We ve had out two males for 6 months now, brought from a shelter. They've been fine but since they've been climbing into the hay rack to eat they are both scratching. My son normally looks after them but I noticed my hands were a bit prickly and itchy but no bites or anything to see after I'd been dealing with this bag of hay. Probably just sensitive ... What should we do with the boys? Advice please!
Scratching piggies
- Thread starter annar96
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Bill & Ted
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Do you suspect they might have mites? Have they any missing fur or sore patches? If they are scratching excessively then I’d pop them along to the vets for a check. Don’t bother buying over the counter products that contain Invermectin as it’s too weak to clear the mites. You will need prescription only product. I’d change get rid of the hay and buy a fresh bag too x
Hope you get them sorted
Hope you get them sorted
Hi!
Please have a read of this link here: What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
The guide is listing the guinea pig specific parasites as well as giving you information on fungal skin infections.
Thank you. Making a vets appointment for them today. I notice some guinea pig owners don't provide piles of hay for their piggies but have it in hay bags to be pulled out. Would this prevent the piggies getting mites, if that's what it is....so they're not actually lying in it.....?
Mange mites eggs are often already present in the skin but are kept under control by a fully working immune system; they are also in the environment. In young piggies whose immune system is still under construction when they are ripped away from their mothers and siblings, transported to a shop and then sold into a completely alien home environment, the added stress can lower the immune system further.
Hay/fur mite eggs come with the hay; we have seen a surge of them in recent years with the rise in imported internationally sold commercial US hay brands. This is most likely due to a change in large volume harvesting methods, which rips up a lot of soil and the bugs in it.
Over 80% of the daily food intake should be hay, so it is not something you can avoid. It doesn't make any difference whether it is in a bag, a rack or whether they can burrow in it. Most piggies profit from have the stalkier tomothy hay offered in a rack and also have soft meadow hay to play and burrow in for enrichment purposes.
You just keep an eye on your piggies and treat whenever necessary with a good product. Low dosed prevention won't help as it can lead to the mites developing resistance and in most cases the immune system in a healthy piggy is doing a good job. As long as your piggies are treated promptly with a good quality product, skin parasites won't get past being a temporary nuisance. With good care, parasites can and will likely happen at some point or other but it is not like you have them all the time.
