Static lice / hay mites in young boar!

[adussiaQ]

Hello everyone,

I’ve had my new piggy for just over a week now and today I saw he has static lice!

Everyone keeps recommending the “lice and easy” shampoo but he is only 7 weeks old and the shampoo shouldn’t be used on piggies under the age of 12 weeks...

what else can I use to get rid of them?
I checked my other boar he doesn’t seem to have any but I will also want to treat him just to be safe, he’s older so I can use the lice and easy but what no idea what to use on the little one... it’s hard to get anything right now because it’s Christmas, so preferably something that can be bought at local pet shops, I’m even willing to travel another town to pets at home if thats what it takes I just want them gone

I also don’t know where the lice could have come from, I know they mainly come in hay but I’ve been using the same box of hay for past month before the little boar was even here and my older didn’t have any (I brush him regularly and would have noticed). If there any other place they could have come from? Should I throw away the box of hay? It’s about £10 worth left in the box but if that’s where they are from I will throw it away.
Any help appreciated,
Thank you

 

[Siikibam]

Don’t throw away the hay. It’s likely he came with them. Please have both boys seen by the vet (if possible) and given the correct meds. What you don’t want to do is use something that is of a low dosage (meds from pet shops) and it ends up not working. If your older boy doesn’t have it then there’s no need to treat him.

It’s thought because of Christmas, but I hope you can get them seen.

 

[adussiaQ]

I will call the vets tomorrow morning, it’s the last day before they close for Christmas so hopefully they will have space for me!

I’ve checked my older boy and I can’t find a single one on him. Should I separate them until I treat the young boy or is there no need?

Don’t throw away the hay. It’s likely he came with them. Please have both boys seen by the vet (if possible) and given the correct meds. What you don’t want to do is use something that is of a low dosage (meds from pet shops) and it ends up not working. If your older boy doesn’t have it then there’s no need to treat him.

It’s thought because of Christmas, but I hope you can get them seen.

 

[Siikibam]

Please don’t separate them. Mainly because your baby is too young to be alone - at that age (and before four months) their need for companionship/leadership and guidance on how to be piggy/social interactions is more important than passing on anything communicable. Secondly because separating could disrupt their bond. And your older boy had already been exposed. Good luck tomorrow!

 

[adussiaQ]

Thank you! Will not separate!
Hopefully I can get to the vet and they can prescribe something that’ll help him... these things always happen in worst possible time

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Here is our information, including your customer rights: New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

Please do not separate bonded piggies, especially not newly bonded ones, and just treat them all. Your boar with a fully developed immune system will still need vet grade treatment (ivermectin or selamectin based) together with his mate but he should be able to fend them off that way. While everybody online recommends the gorgeous guineas shampoo, we have been contacted over a number of cases where it didn't work, so we cannot recommend to use it on spec in addition to the age issue.

Once you have a proper diagnosis, I would remove the hay and research for less mass produced and harvested hay, which is where hay mites usually come with.
A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)

 

[adussiaQ]

Thanks,
As I said I didn’t separate the piggies.
I was advised to use a different (not the gorgeous guineas) shampoo on Fluff only and to use ivermectin on both boys, repeating after 4 weeks. Then once Crispy (younger) is old enough to also use the shampoo.

I’ve also established that it did not come from hay so I will not be removing it (except the one already on their cage which I threw away ofc). He has most likely come with them, as the person I got him off has many rescues and fosters coming all the time and likely already had them before I came home with him. The reason I didn’t see is because they live close to the skin and I never brushed against the direction of hair growth.
I’m sure it did not come from my hay as I’ve used the same box way before Crispy came home, it’s also a better, good quality brand (not to say it’s impossible for good brands not to have incidents but probably less likely than worse quality hay). I’ve checked and the brand is even included in the list you sent

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Hiya, when I bought Bellamy home it turned out had had lice. It’s likely both boars have them as they’ve been together even if you can only visibly see them on one. I could only see them on him as he was long haired but my Steve whom was short haired looked clear (tho vet advised he would have them also as very infectious)

my vet prescribed six weeks worth of invectermin treatment for my two which cleared it up nicely

 

[adussiaQ]

In my case it’s the other way round with the short hair having many and not seeing any in long hair

Both boys got their first round of ivermectin today, als extreme deep clean of the whole room, the boys haven’t been on the carpet but I just wanted to be 100% sure that there’s not a single lice anywhere