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Originally Posted by Alusdra  There probably is a test that can be done to check for mites (maybe a skin scraping?) that would definitively tell you if the pig was infested or not. It would be a good idea to do that sort of test on a first vet visit, anyway. Then you don't have to be treating unnecessarily for mites that aren't there. If a pig never is in contact with other animals, I don't really see why they would need routine preventative treatment, though perhaps they would if you take them outside frequently or foster, etc. |
Skin scrapings are painful and unnecessary. Since mites live just under the surface of the skin the procedure has to scrape through more than just the outer layer of skin and often throws up false negatives. Often you have to wait days for the results if the vets do not have the facility to examine samples on the premises.
So no, it's not a good idea to do that test and a lot of vets will treat with ivermectin and NOT do a skin scraping which is absolutely the right thing to do, in my opinion, when a pig seems as though it has mites.