Mites

[Messiemolly]

Hello , my piggies are currently undergoing veterinary treatment for mites and I was wondering if anyone can offer advice in how to prevent them ?
They are outdoor piggies , and hutched at night . The bedding is sawdust / straw and hay - has anyone got any experience of using alternative bedding to reduce mite infection like Aubiose or megazorb ?
Dose bathing them with tea tree or such , make a difference ?
All advice gratefully accepted

Many thanks x

 

[rosie and bramble]

Guineas can catch mites at any time. I have heard though that outdoor piggies are more prone to them. They can be caught even from grass. Shavings/sawdust is not recommended anyway for guineas as it is linked to respiratory and skin problems. Also 80% of their diet should be hay, straw has very low nutritional value and can cause pokes to the eyes which left untreated can be fatal.

 

[Messiemolly]

Guineas can catch mites at any time. I have heard though that outdoor piggies are more prone to them. They can be caught even from grass. Shavings/sawdust is not recommended anyway for guineas as it is linked to respiratory and skin problems. Also 80% of their diet should be hay, straw has very low nutritional value and can cause pokes to the eyes which left untreated can be fatal.

Hi. Thanks for the reply. I only use dust free shavings and these are under a layer of bedding straw which is much softer than hay. The straw is purely for bedding, they love tunneling and nesting in it - we've never had any skin or eye injuries. They get plenty fresh hay every day :-)

 

[Wiebke]

Hello , my piggies are currently undergoing veterinary treatment for mites and I was wondering if anyone can offer advice in how to prevent them ?
They are outdoor piggies , and hutched at night . The bedding is sawdust / straw and hay - has anyone got any experience of using alternative bedding to reduce mite infection like Aubiose or megazorb ?
Dose bathing them with tea tree or such , make a difference ?
All advice gratefully accepted

Many thanks x

I am sorry for your problems.

We do not recommend to use any low dosed shop products for prevention as they are more likely to build up resistence to ivermectin than prevent it. Mites can come with the hay (which should make up to 80% of the daily food intake), but many guinea pigs also come with eggs in their skin, which can make an appearance whenever the immune system is lowered. It is better to treat promptly with a high dosed good quality product whenever mites happen and a full course of three rounds, spaced 1-2 weeks apart depending on the product, so they don't get past nuisance level and don't come back. Sadly, the first cases of resistence have been reported. As before ivermectin, mange mites could only be managed but not healed, it is important to not render the miracle cure useless through inappropriate overuse.

Please do not use straw; it is not recommended for guinea pigs as it is too rough to eat and is also linked to eye pokes. Aubiose, megazorb or any of the other new products would be preferable to wood chippings and especially sawdust; the latter can cause resiratory problems and skin irritation in some guinea pigs.
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

 

[gizzy]

hi as l understand it mange mites, are present on all guinea pigs. the mites are born with them and live in small colonies and do no harm as the pigs' own immune system is well able to keep them in check.

the problem starts when the pig immune system is compromised. this can be caused by somthing as simple as a chill.

As for hay mites/static lice: they are a different animal , though can be killed with ivermectin.

Add mod: Hay mites can be usually spotted by the egg cases, which are fixed to hairs at the bum end (and not burrowed into the skin like mange mites).

 

[gizzy]

the protocol for killing out of control mange mites is a couse of ivermectrin ideally administered via subcutaneous injections over a 21 day period , to take account for the life cycle of this bug.

Should only done by your vet !

 

[Messiemolly]

Hello , my piggies are currently undergoing veterinary treatment for mites and I was wondering if anyone can offer advice in how to prevent them ?
They are outdoor piggies , and hutched at night . The bedding is sawdust / straw and hay - has anyone got any experience of using alternative bedding to reduce mite infection like Aubiose or megazorb ?
Dose bathing them with tea tree or such , make a difference ?
All advice gratefully accepted

Many thanks x

Hi, yes they are currently having 3 subcutaneous injections over 6 weeks. I will source some aubiose bedding instead. Thank you :-)