Mites Medicated, how to deal with cleaning?

[Jenny Liddle]

Hi there!

Our new rescue piggie is being treated for mites (ivermectin, 3 doses each a week apart) but she is still shedding like crazy and scratching a lot. I feel so bad for her! Other than cleaning out her bedding more often, is there anything I can do to help her be more comfortable until the mites are all gone? Would a flea comb help?

Thanks!

 

[Piggy_]

How are you administering the dose? Are you putting it on the bald patches behind her ears?

 

[Jenny Liddle]

It's an oral dose (liquid, syringe-fed) based on her weight. She does have bald, itchy patches behind her ears though Would taking a flea comb to the little mite-corpses help at all? or just make me feel better because I'm doing something?

 

[Piggy_]

Ah okay, then you're doing it properly. I'm not sure why it wouldn't be working, unless your guinea pig actually has lice or fleas instead of/as well as mites? The ivermectin wouldn't affect those. Do you have access to revolution? Revolution will treat mites, lice, and fleas simultaneously and is a topical application (applied to the skin). The bald patches behind her ears are supposed to be there, and that's where ivermectin is best applied if you're using a topical dose, because it gets absorbed through the skin (there's less thick hair in the way). I also apply revolution to the bald patches behind my guinea pig's ears when I use it because it works in the same way- gets absorbed through the skin. See if you can switch to a pesticide that will kill lice fleas and mites simultaneously and watch for improvement

 

[Jenny Liddle]

Thank you! If I don't see improvement after her second dose on Monday I will try Revolution. The mites are concentrated in the hair around her bald patches, so that's where she scratches most and I was concerned about them. Good to know