Guinea pig is itching alot

[piggyluvr]

Hi my male guinea pig (about 3 years old) is scratching his fur more than I think to be normal. I already know that he has been eating too much calcium and I am working on that issue. Is itching a side affect or is there something else wrong? Other than that my piggie is completely healthy.

[Lynx]

The most common problem when a guinea pig is itchy, is mites. You might want to read over:
www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
www.guinealynx.info/topical_ivermectin.html

[Sef]

Agree. And it looks like you have two guinea pigs, so they'll both need to be treated if they live together.

Too much calcium would not cause itchiness, but it can cause other problems such as bladder stones or sludge. Do also read:
https://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html

[daj]

I have a hairless pig who gets skin issues when he gets too much in green vegetables. It's happened a few times before I realize what's going on. When I cut him back it clears up quickly. I currently have a problem with itchiness too, but I have not found the cause as yet.

[Lynx]

That's unusual. When he eats a lot of vegetables, does he stop eating pellets or any other high nutrient food?

[daj]

Not that I notice. One thing that I stopped giving him entirely is celery. The other two things that I've given occasionally, that I recently cut back on too, are corn husk/silk and artichoke. They go bonkers on these two in particular. I hate to cut out all their favorites. The one that seems most problematic though, is celery. This pig is also a really heavy drinker and he consumes a huge amount of hay compared to my other two.