How do guinea pigs get lice

They are flattened insects with no wings and are considered biting lice -- they abrade the skin to obtain fluid. Gliricola porcelli are light colored white to pale yellow , wriggly insects which can easily be seen moving through the fur near the skin and in heavy infestations, around the eyes. A third species of lice, trimenopon hispidium , are very rare; light infestations easily overlooked; heavy infestations cause alopecia and rough coat because of excessive scratching.

Bedding materials which have not been in contact with a guinea pig, such as hay or shavings from a feed store, will not contain lice. As with mites, weakened or young individuals will suffer the most. Thanks to PinkRufus for her Gliricola porcelli lice sketches. Your vet can prescribe safe insecticides to remove them. First, the good news. The type of lice that infest your guinea pig won't chew on you or family members, as lice tend to be species-specific.

These minute, wingless creatures live on your guinea pig's hair shafts, laying eggs, or nits, that also attach to the hair. Although two different types of lice can infest guinea pigs, both are chewing pests that bite into the skin and live off your pet's bodily fluids. You might not notice a mild lice infestation of your pet, but if he's heavily afflicted, that's another story.

Your guinea pig itches constantly and might go bald in spots. Skin around his head, ears and neck becomes inflamed.

Both mites and lice are very uncomfortable and can even be painful to your guinea pig though so you'll want to prevent them, or get rid of them, as soon as possible. Guinea pigs that don't regularly visit other guinea pigs live in a very isolated environment, therefore there are typically two ways in which your guinea pig can get lice.

Prepackaged food and bedding materials, even if they are not made of natural materials, can harbor lice and be brought into your house from pet stores. The best way to prevent bringing lice into your guinea pig's home is to freeze its food and bedding for 24 hours before putting it into its cage or the room where the cage is.

Freezing the products will kill any lice or mites that were brought in from the store or warehouse. If your guinea pig is never exposed to lice, it will never get it. Guinea pigs that visit other guinea pigs or go to areas that have other guinea pigs such as rescue facilities and shelters, show rings, pet stores, or even to a friend's house are more susceptible to picking up lice. These areas are absent of fur so it makes it easiest to see any parasites here but lice may be present anywhere on your guinea pig if they have them.

If you handle guinea pigs that are not your own, make sure you wash your hands between handling them and your own guinea pigs.

This will help prevent you from bringing lice to your guinea pig. Regular cage cleanings are another way to help prevent lice infestations or at least cut down on the severity of them. Guinea Pigs. Veterinary Manual , No matter how well you care for your guinea pig and how clean you keep the environment, lice and mites commonly make themselves at home on your guinea pig's body.

And reproduce. And reproduce some more, until your poor cavy is itching, biting at her skin, shedding, and irritable. They can also be spread through indirect contact bedding or clothing that has been tainted by the insects or eggs after holding an infested guinea pig.

Bedding, accessories, and food that has not been in contact with a carrier will not contain or spread guinea pig mites or lice. The mange mite is the most common parasite that likes to infest our poor piggies. Mites can't be seen with the naked eye, but their symptoms are fairly obvious. They can cause extreme itching, dandruff, skin irritation and scabs, and even seizures. While it may seem logical to bathe a guinea pig with parasites, bathing a guinea pig with mites can cause them to burrow deeper, increase irritation, and make treatment more difficult.

Unless a medicated shampoo is prescribed by your exotic vet, hold off on bathing a guinea pig suffering from mites until the little demons are under control and your guinea pig is feeling more comfortable.

It's fairly easy to distinguish mites from lice. Lice causes itching also, but you are able to see the creepy crawlies without the aid of a microscope. Part the guinea pig's hair and examine the base of the hair shaft and skin. Lice will look like little white or pale yellow worms wiggling about. A flashlight can help diagnose lice, especially on guinea pigs with lighter skin and hair. Guinea pig parasites are gross, annoying, and inconvenient, but don't worry Lice and mites on guinea pigs are species-specific.

Microscopic mites can be hard to spot, even through skin scrapings. The vet will likely diagnose the guinea pig based on symptoms itching, hair loss, skin irritation, etc.