# Guinea Pigs and Fly Strike.



## Faerie Queene (Dec 30, 2008)

*Hello everyone. 
I'm unsure if this topic has been covered before, so excuse me if this is repetition.
I have one elderly Guinea Pig (her relations having passed on), who enjoys being in her run in the garden. This run is moved to a fresh area each day.
I had noticed flies on her back (quite distinctive, as she is white) and really didn't think too much of it. 
The other day, as I was placing dandelion leaves in for her, I shooed 3 flies away. As she moved towards the new food, 2 more flies walked out from beneath her. A little bell sounded in my head, and I picked her up and discovered that the flies had been laying a very large amount of eggs.
I'm a little phobic in the fly egg department, but I managed to flick the eggs out of her hair.
Next, I gave her a bath, which she seems to enjoy. When she was dry, I had a close look at her, and there were still 3 eggs that I could see on her.
I have checked her daily since then, and she is now clear of eggs.
Is there any way that she can go back out into her run? Any successful protection that I could use?
She has an indoor house for bad weather and overnight.
Thank you in advance.*


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## CarolineH (Aug 4, 2009)

Johnsons do a lice and mite spray, available from most pet shops including P&H. They also do one as a hutch spray. If you can't find the one for small animals, the cage bird spray is just as good.  Also a nit comb should groom out any existing fly eggs. The damp warm weather has meant a lot more flies this year and slower to react animals like elderly ones can be a target for them.


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## sophiew (Sep 20, 2009)

Johnson's do a Fly Strike spray too, which I think you spray on daily to prevent it happening again during the warm weather - no need during winter. It's not very common in guineas though, more so in rabbits. Keeping her clean and the wee bits of the hutch / run clean are the most important thing.

Sophie
x


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## Faerie Queene (Dec 30, 2008)

*Thank you, CarolineH and sophiew! 
She is a large sized Piggie and rather portly (I'm not sure if she is overweight - she has been big since a youngster), and tends to sit in one spot for quite some time. As they tend to toilet ad lib, she can sometimes be sitting on quite a lot of toilet, and I'm guessing that is what is attracting the flies. I'm also thinking, that my neighbours' lack of hygeine with their dogs' toilet, and also leaving their black sacks for the local cats to break into, isn't helping the situation either!*


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## srhdufe (Feb 11, 2009)

Faerie Queene said:


> *Hello everyone.
> I'm unsure if this topic has been covered before, so excuse me if this is repetition.
> I have one elderly Guinea Pig (her relations having passed on), who enjoys being in her run in the garden. This run is moved to a fresh area each day.
> I had noticed flies on her back (quite distinctive, as she is white) and really didn't think too much of it.
> ...


Ask your vet about rearguard.. Its brilliant stuff and protects them for months. Also, ask if you can get her vaccinated against fly strike. I know they vaccinate rabbits but i'm not sure about guinea pigs


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## Faerie Queene (Dec 30, 2008)

*Thank you for that, srhdufe! 
I'll give my vet a call tomorrow.*


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