Sick My Guinea Pig has Biting Lice

The ivermectin is a start, but will need to be repeated two more times, one week apart, to hit all the stages of the life cycle. And no, the bedding is not the problem. Lice require a live host to live.

You can treat yourself with ivermectin cheaper than the vet can do it. See https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/111160-How-to-treat-for-mites. It was written for mites, but will work for lice.

Was this an exotic vet? Small animal (dog and cat) vets get very little education in treating exotic pets, and what they get covers everything from gerbils to giraffes. You need to find an exotic vet that you can get to, because if your pet is really ill, you don't want to trust it to a dog and cat vet.

Since you're a new pig owner, here's some reading material:

-- https://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html
-- https://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html
-- www.cavyspirit.com
-- the stickies at the tops of the main forums here
-- https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...us-Plants-List for what you can feed and how often
-- https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...ur-guinea-pigs!

Our vet is more of a cat and dog vet as far as I know. He has training with exotic animals though. What exactly happens to the lice? Where did they come from. When they die will they be in the cage or do we need to brush them out. Thanks for all of the helpful advice.

They'll die from the ivermectin.

If I were you, I'd be looking for an exotic vet.

Didn't you say they need ivermectin?

So sorry, I read that incorrectly you meant the lice would die. Thank you, I'm so relived.

Sorry. I should have made that clearer.

The vet said to come back tomorrow if Wilber is still scratching. He is a bit but I'm more concerned about the wounds on his back. The vet thinks all of the lice will be killed in a week but I thought I'd rather ask your opinion? We keep washing his things to remove dead lice. Another Guinea pig page recommended sudocream which I put on him. It's made a big difference. Do you think he will be ok or should I bring him back to the vet. He's normally very hyper and playful but is now so quiet and sits on one spot on the floor or in his cage and he seems so down. Is this normal given the situation? I'm doing everything I can to help but I don't know if I'm not even helping Wilber. I feel awful that he got lice.

Sudocrem is like diaper ointment, and has a lot of zinc oxide in it. I'd be a little concerned about using it. No doubt he needs something, but cold pressed virgin coconut oil (be sure to get the cold pressed, it's available at any pharmacy/grocery store) will soothe his skin without any damaging ingredients in it.

If he's better, that's a good sign. But you either need to take him back to the vet for the second and third treatments, or do it yourself. You need three treatments, 7-10 days apart, to get all the lice.

He's be happier with a buddy.