Guinea Pig - Mites/Allergy? help!

Question
QUESTION: I bought my male guinea pig Scruffy in the beginning of April and after having him for 2 weeks found out he had really bad lice which he obviously had for a long time (saw him scratching and flinching alot so checked and found them).  I took him to the vet and he had 2 treatments which was a gel they put on the skin and it was absorbed.  I also treated him with shampoo and powder and it did the trick.

I have now noticed him still itching himself alot, especially on his behind and under his tummy.  He also is flinching quite a bit and throwing himself around the cage and on my lap and its not popcorning - he rolls onto his side, and makes small squeaking noises when this happens. he does this alot when you touch him but not all the time. are these fits?  I wonder if this is sensitive skin or mites but i would have guessed the treatment he had at the vets would have killed mites as well as lice?  He is eating well and drinking too and has a happy disposition, its confusing!

He also is sneezing nearly all the time and has a runny nose - could this be an allergy or a cold - hes had it for about a month now so i think it could be linked to the new hay/bedding i got as i changed this when he had treatment for lice to be on the safeside.

Im sorry for this being so long and hope it makes sense but your help would be well received! i have had guinea pigs all my life, and had ones with sensitive skin, but they never did this.

Thanks!

ANSWER: Hi Emily,

It does sound like he's fitting. But don't worry, guinea pigs can survive for quite a long time if it's only mild fitting. It could be that the mites have developed into mange, which is basically a severe case of mites, and that the vet only treated him for the mites. Does he feel hot to the touch? Mange is eventually fatal if left untreated but can be cleared up with an injection of a drug called ivormectin from a vet.

It's a good sign that he's still eating, drinking and seems happy, but I'd recommend you switch back to the old brand of bedding ASAP as it sounds like he's allergic to it. If it's a severe allergy, it could also be causing the fits.

In the future, I suggest you bath him every couple of months in an aromatherapy shampoo as a preventative measure against mites. Go to www.gorgeousguineas.com and get yourself a trial-size bottle of Lice and Easy. It's much better for your piggy's skin than the insecticidal shampoos you can get from pet shops, and the industrial strength remdies that vets prescribe. I think it works much better, too, and it smells lovely!

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions.

Best wishes,
Jenny.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Many thanks for such a quick response Jenny!

He did not have mites before, he had lice - would this cause mange?  i do not think he feels hot to the touch, i shall check this evening.

Thanks once again!

Answer
Mites and lice are quite interchangable terms as it is difficult to differentiate between them. I believe mange can develop from either, so a trip to the vet is probably the best idea.

You're welcome - I tend to save answering questions until the evening but I do check what's coming in at work and try to deal with anything urgent as soon as I can.

Good luck :o)