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Hair Loss Possable mites

Kyuuu

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Things have been great for my Bacon and her new buddy, they even have a 2x4 cage now! They are seemingly happy and healthy accept one thing that has been bothing me.
Bacon has always shedded lots of fur, it wasn't until I got a new buddy for her I noticed how the new one didn't shed one hair compared to bacon. Then weeks later after being in the same cage and having two baths together, the new pigs hair is like bacon's. So bacon had to of gave her somthing.

I rarely give them baths by the way. Also I don't use soap when I do. They do not have bald spots in abnormal places, its just general fur loss in large amounts.
One other thing is that half of there cage has been pine shavings, I wasn't specific enough and my mom bought a load of it. I've been using it up. They are look and behave normal, its just hairloss that it different.
My guess is mites but I'm posting because I want other opinions to be sure. Also best way to treat it.
 

sdpiggylvr

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Extra hair loss could be a number of things. It could be a low protein diet, it could be vitamin C deficiency, it could be fungus, it could be parasites. The only way to know for sure is to take your guinea pigs soon to an exotics vet -- someone who has experience with guinea pigs (this is very important!). https://www.guinealynx.info/vet.html

Two baths in a few weeks is too frequently. Baths can dry out their skin, so keep bathing to a minimum. I only bathe mine if they have an odor to them or are for some reason wet with urine on their back end.
 

bpatters

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Are they scratching a lot? Because mites itch like crazy, and if they're not digging at themselves, it's probably not mites. If they are really scratching a lot, you can treat them yourself with ivermectin.

Generalized hair loss can also be due to a fungus, a bacterial infection, or a vitamin deficiency. What exactly do you feed them? And can you post a picture?

I'm not at all convinced that baths are particularly bad for guinea pigs, particularly if you use a shampoo designed for small exotic pets. I know one owner who has bathed her guinea pigs weekly for years, and they're just fine. You do have to be very careful to rinse them thoroughly. And I wouldn't bath a skinny pig that often because it would strip the oil from the skin.
 

Kyuuu

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Thanks for the replies. My new piggy (olive) had hairloss only a few days after I had her and bacon. So it would be somthing that spreads quick I was thinking. They always have access to kaytee timothy hay, and lately they have had kaytee forti diet pellets. I always get plain kind with no extra dried fruit or anything. For fresh food they get lots of spinach, along with other varieties of fresh food. Nothing I'm not sure about.

I don't really give them bathes, it was just this one time. They do scratch quite a bit, they do about 1-2 scatches in a row, then sometimes do it again few minutes later..
Bacon has had hairloss for almost 5 months now and neither of them have bald spots. I will look into bacterial infections and the other stuff. I was just thinking mites cuz like I said they are fine in all other aspects. I will try to get pics of them and try to show what it looks like
 

Kyuuu

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I saw one!!!!! Its lice!!! Is was yellow with a log wiggley body!! Can humans get it??
 

bpatters

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All this time and your pigs haven't been treated? How would like for someone to leave you with itching and hairloss and refuse to get treatment for you?

See https://www.guinealynx.info/lice.html for how to treat them.

And please do take better care of your pigs.
 

Kyuuu

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Generally host specific D: my mom is gonna freak
you're right I put off telling my mom for too long. Telling her could make there situation worse I thought. Besides the lice they are fine, and any other kind of sickness would be fixed more immediate. Its just parasites freak my mom out. I will tell her tomorrow and see what happens. Hope I can convince her to let me keep them.
 

Soecara

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Why should you have to get rid of them just because of lice? would you get rid of your kid if they had head lice? No, you just get rid of the lice. It is quite simple really, just keep in mind you absolutely can not use most products intended for other animals (I'm specifically referring to flea shampoo for dogs). Also most shampoo's and sprays marketed towards guinea pigs are useless and very dangerous.

Your best bet would be to get your hands on some ivermectin like bpatters suggested originally. You will need to use it topically (applied to the skin, which is normally done on the bald spots behind the ears), you only will need a very small amount as it is easy to overdose them and that can have devastating consequences.

So get some ivermectin, then when you have it if you post the concentration which should be written on the bottle and your guinea pigs weights then we can help you calculate the correct dosage. You will need a 1ml syringe (no needle) to measure the amount when it comes to giving it to them.
 

Princess_Piggie

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I actually completely understand OP's position. My aunty (who I live with) is an absolute germ freak and very insensitive about animals, so when we once thought our dog might have had fleas, she wanted him gone. He didn't even have them in the end! When he died she genuinely said 'thank god, no more germy dog in my house'. It was a wrestle to get the guinea pigs in here, and I'm under strict instructions that if they ever have any parasite, they're out.

However, I don't condone leaving your pets in an uncomfortable situation for any reason. As a pet owner, you're responsible for their well being, so if it means you have to take the heat off your parent when something like that happens, so be it. It's beyond me why any adult (your mum, my aunty, anyone really) let's pets in the house in the first place when there's always a small risk of some kind of parasite, if they're so against parasites.
 

Kyuuu

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I told my grandma and she helped me out and got me a natural shampoo specificly for guinea pigs with running lice. My mom is gone so I wipped out the bottle and gave them a nice bath and blow dried their fur. Its been an few hours and they havnt scratched once. I've been using dog potty pads as temorary bedding and switching it out to make sure they are completely gone. Its been stressing me out knowing in the back of my mind they where constantly uncomfortable. I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Plus mom will never have to know :D
 

Moon squeak

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Why should you have to get rid of them just because of lice? would you get rid of your kid if they had head lice? No, you just get rid of the lice. It is quite simple really, just keep in mind you absolutely can not use most products intended for other animals (I'm specifically referring to flea shampoo for dogs). Also most shampoo's and sprays marketed towards guinea pigs are useless and very dangerous.

Your best bet would be to get your hands on some ivermectin like bpatters suggested originally. You will need to use it topically (applied to the skin, which is normally done on the bald spots behind the ears), you only will need a very small amount as it is easy to overdose them and that can have devastating consequences.

So get some ivermectin, then when you have it if you post the concentration which should be written on the bottle and your guinea pigs weights then we can help you calculate the correct dosage. You will need a 1ml syringe (no needle) to measure the amount when it comes to giving it to them.

You ust have to understand that children do not get a choice in keeping or giving up pets. It is a parents choice. If you read this closely, you can see the panic in a childs voice as this child wants to fix the pigs and keep them, and affraid someone else will over ride this choice and give them up. Not all parents are all that understanding to these things. It is not a childs fault what their parents choos to do. I'm not yelling or anything, really, I have seen to many adults, get after a child for what their parent does and treats them like its their fault and they are bad pet owners. These children stop looking for help because of how they are treated. Then their animals don't get the help they needed.

I was one of those childrern a long time ago that had parents that did not understand simple things as this. I understand not letting your parent know about a problem for fear that they will get rid of your pet, so you try and fix it yourself. And I understand what its like to finally have to tell them when you can't fix it and you fear the worst, but your trying to do the right thing..... Thankfully for me, there was no internet when I was child to have strangers tell me I was bad for what my parents do. I probly would have commited suicide with the low selfasteem I had.... A forum will never know if it causes such acts because we just don't hear from that person again......

My point is, as adults, we have a responsibility to children to understand who we are talking to, and that they don't get to make the choices in their lives. Its our responsibility to understand the fear of a child maybe losing their pet if they do the right thing, but choosing to do the right thing anyway. It is up to us to decide that we should care about the child, and understand that this is not the childs choice and children are more and more commiting suicide over this wonderful world wide web. So I am asking that we understand children. And that we do not tell them they are bad for things that are not up to them. This isn't realy targeted to you, Soecara, so much as I just want it understood what exactly I am talking about. Sorry, very protective over children and tired of seeing them hurt themselves over people wanting to quickly judge, rather then take the time to understand. Judging is much easier, but understanding saves lives and makes us all better people.... and when we are better people, we are also better pet owners.....

No yelling, no fighting, as its hard to tell through written words. Only gently saying how I feel.... Blessed Be...
 

Moon squeak

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I have used Worm Out for rabbits on Rabbit medicine Chest on someones piggy before. It helped fast. Its all nateral and safe.
 

Kyuuu

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Thanks moon squeak. I really understand what you mean, in earlier years I sometimes vented out on the internet and I took negative comments wayyyy to hard, I would dwell on it and do more than just cry. Luckily I'm a bit more mature and used to the internet. What you said definatly needs to be said more because its really common to be seen on internet. Anyways, I'm glad I posted still. I honestly probably would of put it off for longer if I hadnt.lol

I've never heard of worm out before, I will look into it just in case. But I also read this thing about how olive oil sufficates the lice, and if it works that would be amazing instead of using chemicals or the vet https://laycrew.blogspot.com/2012/08/guinea-pigs-and-mites.html
 
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