All the different kinds of pets come with their own sets of problems. As a responsible pet owner you need to be cautious about the problems and also have to know the ways of getting rid of them. The furry creatures like dogs, cats, and even guinea pigs suffer from mite infestation on their skins. These small insect parasites stay on the skin and suck the blood of the host. The host usually feels itchy on the skin and it becomes itchy and red.
There are various kinds of mites, and the most common ones found in guinea pigs are Trixacarus Caviae and Chirodiscoides Caviae.
Contents
- 1 How do I treat mites on the guinea pigs?
- 2 How do I know if my guinea pig has mites?
- 3 Do guinea pigs need treatment for mites?
- 4 How can you treat the guinea pig to get it rid of mites?
- 5 Can guinea pig mites be transferred to humans?
- 6 Can your pet guinea pig get rid of hay mites?
- 7 How should you treat your guinea pig for mites?
- 8 Why does my guinea pig have scabs?
How do I treat mites on the guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs should be taken care of if you need them to be healthy and happy. They should be cleaned and bathed at regular schedules and their bedding and cages should be cleaned with antiseptic liquids mixed with water. White vinegar can also be used to clean the interior of the cage.
The droppings should be regularly cleared off, so there could be no chance of mite infestation in the cage or in the house. The guinea pigs should be checked once every week to see if they have got some mite infestation on their body.
No new guinea pig should be introduced to the cage of the guinea pigs before it is cleaned and properly checked for mite infestation.
How do I know if my guinea pig has mites?
You need to keep an eye on the guinea pig regularly. When you will find that the small creature is scratching it quite frequently and too much then pick it up and check its skin for mites. There are several times when the guinea pig scratches itself when the hay used as bedding in the cage is rough or sometimes they just feel irritated by the dust in the bedding.
But scratching for these reasons should not last for more than a minute and they get deviated by other activities like playing in the cage or moving around. If the scratching consists of more than an hour and it would be a more serious issue. You should get the pet checked by the vet and start using disinfectant to clear the cage of the pet guinea pig.
Do guinea pigs need treatment for mites?
As we mentioned there are two types of mites. The Sarcoptic mange affects the guinea pig when the environment is not kept clean or the guinea pig gets it from the backyard or by mixing with other guinea pigs with these mites.
These mites can be passed to humans, the ones that come near the guinea pig or take care of the creature. You should treat the matter seriously, even more, when you are keeping a group of guinea pigs in the same shelter. It is very much contagious and spreads among other guinea pigs really fast.
How can you treat the guinea pig to get it rid of mites?
When you need to treat the guinea pig from the mites, you need to follow the oral antifungal medication and it will be a long-term procedure. There would be also some anti-fungal shampoo that you need to buy as prescribed by the vet.
As the mites can spread from the guinea pig to the surroundings, you need to disinfect the couch or the rug that is spread on the floor. This should be done regularly or the mites, if cleared from the body of the guinea pig, would come back and affect the pet again.
Can guinea pig mites be transferred to humans?
Mites are also known as walking dandruff and quite justifiably so. They are so contagious that they can affect other pets at your house. If you have rabbits, hedgehogs, cats, and dogs along with guinea pigs then these mites can get transferred from the body of the guinea pigs to the body of other furry pets quite normally.
They are nonburrowing skin parasites and they need to be just present on the skin of the host to live. They can be cleaned with the help of the medicinal shampoos and other pets in the house should be also bathed with these shampoos if they need to be kept safe from these parasites.
Humans, though quite uncommon can also become the host of these mites, and thus, they should be taking enough precautions while cleaning the cage and the rodent itself.
Can your pet guinea pig get rid of hay mites?
There are certain medicines that take care of the hay mites when your pet guinea pig gets affected by these. A medicine like antihistamines is good for removing the hay mites from the body of the guinea pig. Also, there are some topical lotions that make the creature free from the parasites.
These hay mites are quite itchy and they make the guinea pig itch their body uncontrollably. This happens when the mites feed on the guinea pigs. You need to clean the body of the pet guinea pig as well as the interior of the cage so the mites do not come back after leaving the body of the pet.
How should you treat your guinea pig for mites?
If you are sure that your guinea pig has been infested with the mites, then you should repeat the medication once more after two weeks. The third dose of medication is also required after the second week. These medications are recommended by the vets as there is a chance of the mites coming back from the outside environment and affecting the guinea pig again and again.
Why does my guinea pig have scabs?
If the guinea pig is suffering from any fungal infection which is often caused by the ringworm then it can have scabs or red affected areas on its skin. These are not caused by mites and they would be cured if you get the pet checked by the vet and apply anti-fungal ointment to the affected area. However, ringworms too are contagious and you need to keep the cage of the pet as well as the skin of your guinea pig clean all the time.
More:
How To Introduce Guinea Pigs To Each Other?
