[Gpdd] Health: ingestation of tea tree oil

[Leila Baldridge]

Sasha,
Please tell your friend to get her piggie seen immediately by an exotics vet experienced in treating piggies. Lice are easily treated by a drug called Ivermectin which can be given orally or by injection. There is no way to tell if the piggie is in pain from the lice ( parasites can cause such severe itching that the poor piggie can go into seizures and die), from the bleach that could have been ingested accidentally from the comb, or from the tea tree oil. I am not familiar with using tea tree oil--perhaps someone else on the digest is--but even if it is safe in small amounts it might be quite toxic if licked off the skin in larger amounts. But at any rate, piggies are very good at hiding pain--once they are showing signs of illness, it may require emergency attention to save the piggie's life.
Sending best wishes for the piggie's recovery!
Leila and the 5 Little Pigs