Skin problems or something else?

Question
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Lorena,
I talked to our Vet and she said she has ivormectin (sp?) in a oral dose she can give our pig but not a shot.  Do you know anything about this medicine?  If not, what is the name of the shot you referred to in a previous answer?  Thanks, Jerry


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Followup To
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I have a Teddy Bear Pig that is about a year and a half old.  She has started loosing hair on her back-side and we have had her dipped at the vets office 3 times now and she is still shedding.  It seems to itch her because she knawls on things when you scratch her. The hair comes out in little clumps with dired skin on the end.  Does this sound like just dry skin or something more serious.  If "more serious" can you give me some ideas, because our vet here in town is not sure what is going on.  THANKS!!
Answer -
Jerry --

There are several things that could be wrong with your animal.  I need to ask a few questions before I can narrow it down.  First, does she appear to be losing hair in a pattern?  For example, is the patch round or v-shaped?  Second, can you see any sort of infestation (fleas, mites, etc?)  These could be black or white, but will probably be very small.  Finally, does she appear to be chewing the hair or scratching at the area?

If you would answer these questions for me, I can narrow it down for you a little bit.

Lorena

We checked and it does appear to be a V-shape starting at about the middle of her back and broadening out accross her whole rear end.  I do not see any mites or flees and the vet even put the little clumps of hair/skin under the microscope and didn't see anything.  She will occasionally chew at the area on her butt, but she does not chew or scratch it "a lot". Thanks Again!
Answer -
Jerry --

Good.  Typically v-shaped hair loss is a sign of selmick mites.  These are mites that are especially prone to preying on guinea pigs.  There are a few options as far as treating the problem.  What you use to treat the problem depends on where you live and what is available to you.  For example, I have read of people in New Zealand and Australia using sheep dip to treat them.  Personally, I prefer to get a mite treatment from the pet store that is designed for birds or kittens.  Treat him with that, following the directions (I prefer the spray type, but powders and dips are okay too.)  If that doesn't help, take him back to the vet and ask for an injection of mite treatment.  Selmick mites live in the skin, and since they move around a lot, your vet may not be able to see any.  The injection won't hurt him any either way, and it may take care of the problem.

Hope this is helpful.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me.  Good luck!

Lorena

Answer
Jerry --

I'm afraid that, since I'm not a vet, I don't typically keep track of medicines.  All I know about ivermectin is that it is the recommended treatment for selnick mites.  I checked with my vet, and, while he uses the injectable form, it is the same drug, so he recommends to go ahead and treat with the oral if your vet looks at the animal and suspects the mites.  (Because remember, I can't see him, so I can't diagnose at all -- just guess.)

Hope this is helpful.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me.  Good luck!

Lorena