Fleas in guinea pigs - description, symptoms, treatment, prevention

Flea infestation in guinea pigs. Can fleas parasitize on a guinea pig? How does the infection take place. Parasites that attack guinea pigs. Symptoms of parasite infestations. Danger to the animal. Timely visit to a doctor.

Fleas belong to those parasites that can attack any warm-blooded animal in search of food, guinea pigs are no exception. Since they do not parasitize on the victim's body, but visit it only for the purpose of saturation, it can be quite difficult to detect them. Next, we will look at how common parasite infestation is, the causes and symptoms of infection, and also what to do if fleas appear in guinea pigs.

Diagnostics

You can identify fleas yourself. They can be seen with the naked eye on the face and belly of a rodent. If you comb the fur with a single-row comb with fine, frequent teeth, insect excrement will remain on it in the form of small brown lumps, as well as dead or live individuals. Parasites are easier to spot on light-coated animals.

If diagnosed by a veterinarian, he takes a scraping from the skin of a rodent for examination.

Mumps can have several diseases at the same time, for example:

• allergic dermatosis;
• ectoparasites;
• streptococcal infection;
• neurodermatitis;
• mycoses.

Any of these factors, as well as metabolic disorders and poor nutrition, can cause itching, sore skin, and hair loss.

To determine the presence of the disease, a scraping is taken from the skin of the animal.

Reasons for the appearance

Static lice are spread by direct animal contact. The parasites also settle in sawdust and hay, which are added to the cage during harvesting. May also appear in food packaging that has not been sealed.

The maximum risk of infection is manifested in the cold season (late autumn and winter), when the animal's coat becomes thicker, the undercoat grows more actively.

To prevent contamination, clean the cage more often and use proven bedding materials.

What symptoms indicate the presence of fleas

Signs that an animal is bitten by fleas are as follows:

• redness and peeling of the skin, bite marks (usually on the abdomen) in the form of red dots;
• the pig behaves restlessly, shakes its head, itches, eats poorly, becomes less active;
• hair loss may occur in the place where insects accumulate.

Insects pierce the skin and drink blood. The bites are painful, and there are no anesthetic substances in the saliva. In the affected areas, the skin becomes inflamed, itchy, and hurts when scratching.

From flea bites, red spots appear on the pig's skin.

Testimonials

Lily, 38:

I got infected with two pigs at once. When combing, I found excrement, most likely fleas. Since I was at the dacha, there was no way to show the animals to the veterinarian right away. As soon as I returned to the city, I went to the nearest veterinary clinic. Ivermectin was prescribed there. After the first treatment, the parasites disappeared. I wiped bite wounds with Chlorophyllipt (solution). It disinfects well, relieves itching.

Ksenia, 29:

My pig has got fleas. I found the drug Insectal via the Internet. It is from fleas in birds and rodents. I recommend to everyone. This is a spray. I applied it to the pet, gently lifting the fur.The instructions say that it is better not to apply to the spine. There the pig can lick it off. There is also an age limit - from 6 months. After the first treatment, the fleas disappeared. So that they do not appear again from the eggs, I re-processed it after 10 days. One day after the direct treatment, the animal must be washed.

Watch a video about parasites in guinea pigs:

What other parasites can pigs get?

Several types of parasites can appear on pigs:

1. Ticks. Sources of infection are other animals, human skin and clothing, poorly washed feed. First, mites colonize the scalp, back and sides, then the whole body. Depending on the species, they settle on the surface of the skin or in depth, eating out passages in the tissues. They cause severe itching. The animal traumatizes itself with constant scratching, experiences stress, comes to exhaustion. A pregnant female may have a miscarriage.
2. Lice. Insects are yellowish in color, smaller than fleas. Infection occurs through contact with other animals or through bedding. Lice bite into the skin and feed on the substances that are released. This causes itching, redness, crusting and papules. With severe infestation, the hair around the ears and in the lower abdomen becomes dull. Parasites lay white eggs on the hairs - nits. Lice living on guinea pigs are species-specific. They cannot be transmitted to humans.
3. Vlasoedy. These are yellowish-gray worms up to 1 mm long. They firmly adhere to the body of the animal with the help of 3 pairs of legs and reproduce quickly: 1 female simultaneously lays about 70 eggs (nits). They feed on particles of the epidermis and hair, polluting the skin and gnawing the hairs. Causes skin irritation, dermatitis and hair loss. Sources of infection - sick pigs, sawdust, untightly packaged feed. For humans, lice are not dangerous.

Mites can be detected by laboratory examination of a skin scraping or on a bedding mat. They look like small dots (hungry insects are gray, and those who have drunk blood are red-brown).

Lice and lice can bring a lot of unpleasant moments to your pets.

Prophylaxis

Since the infection of guinea pigs comes from other pets, all pets should be periodically treated with insecticides.

Features of the American Teddy guinea pig breed.

Cell cleanliness plays an important role. Regular cleaning, changing the litter, disinfecting the feeder and drinking bowl are important points in caring for your guinea pig. The pet's home is also washed with the addition of an insecticide. The smell of the drug will scare away fleas and ticks.

Methods for removing parasites

For treatment are used:

1. Shampoo. It is applied when bathing on wet fur and rubbed all over the body so that it does not get into the eyes and ears. The product must be washed off well. When it enters the body, the digestion of animals is disturbed. With the same shampoo, you need to wash the cage and the place near it, change the bedding. The procedure is repeated after 10 days to kill the larvae. Choosing this method of treatment, one must take into account that the pigs are afraid of water and experience stress when bathing.
2. Spray. The jet is directed to the skin against hair growth. Most drugs have an unpleasant odor, so the treatment is best done on the balcony or outdoors. The pig should be handled while the spray dries so that it does not lick off the medication.
3. Drops. The dose is drawn into a syringe, the needle is removed, the fur is pushed apart and dripped onto the skin, but not onto the wounds. You need to hold the animal for about 10-15 minutes on your hands until the product is completely absorbed.
4. Injections. Subcutaneously at the withers.

Basic rules of treatment:

• at the same time you need to process the wool of all pets;
• disinfect the cages and bedding every 3 days (they must always be dry);
• you cannot use several different drugs at the same time;
• preparations Neostamazan, Ethnomazan, Stomazan, Butoks are not used for pigs (they can only be used to treat surfaces - cages, bedding and other equipment).

The cage should be cleaned every three days.
Used against fleas:

• drops - Advocate, Blohnet, Stronghold, which can be combined with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial drugs;
• shampoo "Nizoral" and others containing pyrethritis;
• sprays - 8 in 1, Frontline, Bolfo.

Do not exceed the dose - this can lead to poisoning of the mumps. It is better to buy special preparations for rodents. When using medicines intended for kittens, 0.1 ml of Advocate or 6 ml of Stronghold is taken per 1 kg of the pig's weight.

Use flea drops in conjunction with antimicrobial drugs.

The above sprays and drops are used against ticks according to the same scheme, as well as preparations for injections:

1. Ivermectin. Per kg of weight, 0.02 ml of the drug is combined with 0.2 ml of saline. The tool is considered difficult to use, since it is difficult to calculate the dose and measure it, and exceeding it is dangerous for the pig's brain.
2. Otodectin (variation with 0.1% ivermectin) at the rate of 0.2 ml / kg.

Injections are given once every 10 days, only 2-4 injections (depending on the degree of damage). Ivermectin is applied to the inflamed skin areas 2-3 times a day. The cage should be washed with a solution containing chlorine, and the litter should be changed.

Scraping test results are positive only in 45-50% of diseases, therefore, the same treatment can be prescribed in case of suspicion of tick infection with negative scraping results. The effect is observed within 3-4 weeks.

Often, tick infestation is aggravated by the appearance of a fungus. It primarily affects the scalp, neck and extremities. He is treated with Chlorhexidine, Lamizin, etc.

We make injections into the withers of the animal.

For lice and lice help:

• sprays Bars, Celandine, Bolfo, Dana, Akaramectin;
• Ivermectin injections (if there are many parasites);
• drops Advantiks, Frontline, Advocate.

If nits are present, repeat the treatment after 2 weeks. Insecticides kill only adults.

The least toxic preparations based on pyrethrin, such as 8 in 1 sprays and Beaphar. They can be used to treat pregnant, lactating females and babies weighing up to 500 g.

Flea and lice sprays only kill adults, not nits.

Seeing your veterinarian for help

Well no

Preventive actions

The cage should be kept clean and cleaned regularly. It should be washed once a week, and all the equipment in it is washed in the same way. It is imperative to change the litter. You can consult your veterinarian to recommend shampoo for prevention. If the guinea pig goes out for walks, then protective drugs should be used, but they should be designed specifically for them. After a walk, always examine the mumps, most often the blood-sucking ones are in the area of ​​the tummy, ears, armpits.

Pay more attention to your favorites, watch their behavior. An attentive owner will immediately notice changes in the behavior of his pet. When the blood-sucking ones are found immediately, then the treatment will pass quickly and unnoticed by the pet. It should be understood that parasite attacks bring very big trouble to guinea pigs, and insecticide treatment is a real test for a small organism.

If cats or dogs live in the apartment, then it is also important to apply treatment in the early stages of infection. Fleas adapt very well to new conditions and can settle in a huge colony in an apartment, since they do not need much time to reproduce. There is already a danger for the owners themselves, since they can attack people. To cope with a large population, it will be necessary to carry out treatment of premises.

Regarding the reviews of those owners who used treatment against fleas, it is not known about difficult situations. The main thing is to consult a specialist and not resort to self-medication.

Human lice infestation

On this score, the opinions of experts were divided. As a result of research, some scientists have found that the parasite can settle on any hair surface of an animal and a person.

When parasites appear, a person experiences irritation, itching, and bald areas of the scalp appear. Method of treatment - drugs for lice.

Other scientists are sure that the owner of the mumps cannot become infected for the following reasons:

• Lack of hair density.
• Body temperature too low. For existence and reproduction, Vlaso-eaters need a body temperature, like that of animals, not lower than 37.4-39.3.
• When it comes into contact with the skin, the parasite bites, but it cannot live long and will die after 7 days, leaving no offspring. However, an infected animal should not come into contact with children and the elderly. Their immunity is weak and interactions can lead to dermatitis.

Mites

There are two types of mites on guinea pigs - subcutaneous and scabies. Each has characteristic features in both manifestation and treatment.

The differences of this type of mite lie in the fact that they are capable of causing the strongest itching of the animal's skin. The danger for the animal lies in the fact that not only the blood will be infected: the animal can also die due to a stressful condition. The main symptoms of a subcutaneous mite infestation include the following:

• itchy skin;
• severe hair loss;
• redness and dryness of the skin;
• high fever, chills;
• refusal to eat in whole or in part.

The primary lesion of the guinea pig includes the head, back, sides and shoulders. But if you do not pay attention to the problem in time, they can settle throughout the body of the animal, causing even greater discomfort. It is even worse if a pregnant female has become infected with the parasites. In this case, there is a risk of miscarriages and complications during pregnancy.

Along with injections, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the cage with a solution containing sulphide or chlorine.

Fur type mite

Differences from the previous species are that it settles, as a rule, on the surface of the skin. Symptoms of infection with an ailment in an animal are similar to previous species. Only peeling of the skin is also observed. Refusal of water and anxiety of the animal are typical symptoms of a tick. With a strong infection, painful sores may appear on the skin, and the hair will begin to fall out in an increased mode.

Worms

Due to the fact that the main property of this group of parasites is the absorption of nutrients from the blood of the animal, this can lead to exhaustion. Usually tape and round parasites settle on guinea pigs. The larvae of worms of this type are dangerous not only for the animal, but also for the owner. With a strong infection, you can see in the stool not only the larvae of worms, but also quite adult individuals with the naked eye. The animal is characterized by sluggish behavior, drowsiness and decreased appetite. If the infection is very strong, the parasites crawling out of the anus can also be seen with the naked eye.

With a mild infection, you can give the animal a suspension of prazicide for kittens. The amount is calculated at the rate of 1 g per 1 kg of animal weight. Dirofen paste has a good reputation among veterinarians. In the process of treating the animal with medications, you need to treat the cage and accessories with a chlorine-containing solution.

Varieties of lice

Oddly enough, but the varieties of lice in pigs are quite numerous. In practice, in almost 99% of cases, only two types are found, and one more is diagnosed much less often:

• Usually, the "pigs" are parasitized by two types of lice: Gliricola porcelli and Gyropus ovalis.
• In extremely rare cases, parasites of the species Trimenopon hispidium can be found on the body of an animal.

The most characteristic species in G. Porcelli.Their body color is closer to yellowish, and therefore they are quite easy to notice. These parasites are rather long and when moving they noticeably "wriggle". They are usually found in the form of clusters in the area of ​​the eye sockets and around the hair roots.

G. Ovalis are more compact in shape (as their name suggests), but in all other respects they are very similar to the previous species.

Trimenopon hispidium, this type of lice is extremely small and most often they are simply not noticed. However, in cases of severe invasions, large accumulations of these parasites can be seen, vaguely resembling the smallest spiders.

Hepatic fluke

This type of parasite is considered not only the most common, but also the most dangerous. They are commonly found in mammals. Usually, an animal becomes infected with such parasites either through poor-quality food or using unfiltered water. Symptoms of infection with this parasite include the following phenomena:

• loss of appetite;
• drowsiness;
• lethargy;
• increased body temperature.

Within a month, the symptoms may completely disappear, but this does not mean that the parasites have left the animal's body. Due to the gradual destruction of liver tissue, the work of the digestive tract will be disrupted, and the body will be depleted. Often, due to the harmful effects of the parasite, the animal dies.

Due to the careless handling of the animal by the owner, the presence of hidden parasites often causes the death of the animal. Worry should be shown with itching and hair loss from the skin of the animal.

What I'm a master at is talking incessantly about hamsters. I have three hamsters at home, and my husband has a pet rat. So we live, eat with six, sleep with six :)