guinea pig treated once orally

Question
...with ivermectin. I followed the dosing guidelines off of the guinealynx website, but didn't do the second dose. Will oral treatment treat mange, and lice? I'm not sure which one she has. There is white dandruff on her rump and it hurts when I pet her there, and she has been acting a little crazy too (more irritable than anything) and SOMEtimes she feels too warm. Also, her mom died about 1 1/2 months ago,so I am really worried about her.

Answer
Hi Sara,

Ivermectin is commonly used to treat mange, and serious conditions of mites which have already or soon could develop into mange. However, it is usually administered by a vet by injection, and I have no experience of giving this medicine orally myself.

Guinea pigs have thick skin and injections hurt them; so unless she has mange, it is best to treat mild skin complaints yourself. If she feels hot to the touch, then I'd recommend whisking her off to the vets (a specialist small animal or exotics one, preferably) straight away. Have a close look at her; can you see any little creatures in her hair/on her skin? The dandruff you descrive is probably them, as on a dark guinea pig they are pale, and on a pale guinea pig they are dark. The best stuff to use to get rid of them is not Insecticidal Shampoo, but a remedy from www.gorgeousguineas.com called "Lice and Easy"; it's brilliant! It does a much better job of getting rid of mites than the stuff from pet shops, and will leave your guinea pig smelling lovely. They also deliver quite quickly; so order today and they will receive your order and dispatch it ASAP.

Here's the instructions for bathing  in Lice n Easy:

Guinea pigs do not like being bathed and it is always a tricky process; you will need someone else to help you.  The best thing to do is to find a large, clean bowl (like the one for washing up) and line it with a flannel. Get someone to hold your guinea pig in this bowl. Wet her with warm water (test it first) by either pouring it over her gently (not on her face!) or squeezing it over her using another flannel. Rub in the required amount of shampoo being careful not to let your guinea pig lick herself (for this bit, you can take her out of the bowl and get your helper to hold her on a towel on their lap) and then wrap your guinea pig up in a towel (to keep her warm, and stop her licking) for five minutes. Then return her to the bowl and rinse away the shampoo; the mites should fall off too! Dry your guinea pig with a towel, and once she is just damp, you can finish off drying her with a hair dryer if you like (some piggies love this, some hate it). Give her a nice groom and pop her back in her cage (but only once she is clean and dry). You will need to clean out the cage (and spray it with a general safe animal cleaning spray) before returning your guinea pig to it, as some of the mites will be living in there too. The mites should then be gone, but if it's a bad case, she may need a second bath.

Your guinea pig's irritability and general grumpiness will most likely be due to the death of her mother. Guinea pigs feel similar emotions to humans, and she will be grieving. Give her lots of extra cuddles and her favourite foods. Once she's better, you may consider getting a new cagemate for her if you don't want her to be lonely.

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

Best wishes,
Jenny.