HELP with LICE!!!!

[GuineaTV]

My vet is at her wits end with my piggies, who have had totally stubborn piggy lice for a month now! There are places on their bodies where each individual hair has a row of half a dozen perfect little eggs. I wouldn't be surprised if Amber has 30,000 nits on her. My vet (who is very experienced with exotics) gave them weekly Ivermectin shots, and said that that's THE treatment for lice and mites. They aren't going away, even though I've begun keeping them on newspaper and cleaning out the cage every day so they don't reinfect themselves.

My vet talked to other exotics vets and said I could buy Sevin powder, which is an insecticide, and sprinkle it on the pigs and their bedding, but I'm afraid they'll eat it - when they scratch they always put their foot in their mouth righ afterward. Tonight I bought a people nit comb but it was useless - the nits slip right through - and small animal lice shampoos, as far as I can tell online, are only sold in the UK (why???). I'm beginning to consider putting them under and shaving them!! THey are so miserable!

Has anyone else had lice experience and have suggestions? Anyone in the UK willing to sell/ship me some shampoo (although I don't know how much this will help given the sheer quantity of nits...)?

 

[GuineaTV]

I just found on GuineaLynx a bit about using Advantage to eliminate lice on cavies. Any thoughts?

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

I just found on GuineaLynx a bit about using Advantage to eliminate lice on cavies. Any thoughts?

Yes, use advantage. I've heard Ivermectin works too, but it takes longer sometimes. Good call on the insecticide. No good. The piggies groom themselves and eat it. It's a poison.

 

[Treen]

The information at Guinea Lynx is the best you'll find - as I've just mentioned on your other thread, Advantage is the recommended treatment for lice, not ivermectin https://www.guinealynx.info/hairloss.html#lice. And it's far safer for your pig than dousing or washing them in chemicals.

Hope your vet can help you.

 

[mncavylover]

Whatever you do, don't use the pesticides! They groom, which would mean ingesting the stuff. It's poison, basically.

I agree with Treen, the best info is at guinealynx.