Scratching Itchy Piggy!

[PiggyPassion]

Hey everyone!
So my new piggy that I just got today is rather, well..itchy. Like, he keeps on scratching himself every few minutes. I'm wondering if maybe he could have fleas..?
What do you all think? I'd like to hear some opinions before I dish out the money for a vet appointment! :/

 

[Petlovr]

It sounds like he might have mites. Read here:https://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html

 

[CavyMama]

It could be fleas, it might be mites, it all depends on what you see upon closer inspection.

@petlover: Just excessive itching doesn't necessarily mean that it's mites. It's definitely not the first thing that came to my mind. It could also mean dry skin or fleas.

I would take a good look at his skin. Separate his fur in several places and take a look. Is it flaky? Do you see any kind of small pest moving around? Does he react like it's painful for you to touch him?

If it's mites, you won't see anything crawling on the skin. Mites burrow underneath the skin and are very painful for the pig. You might also see bald patches in the fur. Although since you've only had him a short time, you might not see them yet.

If it's fleas, you will be able to see small whitish bugs crawling around on the skin between the fur.

 

[kananaka]

It could be lice or fleas, or mites. Mine had lice, and were pretty itchy when I first got them. You will be able to see them if they do, and nits as well. Look through your piggys coat and check him/her out. If you see something check out guinea lynx to find out what it may be; if you do not see anything I would treat for mites as a precaution.

 

[PiggyPassion]

Thank you very much to everyone!
He doesn't have anything crawling around, and his coat isn't flaky or anything. He also doesn't seem to be in any pain - even when I touch him. Would this be an indicator for mites still?

 

[BingoandBrownie]

My guesses are mites, flaky skin, or lice. Is it possible that your piggy has a scab or spot that is itching him?

 

[SeeSpotSit]

If it's fleas, you will be able to see small whitish bugs crawling around on the skin between the fur.

I've never seen a white flea, the millions of fleas I've seen in this city are black. Do they have white fleas in Illinois? I always thought, lice are white and fleas are black...?

 

[PiggyPassion]

My guesses are mites, flaky skin, or lice. Is it possible that your piggy has a scab or spot that is itching him?

Checked that last night, and just checked again for a second time to make sure I didn't miss anything. He doesn't seem to have any certain 'spots' or even scabs. Could it just be that it is a habit of his?

 

[bpatters]

How much does he weigh? If it's more than 350 grams, thentTreat him for mites with ivermectin. It won't hurt him if you dose it correctly, and may help. You can see fleas, flea dirt and lice, so if you're not seeing any of those, it's probably mites. Fungus usually doesn't itch quite as bad, and if it were fungus, you'd be seeing hair loss.

See www.guinealynx.info/mites.html and www.guinealynx.info/ivermectin.html.

 

[BingoandBrownie]

My girls scratch themselves quite often, and they might just be doing it unconsciously. That might be the case. But yes, I think he has mites

 

[PiggyPassion]

Although I've noticed that he's stopped scratching significantly, I think that I am going to treat him for mites as a precaution. Thank you all so much for your help! It was well needed.