Ongoing Dandruff

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Harry&lloyd

Harry&lloyd

Adult Guinea Pig
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since November '14 Nala has had an ongoing dandruff problem. It is concentrated around her hairline at her rump, and I can only describe it as small hard, dead skin right next to the skin/root. Her hair has always been very fine/ thin in that area but no actual balding. the vet has ruled out any parasites or mites by doing a hair pull and looking under the microscope. as a precaution I was prescribed Xeno 200 to be used once a month. I treat both girls with this monthly and Katie has no similar issues. I have been using manuka and neem shampoo approx every 6 weeks as advised by gorgeous Guineas but nothing seems to help. She is only really bothered by it when it comes to grooming or handling and she squeals if Katie nudges her out her bed. Is there anything else I can try to help clear this up? She is perfectly healthy otherwise x
 
My first thought would be a round of dips in Imaverol. It is gentle but really effective and should help clear it up if it is mild fungal.
 
Patch test behind the ear for 48 hours first though. I tend to do one dip a week for 4 weeks, don't rinse it off.
 
Sorry silly question but do you need to use the full 100ml per dip?
 
No, you get quite a few from the one bottle. Have a read of the instructions on the back when you get it. I haven't done it in a while but I think I use 10ml at a time. I can look it up if you need me to.
 
Thank you so much, I will order it tomorrow. It is fantastic being able to ask questions so freely without being made to feel daft. Xx
 
You're not daft at all. Let me know if you need me to tell you the amount. I am due to treat a few of my girls too so need to remind myself anyway.
 
Hi @helen105281, my order of imaverol arrived today so planning to starts Nalas treatment tomorrow. The bottle says dilute with 50 parts of warm water and wash affected animals with diluted product on 4 occasions at 3 day intervals. It doesnt say how much to of the product to use to how much warm water? The lid is marked at 5 and 10ml intervals tho.
Also when it says 'dip' how long do you keep the piggie in the solution for and what do you use as a bath. Would a large Pyrex jug do the job or a washing up basin? Should I dip Katie as well even tho she has no problems apart from having to live with Nala?
I read that they should be allowed to 'air dry' rather than towel or blow dry but I'm slightly concerned they will get cold. Is there anything I can do to keep them warm, I don't have heat pads but I do have hot water bottles that I can put next to their hideys if necessary.
Thank you for all your help xx
 
HI Harry&Lloyd
I'm afraid Helen is a bit poorly at the moment so I hope I can help.

What 1 in 50 means is that for every 1ml of imaverol you add 50ml of warm water.
2ml of imaverol in 100ml of water
3ml in 150ml of water
4ml in 200ml
5ml in 250ml and so on


For 2 pigs I would make up 250ml (ie with 5ml of imaverol)

I actually use a large 20ml syringe from the Supreme Recovery food sachet boxes and syringe the solution completely over their bodies, ruffling their hair in the process so it gets close to the skin. (You don;t waste as much using a syringe as you do either filling a bowl to immerse them in or filling a jug to pour over them)

If they are skittish and won;t sit still then maybe its best to make up a solution in a measuring jug (approx 100ml per pig) and slowly pour over piggie to ensure it is fully coated.

HTH
 
Thank you so much for replying @Pebble
I actually bought some 10ml syringes from Amazon so I could measure it accurately (didn't realise it came with a measuring cap) so I will use them. Would you recommend treating both girls then in case it is mild fungal problem, I imagine Katie would catch anything Nala has?
After seeing poor dottie and beanie I don't want to risk my wee girl getting a bad condition like that!
Should I just put them in their playpen after with towels and fleece to let them dry off?
@helen105281 I hope you feel better soon xx
 
Treat both of them - especially if they share their accommodation together.
Once you have soaked them in the imaverol solution, wrap them in a clean towel and apply pressure to absorb the liquid but then let them dry of naturally indoors in a warm place.Fresh fleece/towels to burrow in is a good idea.
x
 
Oh - and throw all towels etc into the washing machine and wash at high temperature afterwards......(preferably with a perxoide stain remover such as Vanish to kill the spores)

xx
 
Thanks for th tips , hopefully Nala will be dandruff free soon x
 
Is it normal for the girls hair to be greasy after using the imaverol dip?
 
I diluted 10ml of the solution with 500ml of warm water but i didn't rinse them with clean water afterwards, was I meant to?
 
No you have to leave it on. How may dips have they had so far?
 
They had their second today, I've done one a week on cage cleaning day so they're not going back into a dirty cage. today I changed them onto fleece instead of megazorb to see if that helps Nalas skin
 
That's a good idea. I am not sure why they are greasy,, I would keep up the dips for at least another 2 weeks though.
 
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