Guinea pig twitch

Question
QUESTION: hello there, i have a 3 month old guinea pig named mohawk that is
continually twitching. after having him for a couple of days he lost some of
the hair on his nose and had an open sore on his back, both of which have
cleared, but he is continuing to twitch as if something is biting him, and he
even pushes himself on his side and the ground like he is trying to rub
something off his skin, and after he is done with one of these episodes he
starts biting things such as his igloo. i have tried flea and tick medication and
it did nothing, so i was wondering if you could let me know what is wrong
with him, and maybe tell me what sort of medicine i could possibly buy for
him.

ANSWER: Hi Omar,

It sounds as though he's got some sort of insect infestation! If it's just mites that Mohawk has, you will be able to treat him at home. Have a close look at Mohawk; can you see any little creatures in his hair/on his skin? 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.

Please don't use flea/tick medication again, as unless recommended by a specialist small animal/exotic vet, the dose will probably be too strong for a guinea pig and will cause more harm than good. The open sore is a concern, but you say it has gone now. Does he feel hot to the touch, and sometimes fit after scratching? If so, he could have mange, and will need to be taken to the vet for a course of injections. A guinea pig can cope with fitting for a long period of time, but mange is eventually fatal if left untreated so if you think he might have it, it is imperative you take him to the vets.

Here's the instructions for bathing Mohawk 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 Mohawk in this bowl. Wet him with warm water (test it first) by either pouring it over him gently (not on his face!) or squeezing it over him them using another flannel. Rub in the required amount of shampoo being careful not to let your guinea pig lick himself (for this bit, you can take him out of the bowl and get your helper to hold them on a towel on their lap) and then wrap your guinea pig up in a towel (to keep him warm, and stop him licking) for five minutes. Then return him to the bowl and rinse away the shampoo; the mites should fall off too! Dry your guinea pig with a towel, and once he is just damp, you can finish off drying him with a hair dryer if you like (some piggies love this, some hate it). Give him a nice groom and pop him back in his cage (but only once he is clean and dry). You will need to clean out the cage (and spray it with a general safe animal cleaning spray) before returning Mohawk 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, Mohawk may need a second bath.

Have a good examine of Mohawk for mites after his bath, and keep an eye on him. Unless you see the mites, and then see that they are gone, you can't be sure that this is the problem. He could be allergic to his bedding. Have you changed the stuff you use to line his cage, recently?

Let me know if you have any other queries or concerns.

Best wishes,
Jenny.

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

QUESTION: well i have given him a thorough inspection and i couldnt see anything that look
like mites, maybe i just couldnt see them, do you reccomend buying that
shampoo or just to take him into the vet? because at the moment he is eating
and drinking, he has a very good appetite. and has even grown significantly
since i purchased him, so maybe i am just paranoid, what do you think?

Answer
If he seems himself a vet visit probably isn't necessary; but keep a close eye on him as guinea pigs can go down hill very rapidly.

The twitching could just be him popcorning - is he kind of jumping, in random directions? Guinea pigs do this when they're happy! The nibbling of his igloo is a normal behaviour; guinea pigs will chew almost anything, and in fact they need to gnaw on stuff to keep their teeth in good condition. Perhaps try getting him a wooden small animal gnawing block, as injesting the plastic of the igloo won't be good for him. Gnawing blocks are also much less expensive to replace!

It's the laying on his side and rubbing that concerns me as it certainly suggests that something is irritating him. What bedding do you use in his cage? He could be allergic to it. Try to find out what they used where you bought him from. If you're in the UK, Megazorb is supposed to be a very good bedding for guinea pigs with allergies. I personally use newspaper, topped with white paper, with a thick layer of dust-extracted wood shavings, and then hay for nibbling.

Not all mites are easy to spot on guinea pigs. The most common and least serious look like dust. On a dark-coloured guinea pig the specks will be white, and on a white guinea pig they will be dark. Try grooming Mohawk, and see if anything comes out on the brush, or if he seems to enjoy it more than usual (which he will, if he's itchy). It certainly won't hurt to bath him in Lice n Easy if you're not sure whether he has mites; as it's an aromatherapy shampoo there's no chemicals in it, and it might even help to ward off future mites.

Let me know what you find out and if you need any more help!

Jenny.