Elsie's ugly teeth

[GP Lover]

Elsie continues to do well. She has soft poos once in a while but I'm not feeding her strawberries anymore to see if that's the cause.

She eats very well now and breathes normal. She is back to eating her favorite food - watermelon.

I wonder if she can be taken off the lasix at some point in time?

[Mum]

I'm glad to hear she's doing so well.

Not many of my pigs have needed lasix long term. You'll need to check with an xray that the fluid is gone and then wean very slowly.

[maremma]

Aww I am glad to hear she is doing better.

[GP Lover]

I need HELP and I need it now. I came from work early today to check on Elsie because this morning she was breathing heavy.

I put her on her baby blanket on my bed and I just went to check on her and found tiny little red bugs all over the blanket!!! I moved her to another white blanket and sure enough within minutes there were a ton of these tiny red bugs! What are they???!!!! What can I do. The vet hasn't called me back yet.

[Tracis]

There is some discussion of red bugs on this thread:

https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewt ... red+bug%2A

[GP Lover]

Yes, I researched and came up with the same thing...chiggers/mites! I have them too! I moved the girls into my room when Elsie got sick so I could monitor and I've been itching and scratching. UGH! Now I know what's wrong with me too.

I have topical Ivermectin but can't find my needled syringe to get it out! My neighbor has a syringe that she'll give me.

The vet still hasn't called.

[Tracis]

I hope your vet calls back, and that everyone will be bug-free soon. Is Elsie still breathing heavily?

[GP Lover]

Okay, she is calling in the oxygen prescription for me and I am going to pick it up now. She is eating a little and acting okay but she is breathing heavy.

The vet never heard of chiggers so she is going to research and call me in a few hrs to let me know if I can use the Ivermectin or Revolution I have here at home.

I gave Elsie a lukewarm rinse to see if I could drown some bugs!

The vet told me to get a flea comb from the pet shop and use that on her to keep removing the bugs.

For me I am going to try Tea Tree or Eucalyptus Oil.

[Lynx]

Any chance you can get a really really good pic of one of these bugs with something for size? A penny nearby? Some of the new cameras with many pixels can take fab macro pics in strong light. Maybe we could help you identify them.

Given a choice, I would try the Revolution. I wish you two the best.

[GP Lover]

I don't see any of these bugs at the moment but I can assure you they are chiggers. I read LER's thread and she found red bugs too. The vet agreed it sounds like it too. She said her friends got them from camping.

They come from outside and wildlife such as bird, rats and mice can be carriers. It is possible that I carried them in here because I began itching weeks ago. I would have noticed if Elsie had them before today.

I have to contact the management company about spraying outside the building. We have tons of chipmunks and I've seen them actually scurry under the wood frame of the front door of my building!

We are starting her on the Ivermectin first and then Revolution if that doesn't work. Right now she is in her carrier getting oxygen. I hope she can at least get relief for her breathing problem.

[Lynx]

I think chiggers are the larval stage of a mite. They do bite and are terribly uncomfortable (hate them). Hang out in grass around here.

[GP Lover]

They are probably tinier than a pin head. I only saw them because I had my reading glasses on. Yes, they are the larval stage of a mite. Rare to find on a guinea pig so we think she may have gotten them from me!

Elsie is a little better today. She ate more than last night and seems a little brighter in general although she still seems to not be breathing normally. I can see her sides going in and out a little bit...not as much as last night.