my poor itchy pig...

[Jaster]

My pal Skruffy (an ayssinian guinea pig) I think either has very dry skin or the start of mites... He's got a new bald spot and he's scratching like crazy.

I know the right answer is got to the vet and get the meds but I cant do that right now. I dont want to just let it get worse and I cant let him suffer either...(I can not stand being itchy!!)

so Are there any good over the counter products that will help with the mites/very dry skin?

I've read that kitten mite/flea/skin products like the Hearts or Advantage drops are ok to use?

Skruf is about a year old and weighs in at about a pound and a half.

Thanks all

[Sarkazmo]

If he's got mites you can use Equine Ivormectin. It's about $10 for a tube and you need to give the piggie (orally) a match head size dose. Used it many times, works like a charm. There's several web sites dedicated to guinea pig care, the late Peter Gurney's site is a wealth of information. He was probably one of the most knowledgeable people on this planet for the care of guinea pigs.

Petergurney.com

[Jaster]

Thanks! Where can I get that? Is that something I can get at a petstore?

[gabbyguppy]

Thanks! Where can I get that? Is that something I can get at a petstore?

You'll need to go to a 'feed' type store or equine supply store. Tractor Supply usually has Ivomec in the paste form. You might have to ask for it, my store does not stock it on the shelves.

Also, could your 'piggie' have ringworm? I'm not sure if that's common in guinea pigs, but it's probably worth ruling out.

Karen

[Sarkazmo]

Yeah, any farm store should have it, Tractor Supply, Southern States, etc.

Get the paste, not the injectable stuff. Use a tooth pic to put a match head size dollop in the piggie's mouth. We found that just scraping it off on their front teeth works great.

Sark

[Lindsey]

Definitely get some Ivermectin into him as soon as possible! My teddy pig Omar almost died last year when he was hit with mites.

It took me 2 weeks to get him to the vet from onset of symptoms, and in that time, he lost all the hair from his head and shoulders, got very scabby, poor thing had open wounds and scratches everywhere from itching himself, lost half his body weight and he lost the use of his hind legs. Luckily he's healed up amazingly, but it was so scary to see him seize the night after starting treatment, I was afraid we'd been too late.

My vet gave me some Revolution Kitten to treat my other 2 pigs with topically (they had no symptoms, it was a precaution) and it seemed to work, Omar's cagemate Butters never got sick at all. If you have a pig actively exhibiting symptoms, I'd treat with Ivermectin, though, it worked wonders for my boy.

Give Skruffy a hug for me, I hope he feels better soon! Mites hit guinea pigs hard!

[EmmanuelJB]

If your guinea pig has mange mites you should bring them to the vet imediatley! They are deadly! It could also be a fungus which causes bald/ itchy spods. Invermectin will treat mites and you can find it over the counter, but it would be best to take him to a vet.