Do you think my pigs have mites?

[Laurenmae]

This might be another case of a vet refusing to diagnose mites because they didn't show up on the skin scrape. My vet won't prescribe ivermectin and I'm scared to try and dilute and dose it myself for fear I'll overdose my pig.

I've separated the pigs and took pictures of Bean this morning after applying his medication. In this journal entry you will find pictures - since hopefully if you are reading this you know more about pigs and mites than I do, please let me know what you think.

http://twoswimy.livejournal.com/456527.html

[C&K]

Oh my goodness that looks awful! What I can't figure out for the life of me though is why he won't perscribe ivermectin even as a preventitive, it is very safe, I have never heard of a vet overdosing a pig or harming a pig with it! What could it hurt? I would find another vet, or seriously give self dosing another thought.

This may help clarify a few things about treating at home for you;

Guinea Lynx :: Topic - Ivermectin usage ~ links and pictures included

Or, maybe call another vet and see if they are willing to give your pig a dose of revolution as a preventitive measure.

Skin scrapes often reveal false negatives, they are not reliable.

[clotho]

I am no vet, but that sure looks like a nasty case of mites to me. Your poor piggie is scratching himself to death. With open wounds like that I would be afraid of infection. I think you need a different vet who actually is savy about guinea pig care to give you ivermectin or revolution, plus perhaps a pain medication and antibiotics to avoid infection.

It really is easy to use ivermectin yourself if you go to guinea lynx and follow their instructions precisely. However, if in doubt, find yourself another vet who will give you what you need. That poor piggie is in pain.

Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites

Also, all your piggies should be treated. Otherwise they can reinfect each other. You will need 3 or 4 treatment about a week apart. In your case, you may need more treatments to get rid of it completely because it's such a bad case.

[Laurenmae]

The weird thing is I haven't seen my pig biting or scratching himself at all. I've been watching him like a hawk since yesterday and no sign of anything other than grooming his face. Is it likely they only bite/scratch in private? Or if he really had bad mites wouldn't he be scratching all the time?

[clotho]

You would think that he would be biting/scratching a lot, yes. You can't watch 24/7 - and something obviously made those bite/scratch marks on him. Also the hair loss screams mites.

The ivermectin treatment won't hurt him even if he doesn't have mites - so why wait? I believe the mite treatment will help him.