# HELP guinea pigs with mites



## Lhasalover (Jan 15, 2009)

I have 14 guinea pigs and noticed yesterday that 5 have the start of mites, My guinea pigs get the best care, fruit and veg every day, good food, straw and hay i use is the best one you can buy from the pet shop. They are cleaned out every 2 days and the cages, bowls ect washed once a week. They get lots of love attention and excersise so no idea how they have got these. 
The fur is coming out, fur feels greasy, flakes of dried skin, little red marks that look like the guinea pigs have been fighting but it is in fact the mite under the skin. 
Years ago when I kept guinea pigs you could buy something from the chemist called tetmersol. It was for scabies. You would put one part to 10 parts water and dip the ginea pigs in it. Do this every week for 4 weeks and it would be clear. They don't sell this product any more. So other then taking the whole lot off to the vet can someone help me?


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

Well years ago when I had a guinea pig with mites I took it to the vets and the vet gave me some green stuff to bath it in called Selene shampoo and it seemed to work. I used to just ring up for a bottle and they would give me one when I needed it but then one time I went and they said that the stuff wasn't allowed in the country anymore and so that's when they started giving the guinea pigs injections. Our old vet used to just give the one injection though and that was it but when I took my guinea pigs for the injection a couple of years ago to a new vet, we had to go back three times - think it was weekly- for an injection and he injected the others that hadn't got it too which was very wrong because the mite is in the guinea pig and not in the hay my old vet told me. I have had guinea pigs in the same cage as guinea pigs with mite and they haven't got it even though they have had the same hay.

Anyway now you can buy the Selene shampoo again but even better you can buy the stuff to put on the back of their necks and its cheaper than a vets visit especially if you have a few guinea pigs with mites.

Small Animal Treatments : Xeno 450 6 Pipettes Ivermectin Spot on - £16.10

Are your guinea pigs scratching a lot because this is usually a sign of mites?


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## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

Mine had mites a few months back. Occasionally even one mite can get through the hay treatment process and get to your GP, mites isn't caused by them being dirty or uncared for 

We took ours to the vet. They got Xeno to put on the back of their necks, 1 pippette every 2 weeks for 6 weeks and it cleared it up fine


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## terriermaid (Nov 5, 2007)

found this interesting as ive just started keeping g/p again and years ago we used to buy ivomectine from the local farm shop at that time it was only licenced for cows!!!! so you imagine what a tiny dose the needed ,nice to see you can buy g/p size doses now lol


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## Lhasalover (Jan 15, 2009)

I have bought some ivomectine online and am now useing that on them had to phone vet as 2 of my guinea pigs are preggers. Vet said nothing can be used on them as nothing as been tested for pregnant piggies. So I used the ivomectine on them anyway as I cant leave them with mites. Its the samething as vet uses anyway just half the price online


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

I used it on my Syrian hamster and she was fine.


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## Lhasalover (Jan 15, 2009)

I have also found out that guinea pigs carry the mite. It can lay domant on the guinea pigs for years. They wake up with the guinea pigs are pregnant, ill or stressed. Once awake they will breed and can be caught by other guinea pigs.

This is where I got the drops

Easimec Ivermectin 0.5% 10ml-Hyperdrug


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

I have been using a good product called Xeno50 on my mice, it contains ivomectine and is just a spot on which goes on the back of the neck. The vet sold it to me over the counter. I was told that all rodents are born with mites and it is only in times of stress or illness that they cause a problem (don't quote me on that though)


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

Yes that's what I buy from vetuk, it's around £16 for 6 pipettes I think or you can get 9 for smaller animals for around the same price. How much does the vet charge for them?


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

I just got one pipette which was about £2.50ish. Apparently it kills the live mites but I need to treat again in a week to kill the eggs that have hatched since then (a bit like nits)


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