mites or lice?

Question
I just bought 2 baby piggies a few days ago and i have noticed these tiny white things crawling on there fur, what is it? What should I do?

Answer
taradorff,

Your 2 little babies have what is called Cavy Lice. It is easy to treat in Guinea Pigs. There are two treatments known for Cavy lice.

The first one is Advantage, this treatment works and is safe for pregnant and baby Guinea Pigs. One application lasts for 30 days, unless it is washed off with a detergent shampoo. Advantage is given no expiration date as it remains stable for at least five years from the date of purchase. Treat by weight and apply topically at 10 mg/pound of body weight (the concentration is 91 mgs/ml, or about 0.1cc/pound [0.24cc/kg]).

The second treatment is Ivermectin. It works on lice when it is used topically. This is because lice are biting insects, not sucking insects. Ivermectin, a potent drug, is absorbed through the skin and requires accurate dosing to avoid serious side effects. Incorrect doses of topically applied ivermectin can cause death. So to get the correct dosage and the ivermectin you'll need to see an exotic vet.

Either one of these will work on cavy lice. You'll also need to clean the living quarters cleaned thoroughly. Since some parasites can live for several days off the host many parasite eggs remain viable for a long time, cleaning and disinfecting the living area is extremely important.

I hope this helps and that they both recover from the lice soon.
  Take care now,
             Jules