Mites vs Ivermectin vs LimeSulfer Dip

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JoshDunHun

Post   » Sat Aug 18, 2018 8:54 pm


Hello! I have four guinea pigs! Two females; Buffy and Bailey, and two males; Daryl and Dean. Buffy will be 2 years in december, Bailey 2 in march 2019, Daryl will be 1 year in march 2019 along with Dean in April. I got Daryl obviously few months back from a petstore. At the time, we didnt know he had mites. Eventually he had fur loss really bad and long story short, saw a vet and they determined it was mange mites.

Now, we were given Revolution but told only give it to them ONCE a month even though online I read every 10-14 days. Eventually over 3 months the infestation had gotten better but not fully gone. Then we got our baby Dean, only to learn he also had mites, reinfesting the other three. Unfortunately, revolution is $50 and only has 3 doses. I have four piggies. Getting two boxes even just the once of month is hard on my budget but even so, my vet won't give me any more even knowing we were having a infestation. However they're the best here where I live.

About a month ago, I looked into Ivermectin. Not only was it cheaper to get but from online is seemed to work better and sure enough it has!

However, here's my issue. Although it's working fantastic and with it I'm sure the mites would be gone within 1-2 months, Bailey and Daryl are seeming to have a reaction to it. Theyre loosing fur behind their ears where it goes and it leaves the skin red. Now, theyre both lighter skin piggies so I'm not sure if that's a reason or not? However, i can't keep giving those two Ivermectin because they're reacting to it.

I followed the directions online. I weighed them all and used the lynx Ivermectin dosing chart. We even under dosed a little as a precaution. This was done every 10 days because of the infestation. A friend of mine said I could use a Lime Sulfer Dip and I did receive some. I was told it would kill their mites.

My question is: Is lime sulfer dip safe for guinea pigs? I got mixed reviews online and someone even said it killed their piggie! I'm scared because I don't wanna lose my babies and they cant have mites obviously.

Does anyone have any safe advice/alternatives, is the L.S. Dip safe, and how do I go about it?

I've read its once a week and then spray it on them(avoiding face), but it also says bathe them first. Bathing guinea pigs, especially so frequently is bad for them and their skin. So I'm at a loss there too. Do I not bathe them then? Please me and the pigs really need help :)

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat Aug 18, 2018 10:07 pm


I'm not fond of dips and sprays for animals that groom themselves. I don't see any way at all to keep them from ingesting it. I prefer orals, injectables, or topicals that go on in a place where the pig can't get to it.

How long is the reaction to the ivermectin lasting? If it's just for a day or so, I wouldn't worry much about it. But if the skin is raw and weeping, then yes, switch to something else.

And if you use ivermectin, you should use the full dose and repeat it every seven days to hit all the life cycle of the mites. Using too little can result in not killing all the mites, and using it too infrequently can do the same.

As far as I know, Revolution is given only once a month.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Aug 18, 2018 10:50 pm


What form of ivermectin are you treating with? There are "pour-on"s which one would think would not cause irritation to the skin.

JoshDunHun

Post   » Sat Aug 18, 2018 11:45 pm


I've been using the durvet pour on I saw lots of other guinea parents suggested :( https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produ ... our-on-1-l

And it last at least a few days. I just don't know what to do for them because it works beautifully but for those two piggies, they're losing fur and the skins red.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Aug 19, 2018 8:19 am


Do you see any signs of a fungal infection? Does the skin feel hot? Inflamed? I imagine you are putting the ivermectin on the skin behind the ears (the easiest way to get it to contact the skin directly). We usually suggest to split the dose and put half on each normal bald patch behind the ears (those bald patches are normal - and vary in size from one guinea pig to the next). Is it consistently red skin? Does it get less red a few days after the dose? I take it this is a marked change from before you started treating and the redness is not normal?

If you do see clear signs of inflammation, read over www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html and try one of the fungal creams to see if it makes a difference.

There are other parts of the body the pour-on can be applied to the skin (parting the hair, closer to the butt, for example). When cows are treated, it is poured (a measured amount) along the spine.

I actually have some of that particular product(a smaller bottle) here at home. That your other guinea pigs are not experiencing the same reaction makes me think it is not the product.

JoshDunHun

Post   » Sun Aug 19, 2018 11:20 pm


No it doesn't look like a fungus of any kind. There was inflammation in the beginning and we used cold water to help so they weren't feeling pain. We noticed it last about 3-5 days. It started doing this on the second treatment and nothing has been changed from the first dose/application. We usually do actually split the dose; the first half is applied inbetween/behind the ears on the back of the neck and we gently rub it in then the second half is applied on their bum. Me and my mom believe they're just having an allergic reaction?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:08 am


It is also possible that a carrier is causing the irritation, not the ivermectin. The injectable form can be applied topically too (different carrier) for future reference if you find the ivermectin does work.

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