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What Are These? Mites, Lice, Flees, Dandruff?!

Should I be worried? Is this normal?

  • Yes! You should be worried

    Votes: 1 100.0%

  • It's normal

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    1
  • Poll closed .
Cherrychops100

Cherrychops100

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
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Location
Hampshire UK
hi there,
I have 8 female Guinea pigs (they live in 2 ground of 4) The big ginger and white American one is 10 months, the big blonde and white Abyssinian is 9 months. They both live with 3 other Guinea pigs who are all the same age, roughly 2.5 months, their bedding is simple newspaper, they don't have woodshavings or fleece. They also have hay obviously (maybe picked up something from the hay?) the hay is bought from a pet shop, not a farm so don't think they've picked up anything from that. The darker piggies have white time specs about 0.5mm wide, THEY DO NOT MOVE (as far as I can see) It looks a bit like powdery dandruff and the only way I can describe it is it's the texture of singed hair. On the blonder ones, the specs are black/brown. I rubbed their coats and brushed them out and they come out quite easily, they're not really 'attached'.

I'm not really sure what they are or if they are anything? Could it be dandruff or something else? Would it be worth treating them with the 'Beaphar anti-parasite spot on' as they weight enough. Would you recommend a bath or something, I'm really not sure what they could be as their skin is in perfect condition (it's not red, broken or irritated, their fur is lovely)

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They look potentially like hay mites to me.

Please see a vet for confirmation and do NOT treat on spec with low dosed shop products that can temporarily suppress, but not cure skin parasites. You only prolong the suffering will have spent a lot more money when you finally see a vet with an advanced case. It is false economy. ;)
 
Wiebke said:
They look potentially like hay mites to me.

Please see a vet for confirmation and do NOT treat on spec with low dosed shop products that can temporarily suppress, but not cure skin parasites. You only prolong the suffering will have spent a lot more money when you finally see a vet with an advanced case. It is false economy. ;)
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Do you recommend any shop bought treatments at all? Would you recommend I take all 8 Guinea pigs to the vet or phone up and ask for advice? In your experience what should I do with the hay? Also would it be better to take 1 Guinea pig, explain that the 7 others have the same symptoms and then would I get treatment for all 8 even though I've only taken one? :)
 
Wiebke said:
They look potentially like hay mites to me.

Please see a vet for confirmation and do NOT treat on spec with low dosed shop products that can temporarily suppress, but not cure skin parasites. You only prolong the suffering will have spent a lot more money when you finally see a vet with an advanced case. It is false economy. ;)
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Also can humans catch them also? :(
 
Cherrychops100 said:
Do you recommend any shop bought treatments at all? Would you recommend I take all 8 Guinea pigs to the vet or phone up and ask for advice? In your experience what should I do with the hay? Also would it be better to take 1 Guinea pig, explain that the 7 others have the same symptoms and then would I get treatment for all 8 even though I've only taken one? :)
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You can take just one piggy, have it diagnosed and see whether you can then get the recommended product (likely xeno450) much cheaper on the internet. You need three rounds of it.

If it is hay mites (which can be persistent if they are the strain that comes with shop bought imported hay), you might consider a two-pronged approach with bathing with gorgeous guinea's lice'n'easy shampoo - provided you wait at least 48 hours between any treatments on the skin to allow the previous treatment to be properly absorbed. Either of these alone may not do the trick.

You might alos consider cutting off the egg cases that are fixed to the hairs with a pair of scissors. The hairs will grow back, but that is one lot mites that is not going to hatch on your piggies! Especially ion long-haird piggies... :)

Please wait until you have got a diagnosis. If you start treating now, your vet will not be pleased at all with being left with a wiped crime scene to work upon - and you may be treating for the wrong thing, as I can only guess from your picture.
 
I am sorry - I've got nearly 30 piggies, and some with a persistent reservoir of mange mite eggs which make a return whenever their immune system is lowered (illness or loss of a mate etc.). it's not fun, but it is worth doing it right and making sure that it doesn't turn into a never ending saga.
 
Wiebke said:
I am sorry - I've got nearly 30 piggies, and some with a persistent reservoir of mange mite eggs which make a return whenever their immune system is lowered (illness or loss of a mate etc.). it's not fun, but it is worth doing it right and making sure that it doesn't turn into a never ending saga.
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Thank you, what do you suggest I do about the hay?
 
Once you've seen the vet and got a confirmed diagnosis, if it does turn out to be lice, bin the lot of the hay. Otherwise you're risking re-infestation.
 
I actually order Supreme Science off Amazon. I get it on the subscription service so that knocks a little off each month and one pack a month will do 4 pigs, especially as I top up with readigrass. It's really tightly compacted into the bag.
 
*mites. Not lice. Got lice on the brain because of my own situation at home. Hay mites, as Wiebke said.
 
Wiebke said:
Lice n Easy Shampoo 250ml
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I have an urgent problem! I got one of the pigs (10month ish) from a rescue (she has lice) and she's just had a baby sow and a baby boar! They are both healthy, one is 90g and one is 114g! They were so big but both mum and babies are doing fine. I have no idea what to do because the babies have already got the lice on them! I have ordered flea or die shampoo and am going to treat the other pigs. What do you suggest I do about the mum and babies?
 
Cherrychops100 said:
I have an urgent problem! I got one of the pigs (10month ish) from a rescue (she has lice) and she's just had a baby sow and a baby boar! They are both healthy, one is 90g and one is 114g! They were so big but both mum and babies are doing fine. I have no idea what to do because the babies have already got the lice on them! I have ordered flea or die shampoo and am going to treat the other pigs. What do you suggest I do about the mum and babies?
Click to expand...

Do NOT self treat! Go to the vet! Do not put anything on those babies that a vet doesn't give you!
 
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