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guinea with mites/lice....would it affect me?

cinnyminny

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I've had my piggie for about a month now and I have noticed how she itches herself quite a bit. Yes she is from a petstore, I didn't know about the problems with petstore animals until finding this site. My main question is, if she had some sort of skin parasite, would it in any way affect me? Because just recently a ton of tiny bumps appeared on my face and I have never had this happen before. There are also a few small areas on my chest where a few small bumps have appeared. Sometimes I hold her on my chest and so my conclusion was that maybe she has something and its affecting me. If anyone has any information on this I would greatly appreciate it!
 

WICharlie

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The only thing that a guinea pig can pass to you would be a case of ringworm, but that would look different than a bunch of little bumps.

I often have a slight allergic reaction when I hold certain pigs to my skin (especially under my chin and on my bare arms). It makes me break out in a small case of hives where the skin was touched. It almost sounds like what you are describing. I do have a lot of other allergies as well, so I just try and wear long sleeves when holding pigs and try to remember not to let them touch me under the chin.

If your pigs are showing signs of being itchy, the most common cause is a case of mites (which are specific only to the pig). They do need treated for this. An untreated case of mites can cause severe distress in a guinea pig and even lead to seizures and death over time.
 

cinnyminny

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yeah you could be right about having an allergic reaction, however I only started getting the bumps these past few days and I have had her since december 30th. So I figured if I were allergic, the signs would have started showing up much earlier than just within a few days ago. I suppose it could be a reaction to something else. But I dont have any animal allergies or any allergies in general that I know of.


She does itch and sometimes bite herself, but she has no hair loss and still acts normal. She eats, poops, pees. Everything seems normal. but I suppose she could be at the earliest stages. I have noticed that when I am holding her and rubbing her back she purrs but sometimes she'll do this weird head twitch thing which could be a sign of pain? I'm thinking I should treat for mites.
 

rabbitsncavyluv

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Some people have allergic reactions to their pigs when they have mites. Here Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites

You can have a vet administer ivermectin or order it and dose them yourself. If you want to treat for mites and lice, use ivermectin topically or get Revolution.
 
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