Im worried about my pig... Seems ill to me im not sure.

Question
Hi,

Ive got 2 guinea pigs, had them for almost 2 years now. Both male, (Brothers) and one of them has recently started acting very strange. I have noticed, he has a habbit of chewing his back and then rolling onto his back and having a kind of... "cramp?" this happened about 10 minutes ago and its too late in the evening to go to a vet. I will be going to one tomorow morning first thing, i am sure its mites. Im hoping not. I really regret it, i never was an animal lover; I have always kept them clean and fed and looked after. But i feel stupid because i only got them out once a week, or maybe less.

Recently i have been getting them out for their own good as sometimes it gets really hot in this room particular and i let them run around. But one of them has mites, im positive of it.

He will scratch, bite & munch on his back. I have scanned through his hair in that reason and i can see a big red area, where he has scratched his skin off. Earlier i thought he was going to die and panicked, i really need a solution to help solve this as someone once told me if they have mites, vets can usualy give you wrong support.

Thanks,

Phil.

Answer
Hi Phil

I think I agree that the problem is mites. Take both pigs with you as the vet may recommend treating both is it is easily passed on.

The correct treatment is ivermectin so if the vet recommends anything other than that please let me know.

Andy