New To Guinea Lynx

Skeeter-and-Me

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:18 pm


Hello to all, I am a proud new pig lover! I got my first pig 6/7/06 as a birthday present. Skeeter is a 7 week old Abyssinian. He came from a local pet store where I had no idea how nasty it was until I discovered that he had eggs attached to his coat and a few adult "bugs". They are very small and white flat bugs, I asume that they are lice so I took him back to the pet shop and the lady told me that is was lice and they had to treat all the animals for it. She gave me 7 dust to put on him and it seems to be working but I read on here that you could also use Advantage so I got some but am waiting to see if this 7 dust takes care of it. If anyone could give me any ideas to any other websites that could educate me further about owning a pig I would be thankful.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:20 pm


7 dust is an insecticide. We absolutely do not recommend it for guinea pigs!

Advantage or topical ivermectin will take care of lice.

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mooser

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:21 pm


Don't know what the "7 dust" is but I would stop using it immediately. Usually petstores have no clue on proper care or medications, and it could be harmful.

The advantage will work very quickly and effectively. Just follow the directions on this site. Wait for someone here to comment on if you can apply the advantage right away if there's still the dust on the pig.

Got sidetracked-welcome to GL!

Consider adopting a same-sex companion for Skeeter once the lice is gone. Petfinder.com is a great tool.

Also, read up on proper diet and caging on the main site. Petstores will often give you totally wrong info.

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gotcavies
Supporter in '15

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:33 pm


Welcome to GL, I am glad you found your way here.

7 dust, aka Sevin dust is a product sold for roses and plants, but it is also used on livestock. I am skeptical regarding using it on livestock, and would not suggest ever using it on a guinea pig who is much smaller than a horse or cow. A vet who suggests Sevin dust is most likely not up on the current research on killing lice and mites on guinea pigs or other pets.

www.greenbook.net/docs/MSDS/M4772.PDF This is for the 10% dust, there is also a 5% version of it.

Please note that the MSDS says it may be hazardous if inhaled or swallowed. Guinea pigs are small, this dust is highly dusty. It would be hard to prevent a guinea pig from inhaling it. Guinea pigs clean themselves, and it's certain that it will be ingested. Be sure to note that it can be absorbed through the skin. Absolutely not something that should be put on a small animal.

Advantage is a safer product than Sevin dust. If this were my guinea pig, I would seriously weigh bathing the pig vs the problems of bathing. I would not want this poison on my guinea pig.

Skeeter-and-Me

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:42 pm


Thank you guys so much for the feedback I used it on him yesterday and he doesnt seem to be acting any different but I work at a vet's office and they dont handle guineas and really dont have any comments for me but i am about to go to work now for so that i can get some soap free shampoo but i should be back in like 30 minutes or so please post anything new and i will read more when I return thank you so much for the info.

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Amy0204
We miss our sweet Oreo

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:38 pm


It might be too late, but you'd be better off with a shampoo called Nizoral. It's very effective for mites. Odds are if your pig had lice, he has mites too, but you won't be able to see them. Still, you ought to treat him. The tollowing link will take you to the medical guide page that has information links on mites and lice, including how to treat them.
https://www.guinealynx.info/parasites.htm

Welcome to Guinea Lynx. You'll learn a lot, here, and maybe your vets will too!

Skeeter-and-Me

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:45 pm


I read page about the lice and mites already when I found the eggs and adult "bugs" but I read that when you give your pig a bath then you should use a soap-free shampoo? Is that right? Well anyways when I went to work I got a shampoomade by DVM it is called D Basic it says Soap-free deep-cleansing conditioning formulation. ingredents are as follows: water, ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lareth sulfate, luramide-DEA, cetrimonium chloride. cocamidopropyl,betine, hydropropl methcellulose, fragrance, kathon CG, citric acid safflower oil, FD&C yellow #5, FD&C blue #1

Should I give him a bath with it?

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:47 pm


but you'd be better off with a shampoo called Nizoral. It's very effective for mites.
Amy, this is new information to me?

Generally, if a pig has mites we don't recommend bathing at all, since the mites can burrow deeper into the skin causing the animal pain.

Nizoral shampoo is effective for fungal infections.

Mites are treated with topical Ivermectin, which will also kill lice.

It sounds as if the shampoo you have is Hi-Lite? Is that right? That's fine to use, but - as I say - it won't kill anything. I wouldn't shampoo at the moment.

Incidentally, how much does he weigh? He must weigh at least 12 ounces to be treated with Ivermectin.

It's important to weigh at least weekly, and I would weigh a new, petstore pig daily for a while, since they're so often sick.

Skeeter-and-Me

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:01 pm


I weighed him thursday and he weighed 1 pound and 1 ounce exactly. i did buy a tube of advantage on thursday also and i haven't used it yet. will it also kill mites? when do you think that I should use it?

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LER

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:27 pm


Revolution will kill mites and lice, Advantage only lice. I use Hy-Lyte shampoo only, or however it is spelled.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:55 pm


Amy likely mixed up fungus and mites.

Actually, if your pig isn't scratching a lot, the shampoo idea would probably be fine. It would get the insecticide off. It seems to be the severe mite infections with open sores that are the biggest problem shampooing.

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Amy0204
We miss our sweet Oreo

Post   » Sat Jun 10, 2006 8:00 pm


Sorry...brain isn't firing. I'm making a bad logic connection (I won't even try to explain but it did make sense to me: lice = itching pigs = mites and/or fungus). Anyway, I hope the pig feels better soon.

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