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Mites Not sure if it's mites?

emma591

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Okay, so I'm in a really weird situation right now.

A few days ago, my relatives asked me to take care of a male gerbil because they would be out of state for a week. I was nervous (because I've never taken care of a small animal ever), but agreed to take on the job. When they gave me the "gerbil" on Wednesday... I quickly realized that that wasn't a gerbil -- it was a guinea pig! A female, too! She's this white ball of fluff... they moment I saw her, my heart melted. ♥

I was told that they found "him" a few weeks ago in the bushes by my uncle's job. That area is nowhere near any neighborhoods, and by a really busy street, so I'm surprised she was out there of all places. They don't really know her age, where she came from, and... according to my dad, they don't really want her, either. I did a lot of research on how to take care of GPs in the last two days, and I've realized that the cage they gave me is way too small, and I was also only given water and pellets for her (I went out and got some veggies and hay and toys for her to chew on yesterday to start off). If they don't want her, I'm considering keeping her.

But! The reason why I'm here is because I'm afraid she might have mites. I've noticed that she's been scratching herself more often, and that she has patches in her fur that seem kind of... I don't know, clumped? I'm completely new to this, so I'm not sure if the black patch on her face would be any indication either. This is a picture of her:

(broken link removed)

and (broken link removed)

Because of this (and since I'm not sure whether she's feral or someone's lost pet or, worse, if someone dumped her :(), I've made an appointment with the vet and am waiting for them to call me back. Should I be worried, though? Does she seem okay in those pictures, or...?

Thank you! If I get to keep her, I'll be sure to give her a bigger home and give lots of love. :D
 

bpatters

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Welcome to the forum. You sure did wind up with a cute "gerbil!"

I can't tell anything about that black patch -- the front-on picture is too fuzzy, and I just can't see it in the other one. Is it missing hair, or is the hair just dark colored?

If she weighs at least 350 grams, I'd treat her for mites, just because she's probably got them and the treatment won't hurt her. If she's less than that and you think she has mites, then you probably need to see a vet. A vet check in general is a good idea, given her history.

I doubt that she's a feral guinea pig -- they're easy prey for anything that comes along, and she's not too well camouflaged with all that white fur! Probably someone's pet who escaped, or more likely was dumped because they didn't want her.

Do be aware that most dog and cat vets don't know much, if anything, about guinea pigs. You don't say where you are, but if you'll post your city, some can probably help you find a vet.

There's lots of information in the stickies in the various forums, as well as on the main page of this site (Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home), and especially for medical info, www.guinealynx.info. Read around, post your questions, and we'll be glad to help.

And give your pig a special scritch from me -- she is adorable!
 

emma591

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Ahhh, that might be a good idea, actually. :( I live in Southern California; around the Seal Beach area, to be exact. I've also taken a few more pictures, so I hope these will give a better idea:

(broken link removed) (still a tad blurry, but you can see what I'm talking about)

(broken link removed) These are the clumps I'm referring to. It's not dark, but... I'm not exactly sure what to call it. Is it normal and I'm just overreacting?

As for her weight, I'm not sure yet -- I lack a scale! I should probably invest in that today, haha. Still, thank you so much for your help. :)
 

bpatters

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Click on the "Find Vets" link at the top of the page. It finds a bunch of vets within a fairly easy driving distance from Seal Beach. You might also contact Orange County Cavy Haven (their website is Orange County Cavy Haven - Guinea Pig Rescue) and ask if they can recommend a vet.
 

emma591

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Thanks again. I'm going to look into that right now. I also just bought a scale and weighed her; she's 275 grams (between 9-10 ounces). I'm going to guess that's underweight. :(
 

foggycreekcavy

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She's probably very young. She doesn't weigh enough to be treated for mites with ivermectin, though she will most likely be soon with a proper diet.

The clumps you are referring to--are they rosettes? Is it the way her hair grows? It does look like there's a spot that new hair is growing into, like maybe there had been hair loss there. It is hard to see (but thanks for all the photos--they do help).

I would definitely have her treated (or treat yourself following the directions at www.guinealynx.info ) for mites.

She's adorable, by the way.
 

logansmomma1228

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AWWW She is so darn cute! :D Maybe the black spots are just from grease or dirt on her fur, from being outside. The clumps just look like swirls of fur to me. I don't know much about different breeds, but she looks like mine hair wise- and I (believe) I have an Abysinnian. She has swirls of hair that go in different directions and it drove me crazy when I first got her! Now I have her groomed better so it isn't so wild :)

I am so glad you decided to do all the research, and I really hope you decide to keep her! Believe it or not, the C and C cages they teach you to build here are a lot cheaper than those crappy pet store cages. IME at least. The pet store cages are 30 some dollars a piece and I found a set of 6 cubes for 20$.

She may have mites, but luckily that isn't too bad of a deal considering all she has been through. I wish you both luck, and I hope to see more pictures !
 

kathlaaron

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She is such a cutie pie, my goodness ! I hope you get to keep her too, she is such a darling !
 

SweetiePig

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She is very very adorable! I had this problem too and mine lad lice also.
I know that guinea lynx says not to treat guinea pigs under 350 with ivermectin but I got to say I did it with both of my guinea pigs. My vet said it would be ok as they would just do the same thing. So I got the liquid ivermectin at the local farm store. $20 for a big bottle of it and then I got a syringe with a needle from my vet who gladly gave me it to help my piggys. As far as dosage, I went off of the chart on guinea lynx and gave 0.05 cc's to each pig. That is a TIIIIIINY amount and was hard to give but I found if I left the needle on, it would come out in super tiny "pen head" size droplets and made it very easy to give to my guinea pigs. I put a few droplets on the bald spots behind each piggys ears once a week for 4 weeks and they were cured of the mites and lice both!
And surprise! Both my pigs are healthy and fine! The ivermectin did not effect either of them being that they weighed 240 grams!
I hope this helps you out!
And from what I can tell, that black is just the color of the piggys fur and the "clumps" your talking about are normal. Its called an abyssinian guinea pig, they have rosettes which cause the "clumps" of fur everywhere.
 

logansmomma1228

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As far as dosage, I went off of the chart on guinea lynx and gave 0.05 cc's to each pig. That is a TIIIIIINY amount and was hard to give but I found if I left the needle on, it would come out in super tiny "pen head" size droplets and made it very easy to give to my guinea pigs. I put a few droplets on the bald spots behind each piggys ears once a week for 4 weeks and they were cured of the mites and lice both!.

I noticed what seemed like a small bald spot behind piggie's ears today. I couldn't tell if it has been there because she is finally settling down enough for me to really get a good look at her. On the other hand, though, I think I would have noticed it before.

I want to try and give her some Ivermectin on my own so I know she doesn't have any mites, but I'm scared to mess with it. I really can't afford to take her to the vet and pay for an office visit + meds though, so it would be better to at least give her some?
 

kathlaaron

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I noticed what seemed like a small bald spot behind piggie's ears today. I couldn't tell if it has been there because she is finally settling down enough for me to really get a good look at her. On the other hand, though, I think I would have noticed it before.

Some piggies have a "bald spot" behind the ears that is normal. My girl Cuddles is an Abby, and she has these bald spots behind her ears, but my other sweetie Buttercup who is an American Crested does not.

What makes you think your piggie has mites ?

Depending on your piggies weight, if it is less than 12 oz. or 340 grams, it is not recommended to use Invermectin, however, if your piggie's weight is at or over that weight, it certainly doesn't "hurt" them to use it if you suspect mites. You would need to consult with your Vet about dosage or you could follow the guinea lynx directions, and do it yourself.
 
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