Very itchy skinny pig

Maaagan

Post   » Mon Jun 11, 2018 5:31 pm


So I have a 7 month old skinny pig. Since we got him, he's had itchy skin to the point he scratches enough for a little blood. We did all the tests (twice) and treatments and nothing. So we (us as well as the vet) are assuming it is dry skin that is making him so itchy. Any reccomendations on what we can do for him? I hate to see him cry when he itches.

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Mon Jun 11, 2018 6:39 pm


I'm guessing it is ringworm. Skinnies are more susceptible to ringworm, because of their exposed skin. Ringworm tests take a long time to get results back from and even then, they are often inclusive. Just skip all of that and treat for ringworm.

While mites, lice and fleas are possible, they are also not likely.

Maaagan

Post   » Mon Jun 11, 2018 8:20 pm


See though, we've done the ringworm test twice, as well as any for mites or other things, as well as done treatments just in case. Still itchy, so it's assumed dry skin.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Jun 11, 2018 10:06 pm


There is no reliable test for mites. They're microscopic and burrow under the skin. Unless the vet just happens to hit a spot when he's doing a skin scraping, they'll come up negative for mites even though they've got them. I'd treat them for mites.

https://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html and follow the ivermectin links.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:07 pm


Specifically what products have you tried and how many doses?

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:49 pm


In my experience with 11 Skinnies over 18 years, I never had to treat for mites or lice as with haired pigs.  I remember a large group of guinea pigs that were rescued from terrible conditions, which the haired pigs had heavy lice, but the Skinnies did not.  They did however, all have advanced ringworm infections.  If you do treat with Ivermectin, please keep in mind that Skinnies are more sensitive to medications, so you may want to use a slightly lower dose.  They can also be allergic to some medications, which could cause more itching.  

Some years ago I acquired four Skinnies at the same time that all had ringworm, but only one tested positive.  Strangely, he was the only one who was not showing any signs of it at all!  I did treat all four and they did recover; the two with the worst itching stopped scratching themselves raw.  I don't think it would do any harm to treat for ringworm.  Keep in mind that ringworm can be transmitted to humans as well as other animals.  

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:55 pm


Forgot to mention, dry skin is possible, but usually does not cause so much itching they they will scratch themselves to the point of drawing blood.  Do you use any products on his skin at all, including shampoo?  Do you bathe him frequently, or at all? 

Maaagan

Post   » Tue Jun 12, 2018 3:35 pm


We treated for mites when we first got him (he was about 4 months then), and when that didn't stop it they gave us a fungal shampoo and medication for ringworm. That also did not help, and we had changed vets, so we brought him to the new one. She gave him another medication to target ringworm. I cant remember the names of any of these, but they were pretty long treatment times. Something around 1.9 in a sygrine per day for 3 weeks. None of us are affected in anyway, and neither is the dog (who often snuggles the pig).

We haven't bathed him since the fungal shampoo nor do we use anything on his skin.

I'll do a look and see if I can dig up the product names in the meantime

Maaagan

Post   » Tue Jun 12, 2018 3:45 pm


So the shampoo is Douox Pyo Shampoo and was used 3 times a week for 3 weeks. The first ringworm medication used was Terbinafine used for 21 days, at the 1.9 ml. These were used together during the same time period.

I cant seem to find the other names of the mite medication or the other ringworm medication, but the time they were used was roughly the same. The vet (who has treated many guinea pigs before and is the go to for several of our local pet stores) was at a total loss and said the only thing she could do at that point was take pics and email them to a specialist to get advice, which would have cost us about 500 CAD not including anything that may have come from it.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Jun 12, 2018 4:09 pm


What did you give to treat for mites? Name, strength, dosage, and number of treatments, please.

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Tue Jun 12, 2018 5:40 pm


Just a few more questions...  What kind of litter/bedding do you use?  If you use fleece, what kind of detergent is it washed in?  How big is his cage and how often is it cleaned?  With all of the treatments he has had, I'm starting to look for external causes. 
 
I also recommend giving him a water only bath (no shampoo), then apply a small amount of coconut oil to his skin and wipe off any excess oil with another damp cloth.  It is best to do this right after his cage has been cleaned, so the oil won't just be a dirt magnet.  

Maaagan

Post   » Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:24 pm


I can't remember the mite treatment and I can't seem to find the packaging or anything.

I use puppy pads actually! I know there's worry about using that, but he never chews it, has no interest in it. I clean it out and put new pads every two days. He lives in a double story ferret nation cage, and comes out for several hours of play time. We use a plastic kiddy pool for him to play because we find it bigger than those silly store bought pens. His diet is blue seal or little friends pellets (he likes both so we switch it up), and thimothy hay. Vitamin C drops for his pellets, lettuce and peppers.

We snuggle him in blankets, and for those we use tide pods (the free stuff with no dyes, scent ect as I am sensitive to stuff as well). There is little dust or scents in my room, as I get itchy and stuff over that.

I'll give that a try, thank you! Hopefully that helps him a little

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