Possibly Pregnant Possibly pregnant & cage mate has mites, help! - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**AmandaErlandson** · #1 10-14-09, 11:33 pm

Well I adopted 2 sows yesterday. They were the only two sows housed with 3 bors. So the possiblity one or both being pregnant is quite high. I suspect Molly is pregnant, she is quite a bit larger than her cage mate, Margie and they are the same age. The problem is Margie has mites. I just realized it earlier tonight. She has been itching alot & she is beginning to lose some fur on her back. I am aware I have to treat both when it comes to mites, so will the babies be safe if she is indeed pregnant? I also read that I need to disinfect the cage. What do I use that will be safe for them? Usually I use lysol or bleech water to disinfect around the house, are either of those safe? What about washing the fleece in the cage? What special instructions are there with that? Can humans catch mites? I've been itching ever since I figured out that she has them. Thanks a bunch for all your kind advice.

**JD In Van** · #2 10-15-09, 12:03 am

As to the safety of the treatments for pregnant piggies I can't say. But I was to the vet today with mine because they've been itching a lot. If you have fleece you can just wash your fleece, the heat of the drier will kill anything. The rest of the cage and items in it need to be wiped down with vinager and water. Or at least that's what the vet told me.

Humans can't get mange mites don't worry.

**rabbitsncavyluv** · #3 10-15-09, 01:50 am

Ivermectin is safe for pregnant and nursing sows. You should start to dose her right away.

You don't need to disinfect for just mites. The mite eggs die off and don't survive off the host. The repeat doses of ivermec kill off hatching eggs.

**MapleOwl18** · #4 10-15-09, 02:59 pm

Yes you do need to clean out the cage, and disinfect it. I use a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water to clean out my piggies cage, and disinfecting. Clean everthing the piggies have access to as I once had mites keep coming back due to an infected cardboard pet carrier that I used to take them to the vets and the petsitters.

http://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
"When mites are properly diagnosed, all your cavies will need treatment and their living quarters must be thoroughly cleaned. Avoid future infestations by quarantining and treating new animals if suspected of being carriers and practicing good husbandry. Some breeders will routinely treat new guinea pigs in quarantine (since they can carry mites while showing no signs) rather than risk reintroducing mange mites to a whole herd of guinea pigs."

Also as the previous poster noted it is safe for pregnant moms.
http://www.guinealynx.info/antiparas...tml#ivermectin
"Ivermectin is safe to use on pregnant sows. The young are best treated after they reach 12 ounces (340 g) in weight. Treatment must be repeated at least once, 7 to 10 days later to kill the emerging mites (ivermectin does not kill the eggs)."[/SIZE][/SIZE]

Oh about the itching. In rare cases mites can cause a reaction on humans. Basically we can't get them but their secretions irritate our skin. This happened to me last time the piggies had mites, when I figured out it was the pet carrier. Annoying itching on my wrists and fingers.

**AmandaErlandson** · #5 10-15-09, 03:43 pm

Thanks so much for all the info! I have more questions... I bought the meds today and then came home to weigh them. They weigh 245 & 210 grams. Niether is big enough for treatment. So now what? Do they just suffer until they weigh enough? That is awful! I can't find any answers to this on this forum or anywhere on the web, I looked for almost a hour today.

I also have have a question about the 1:1 ratio of the vinegar & water, can I use that as a air freshener to spray the fleece between weekly cleanings? Thanks again!

**Ly&Pigs** · #6 10-15-09, 05:00 pm

For Ivermectin, they need to be 12oz. and they are not quite there yet. But you can safely dose them with Advantage. It's also safe for pregnant sows and young pups.

**JD In Van** · #7 10-15-09, 05:23 pm

My Vet just gave me Advantage he said .1 ml per pound. Is that right?

I don't know that I would put vinagar on the fleece. It's a very strong smell. I know my guys hate it. I rinse everything in water after its wiped down.

**AmandaErlandson** · #8 10-15-09, 08:27 pm

My friend is going to school to be a vet. I had her ask one of her professors what I should do. The professor said I should mix it as directed and only give them .04 & .045 cc of ivermectin. I am going tomorrow to get a 1cc syringe. Thanks for all the advice.

**MapleOwl18** · #9 10-16-09, 09:28 am

Here's the ivemectin oral dosing guidelines.
http://www.guinealynx.info/oral_ivermectin.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/ivermectin_oral.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/ivermectin_treatment.html

And here's the topical treament guidelines.
http://www.guinealynx.info/ivermectin_topical.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/topical_ivermectin.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/topical_i...n_pour-on.html

If you're using the topical makes sure you use the right dosing amount for the type you have.

AmandaErlandson I would not use an aerosol air fresher such as Lysol on your fleece. Or febreeze. Piggies have very delicate noses, and basically its a fume. It does disinfect but I wouldn't use it for disinfecting piggy cages. I wouldn't even use it around them. For disinfecting the cage use the 1:1 mixture of vineager and water. I usually use a squirt bottle and a rag, or paper towels to clean it out. For disinfecting the fleece use an unscented, no fabric softener detergant, and no dryer sheets. (I use unscented, hyperallergenic All) Wash it on hot if you want the additional disinfection, and then dry it on high. But I would not use aerosols around my piggies. Lysol also recommends use only on hard non-porus surfaces.
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