How to determine and treat Mites investation on Guinea Pigs

Mites are parasites who always live with us and your pets like Guinea Pigs also. There is really no change to get rid of them. Mites are almost epiphenomenon because an outbreak occurs mostly if your Guinea Pig is not in healthy condition for some reason. Most common mites on Guinea Pigs are the Trixacarus caviae. To prevent an outbreak you have to ensure your cavies don’t get stressed out and stay healthy. A healthy cavy prevents an increase of the population of mites by its immune system.

If one of your Guinea Pigs has an outbreak you can treat it quite good if you spot it in time.

If one of you Pigs has a serious problem with mites you have to check the sourroundings. A high population of Mites which impaired your cavy is a good indicator that anything is not in tune with this pet. Try to break down stressors like to limited space or check for problems in hierarchy or fights for rank. Try not to cuddle your pigs and do not bath them – these are the commonest stressors and may result in serious problems like mites!

What are mites?

Mites are small arthropods and belongs to the class of Arachnida. They favored high organic matter and live everywhere with us and our pets. There is no way to completly defeat them you we need to live with them. Da healthy organism can fight aiganst mites by its own very good. The mite excrement can be dangerous for humans and trigger some serious allergy. For Guinea Pigs mites in high population become a problem for its immune system. It can not fight against there parasits anymore and untreated might will cause death of your cavy.

For Guinea Pigs there a couple of mites outthere:

The Guinea Pig mite Trixacarus caviae
These are the moste widespread form of mites which might infect you cavies. Trixacarus caviae always lay her ova inside the Guinea Pigs skin so you can not comb out an impact.
Fur mites
Fur mites habitat is – like the name tells you – the fur of your cavy. They are less aggressive and won’t affect your pet like trixacarus caviae do. They are leaving the skin untouched. For sure you have to fight them also a Guinea Pigs face an outbreak.

Mites are not a zoonotic disease like fleas and a transmission to other pets like cats and dogs is not probable but of course from one Guinea Pig to another happens. You should minimize contact to your infected cavy for preventive reasons anyway, and even more if you keep more than one cavy.

Mites on Guinea Pigs

As mentioned above mites always live on Guinea Pigs in small harmless populations primary on its back. If your pig is not in tune the immune system can not fight against the mites itselft and an outbreak occurs. If this happens the population of mites increases highly and the cavy can not defeat them. In very serious cases mites can completly paralyse the immune system and can kill your pet so you have treat it!

An increase of mite population is always a result of other problems the cavy has to face. You do not only need to fight against the mites itself – you also have to stop the primary problem.

What mite disease triggers for Guinea Pigs are

Stress
Find stressors like limited space, rank fights and try to eleminate the problem.
Other Disease
Mites are often a side effect of another disease. Check our Guinea Pig health check to find out whether your pig is sick or not.
Junk-Food
Guinea Pigs like and need good food rich in vitamins like you do! They won’t need junk food like (most kinds of) pellets. Check our Nutrition section and build up a nice diet.
Too less or too high cleanliness
Guinea Pigs need to live in good condition but it does not have to be sterile.

Treatment to defeat mites on Guinea Pigs

Fur mites can be handled with some organic spot-on product like Amerta quite good. These products will clogge their respiratory system and the mites will die. This kills not their ova so you have to repeat it after some days. This is more effortful but less detrimental for your cavy. Its fur will become greasy. This is normal and you should not bathe it.
Guinea Pig Mites are more aggressive and you need a more aggressive way to defeat them too. Ivomet / Ivomerctin will do a good job. Do not try to use spays or gels for other weightful animals like dogs. They often contain pesticides and a small organism like Guinea Pigs have can not handle that. It may cause death. We’ve had the best experience using Advocate from Bayer for small cats. This isn’t cheap but you have to use it only once.

General recommendations

Enrich water temporaily with vitamin c to help you cavy rebuild up a strong immune system. (A healthy Guinea Pig with well balanced diet does not need additional vitamin c).
Separate the infected Guinea Pig temporaily from others if you notice problems in hierarchy. Sick Guinea Pigs are often a reason for fights of rank in your group.
Separation will prevent epedemic as well.
Of course: Go to a veterinarian!