Just adopted a guinea pig, but...

[Jimmy Gibbs Jr.]

Hello! So today we went to the local shelter to adopt a female pig to keep our first [also female] one company. The shelter had several that were already paired or were male, so we chose out one that looked like it was being dominated by it's cagemate [she was forcing her out of the shared hut, rumbling, etc].

When we arrived home, we set up the cold cage that we used before making the C&C cage as a way to quarantine before introducing. As I was petting her in my lap, I noticed that she had numerous scabs around her torso and rump, as well as flaky skin like dandruff. One scab was about a centimeter in length and 1/4 in width. Some of the scabs flaked off as I was petting her and small clumps of hair were attached. I checked for moving bugs with a flashlight, but I didn't see any. We only have one brush but I already used it for our first piggy and I didn't want to contaminate anything.

So I'm not sure if she has scabs and such because of stress from her cagemate bullying her or if she has mites. I don't know if the shelter already treated them, since they got about ten pigs at the same time and they're understaffed at the moment. I don't have a camera at the moment, so I cannot show you what the scabs look like or the small black skin flakes. We're gonna leave her for a week and see if her condition worsens or clears up before we buy medicine or anything. For now, the pigs will probably be quarantined for 2-3 weeks.

[bpatters]

You might want to go ahead and treat her for mites. It's the most likely cause of her problem, the treatment won't hurt her, and will likely make her feel much better.

If you had a farm/feed store near you, you can get topical ivermectin to put on her. If not, you can order it from www.this-little-piggie-marketplace.com/2007/04/ivermectin.html. The page even contains the links to dosages and treatments.

[Jimmy Gibbs Jr.]

When you buy it, does it come with syringes? I might treat my first piggy as well, in case she's a carrier or if I didn't scrub my arms well enough and something passed. I noticed that they have syringes separately, but it says that you can't get needles for certain states [mine isn't on there, but are the needles themselves also separate?]

[bpatters]

You don't need the needles -- you rub it into their skin. The syringes are just for drawing up the drop or two that you'll need. They're also at TLPMP at This Little Piggie Marketplace -- scroll about halfway down.

And yes, I'd treat both. As long as the dosage is appropriate and they weigh more than 350 grams, they'll be fine.

[Jimmy Gibbs Jr.]

Oh! So I just buy the pour-on one [blue bottle] and use a syringe to draw up a few drops? I don't know the difference between the blue bottle and the clear one. The pigs are medium sized and not as big as full adults are; I'm not sure how much they weigh, though.

[bpatters]

You need a scale to weigh them with -- you have to know how much they weigh to be able to calculate the ivermectin dosage. Weighing them regularly is necessary to know if one is getting sick -- they're very good at hiding illnesses. You also have to weigh them to know if they're getting better after an illness. I think Sef also sells scales on TLPMP.

The two bottles at TLPMP are different strengths, so the calculation would be different. I'd buy the pour-on, just because it's cheaper and is intended for use on the skin (although the other kinds will work on the skin as well). If you need help with the dosage, post their weights here after you get the scales and the ivermectin, and I'll walk you through it.