Resistant Mites?

[Honey&maple]

Hi

I am very sorry that the itching is coming back again.

Unfortunately, it is now time for lab tests and further investigation to find out what is the problem. Your vet need plenty of evidence and skin scrapes get eggs as well, which is not pleasant and why sedation is needed. It won't be a full-on general anaesthetic like for a proper operation; just to prevent any wiggling and to make any manipulation easier. Your piggies should bounce back from that. They will also likely get an a selamectin injection while they are under so the discomfort is kept as short as possible. But that is something to ask your vet, who has now tried all possible standard treatments so it is now time to bring out the heavy canons in case it is something else.

What you are dealing with is very, very unusual.

PS: The majority of GAs is actually going well. You have to be aware that what you get online is all the horror stories and miracle cures but not the biggest chunk of 'normality' because it is not considered worth posting about. Even on here we have a larger than average representation because people with piggies having a difficult recovery come here for that purpose.

HUGS

Thank you! I did mention the selamectin today and he said he hasn’t done any research on that and he doesn’t even know if you can get it in the UK which has made me confused . My gut feeling is that it is mites but are just resistant to ivermectin( fingers crossed this injection does just do the job, saves the stress) .

He said if they find mites on the lab tests etc , they will offer the oral ivermectin solution (which idk how will work differently) but he’s had this happy before and the oral worked which is crazy to me .

Would you try and get selamectin first before the scrapes because the mites are reacting to ivermectin so it must be mites and see if that works ?

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you! I did mention the selamectin today and he said he hasn’t done any research on that and he doesn’t even know if you can get it in the UK which has made me confused . My gut feeling is that it is mites but are just resistant to ivermectin( fingers crossed this injection does just do the job, saves the stress) .

He said if they find mites on the lab tests etc , they will offer the oral ivermectin solution (which idk how will work differently) but he’s had this happy before and the oral worked which is crazy to me .

Would you try and get selamectin first before the scrapes because the mites are reacting to ivermectin so it must be mites and see if that works ?

Selamectin in some form should be available in the UK because it is used for mange in dogs but it is very similar to ivermectin and it may not come in the form your vet would like to give it. However, he should look around. Unfortunately, treatment options against mites are very limited. I am not a vet and don't have your vet's resources for making enquiries so I cannot answer your questions.

 

[Honey&maple]

They are doing good with their 3rd injection(its currently day 7) . I think i might ask for a 4th one if they start again as i feel it’s best to do that then go straight to something else as it could actually do the trick.

 

[Honey&maple]

update- pigs have had 4 injections now as they did start scratching again by day 10 . They are over the 2 weeks mark and are doing better than ever ! Hopefully they are completely clear ! Looking very promising!

My maples fur looking healthy too and I’m so glad I didn’t go for the scraping , I dreaded letting them get bad and losing her fur again!

I knew we would get there eventually ! Thanks everyone for all the help!

 

[Honey&maple]

Sorry I haven’t updated on here. But over Xmas time the pigs started scratching again so I decided to make an online zoom appointment with the Guinea pig vet “ Ellie Whitehead” . She said to go down the selamectin route as it would be the next option and also to give metacam as well as because they have been scratching for a while it could help with the inflammation of their skin and the scratching cycle. So I got in contact with my vet and we are doing the spot on treatment. I would prefer injections but apparently the spot on is the first choice as they stock more of them.

We have got 15mg pipettes and they are having half each of the liquid which doesn’t seem a lot of liquid but I assume it’s because it’s meant for cats and dogs . And Ellie said between 5mg and 10mg is normally what the vets recommend .

I’m really hoping that this does the trick but I’m worried if no treatment works I’m just gonna have to manage it to the best of my ability.

 

[Wiebke]

Sorry I haven’t updated on here. But over Xmas time the pigs started scratching again so I decided to make an online zoom appointment with the Guinea pig vet “ Ellie Whitehead” . She said to go down the selamectin route as it would be the next option and also to give metacam as well as because they have been scratching for a while it could help with the inflammation of their skin and the scratching cycle. So I got in contact with my vet and we are doing the spot on treatment. I would prefer injections but apparently the spot on is the first choice as they stock more of them.

We have got 15mg pipettes and they are having half each of the liquid which doesn’t seem a lot of liquid but I assume it’s because it’s meant for cats and dogs . And Ellie said between 5mg and 10mg is normally what the vets recommend .

I’m really hoping that this does the trick but I’m worried if no treatment works I’m just gonna have to manage it to the best of my ability.

All the best. Selamectin did help with hay mites my Nye arrived with (who was a spontaneous last minute addition to a couple of rescue surrenders).

 

[Honey&maple]

All the best. Selamectin did help with hay mites my Nye arrived with (who was a spontaneous last minute addition to a couple of rescue surrenders).

Did you go straight to selamectin or did you try ivermectin first?

 

[Wiebke]

Did you go straight to selamectin or did you try ivermectin first?

The selamectin (in my case injections) came with after several ivermectin treatments. For his first year with me, Nye had an outbreak of mange or hay mites about every two months. After the selamectin, the hay mites stopped but and we were down to a couple of mange mites flares from a reservoir in his skin in a year during the rest of Nye's life.

The other piggies (his partner and neighbours) never caught anything off him, by the way. He had a slightly weaker immune system but still lived to 6 years.

 

[Honey&maple]

The selamectin (in my case injections) came with after several ivermectin treatments. For his first year with me, Nye had an outbreak of mange or hay mites about every two months. After the selamectin, the hay mites stopped but and we were down to a couple of mange mites flares from a reservoir in his skin in a year during the rest of Nye's life.

The other piggies (his partner and neighbours) never caught anything off him, by the way. He had a slightly weaker immune system but still lived to 6 years.

So it is possible that my girls could have it for the rest of their lives then and it’s just about managing this ?

Xeno450 did the trick for their hay mites but now it’s just mange that won’t shift

 

[Wiebke]

So it is possible that my girls could have it for the rest of their lives then and it’s just about managing this ?

Xeno450 did the trick for their hay mites but now it’s just mange that won’t shift

Some piggies seem to have a mange mite egg reservoir in their skin; it can happen as early as the pre-birth.

Mite eggs cannot be killed by any treatment, only the emerging mites themselves. The eggs are actually kept under control by a healthy immune system. If the immune system is for some reason lowered, then it can lead to a new outbreak, which - apart from Nye's hay mites return - I could usually get on top of before it affected other piggies.

Unfortunately, overuse of low dosed 'preventative' ivermectin is creating increasingly resistence problems.

I can of course not comment on what kind of scenario you are ultimately dealing with. It is generally a bit of an evolving saga as it very much depends on what kind of strain you are dealing with.

 

[Honey&maple]

Some piggies seem to have a mange mite egg reservoir in their skin; it can happen as early as the pre-birth.

Mite eggs cannot be killed by any treatment, only the emerging mites themselves. The eggs are actually kept under control by a healthy immune system. If the immune system is for some reason lowered, then it can lead to a new outbreak, which - apart from Nye's hay mites return - I could usually get on top of before it affected other piggies.

Unfortunately, overuse of low dosed 'preventative' ivermectin is creating increasingly resistence problems.

I can of course not comment on what kind of scenario you are ultimately dealing with. It is generally a bit of an evolving saga as it very much depends on what kind of strain you are dealing with.

Would you recommend giving them extra vitamin C supplements for them. My original girl has had quite a good immune system
throughout her life but I’m unsure on my new rescue pig , maybe she’s the one with a lower immune system and it keeps occurring . But they are both healthy so it’s a mystery at the moment.

I’m hoping this is a resistance issue and the selamectin will do the trick.

 

[Wiebke]

Would you recommend giving them extra vitamin C supplements for them. My original girl has had quite a good immune system
throughout her life but I’m unsure on my new rescue pig , maybe she’s the one with a lower immune system and it keeps occurring . But they are both healthy so it’s a mystery at the moment.

I’m hoping this is a resistance issue and the selamectin will do the trick.

Vitamin C boosters need to be very carefully considered and should ever only be short term boosters (2-3 weeks) because the body accustoms to higher levels, ignores them and then reacts with scurvy symptoms whenever those higher levels dip for some reason even though the actual vitamin C level is still higher than normal. Most of the scurvy cases we've seen on here over the years (very few) have been owner-made and not caused by neglect.

Be aware that vitamin C is in veg, forage, in pellets, high in fresh growing grass but low in hay. It's not just in a little slice of pepper or a sprig of coriander...

General good care is usually enough,

 

[Honey&maple]

I'm just wondering what dosage people have been prescribed for the stronghld spot on before?