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Post by allisonwonderland on Oct 11, 2011 4:16:06 GMT
So I got my girls at the pet shop that I work at. I bought them the same day that they came in from the breeder that we usually get our pigs from. We checked them over thoroughly (or so we thought) before we took them (as we always do to assure they are in good health and are not sick/inbred) but a few day later we noticed mites on all the new ones that came in that day. I don't know how we missed them! We separated them from the "general population" of the small animal room, treated the cages and the pigs and the problem was quickly and easily contained (so that it would not spread and we could start getting the infected piggies better as soon as possible). I work at a very good shop. We pride ourselves on being pet professionals, not just cashiers. It is unusual for us to have issues like this, as we have never had any problems like this with this breeder in the past and we really honest to god thoroughly check incoming animals.
My question is this: after work I checked my girls for mites as I was SURE that they must have them (if the others they came in with did) But NO mites! Not one mite! How is this possible? Am I just not seeing them or is it possible that they aren't there?
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Post by piggylover on Oct 11, 2011 10:26:11 GMT
Guineas get mite from stress they carry them, not all guineas will suffer, so all you can do is treat them to be on the safe side, so you can't blame your breeder for this mites happen, my one girl has got them from the weather change
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Post by Kayleigh on Oct 11, 2011 19:05:49 GMT
Im sorry but the above comment is incorrect.(unless im reading it wrong)
Mites are infact a living beastie that come in serveral forms. The two most common are the mange mite and general fur mites. Mites are microscopic and you can only see their faeces which usually show as small black/brown flecks in the coat. Its best to treat all animals that have had contact with the infected animals to ensure you get rid of the problem. A general dose of ivermectin will kill of mites ect.
Ensure you keep an eye on them for the following week or so. Look out for itchy looking pigs or ones scratching alot. I would personally treat them just to be on the safe side.
Kayleigh
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Post by Orlaith on Oct 11, 2011 19:18:32 GMT
I agree, it's a small thing to treat everyone just in case. You might have gotten lucky but it'll prevent any outbreaks. A lot of people treat with ivermectin every few months as a precaution so it'll do your pigs no harm to get it even if there are no mites. Are you sure they were mites and not lice? You can actually see lice moving if you look really closely. Lice are not as serious as mites and can be treated with a good lice shampoo like these. |
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Post by allisonwonderland on Oct 12, 2011 5:27:00 GMT
You know what? They WERE lice, idk why I said they were mites, I must not have been thinking when I wrote that. They look like super tiny, thin white worms at the base of the hair. So I believe they are running lice. Srry for the mix up! And on another note, please don't think we are one of those shops who don't take care of their animals properly/are ignorant of proper care/just want to make money. Ik I have a lot of questions on this forum but I do have considerable base knowledge of pigs/other animals and I am a VERY new employee at the shop so I have just started my training and I am learning a lot every day. Do not use how personally knowledgable I am at this point as representation of the average employee at my shop, as I am no where close to as experianced as I will be once I have been with the company for a bit longer. Aside from being a pig owner, that is part of the reason I joined this forum, so that I can use it as a tool to enhance my knowledge and apply it to my work. Our company has very high standards of its employees. Unlike a lot of pet stores (i.e large chains) who train their employees to work the register and sell certain key items for the corresponding animals, we are CONSTANTLY being trained about all manner of animals as there is ALWAYS more to learn and so that we can go above and beyond and truly be pet professionals (not just cashiers who sell animals as products). We are locally owned and operated and are not a huge chain. I do not want anything I said to make my company seem like a seedy place. I love my job and what my company stands for. Thanks.  |
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Post by allisonwonderland on Oct 12, 2011 5:37:14 GMT
Oh, also I have given both my girls a bath with Lice n' Easy today. (Our small animal manager had a bottle at the store because she swears it is the best and she let me take some home) In fact I spent most of the work day today giving Lice n' Easy baths to all the little piggies at the shop, it was so funny and some of them seemed to enjoy it (I wish it had been under better circumstances) : ) We are still keeping them quarantined until we are certain they are lice free. I am keeping an eye on the girls and will be checking them every day, but hopefully the baths I gave them will take care of any potential problems. Thank you!
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Post by Orlaith on Oct 12, 2011 9:47:16 GMT
It sounds like you and your shop are doing a great job with the piggies. Personally (and I'm sure other people will disagree) I don't consider lice to be a huge problem for pigs. I've had a few infestations myself, either from handling other people's pigs and not realising till after I'd handled mine that the other pigs had lice, or some of the pigs I've taken in have come with lice that had to be treated. I've never seen the pigs scratching with them and they've never gotten sores or anything from them. Two or three baths with lice n easy and a good brush with a fine-toothed comb has always sorted them out without any bother.
Mites, on the other hand, are a serious problem and can cause a lot of pain for your piggy. I would consider them a much bigger deal.
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Post by Kayleigh on Oct 12, 2011 20:44:05 GMT
It sounds like you are doing whats best.. Im glad youve caught it early. I have never *touch wood* had a lice problem. thank goodness. But i have however had one incident with mites. Luckily i caught it straight away as i was getting little bites. I managed to clean everyone and everything and got rid of them pretty quickly.
I now treat all my pigs every few months just to keep the critters away. I also dilute a solution and spray the hutches weekly with this just to be extra safe.
Kayleigh
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