give them a ring for clarification!
As Kelly has said, a visit to the Gorgeous Guineas site is worthwhile

Hope your little girl is soon feeling better. Any other questions just as us
Barbara

 

[Becca]

Hi Barbara.
I am confused now.My piggy had no sores nor did i ever see her scratching.Her eyes didn,t look right and she was not her normal self.The vet said she had lice and showed me these under a microscope.She said her eyes looked different because they had sunken in a little and was not her normal self has the lice had taken alot of blood.She gave an injection that she said would kill the lice and i have to go back in two weeks for her to give another injection.
My OH is taking my other 4 girls tonight as the vet said they are more than likely to be affected .

 

[cavykind]

Hi Becca,
I'm a bit confused too
Perhaps it was lice then? A very heavy infestation could cause problems but I would have thought it likely that you would have seen the lice in her coat as you obviously take very good care of her. I've seen quite a few rescue piggies with static and crawling lice, but never found that they were ill because of it? It sounds as though the vet is saying that your little one is a bit anaemic?
Maybe other members will have had some experience of this?

You are doing all you can and whatever the infection, Ivomec and Gorgeous Guineas shampoo combined (obviously follow shampoo directions) should hopefully sort the problem out.

I'm not doubting your vets diagnosis, but do, as I am sure you will, keep a close eye on her in case there is an underlying condition that is making her out of sorts.

How is she this evening?

Barbara

 

[Becca]

Hi Barbara
I thought i would have seen the lice too but i didn,t :My little girl is white and what the vet showed me were tiny white dots simular to dandruff.
Blossom is off back to the vets tonight as she is very quiet and doesn,t seem to be drinking or eating :'(I asked the vet if i should seperate her from the other girls and she said not to as it would stress her.This makes it very hard to see if she is drinking and eating properly.I picked her some grass last night and tried to hand feed her some but she wasn,t interested
I just hope and pray she gets better soon.

 

[cavykind]

Hi Becca,
Good idea taking her back
How old is Blossom? have you considered she may be having problems with her back teeth? Just a thought, did the vet take a good look? Is your vet good with guineas generally, if you have concerns, if you let us know your general area, one of us might be able to recommend a vet.
Keep in mind that if she isn't eating, she will need to be syringe fed, you can buy a suitable product from your vet, I use "Recovery" for my guineas.
Try putting some favourite greens in their pen, if Blossom shows no interest, she is unlikely to be eating.
It would also be a good idea to weigh her every day while she is poorly, then weekly after that if you wish.
Let us know how things go. It certainly sounds to me as though there may be more to this than lice.
Sending love and healing thoughts to your little one.
Barbara

 

[Becca]

Hi Barbara
Blossom is 8 months old.The vet didn,t check anything at all,she just put the hair under the microscope and saw the lice.I will ask tonight for her to be checked all over.I don,t know if the vet has much experience with piggies,it doesn,t sound like it.I live in Bingley,West Yorkshire.Does anyone know a vet with knowledge of piggies in this area?

Many Thanks