[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Ivermectin, mites, fungus and skin scrapings

[warmbreath at comcast.net]

this is a message that Ann Evans posted as you can see on 2/26/2010 avail in 
archive , She is a volunteer vet tech advisor at a Vet in Florida.  This is 
their protocol for mites, here is part of her post  Sandy
 Regarding treating for mange mites. Their is a difference between
 preventative "worming" or treating for ecto and endo-parasites and
 treating for an outbreak of parasites.

 If your piggy has an outbreak of mange mites all of the piggys that have
 been in contact with it will have to be treated with 1.0% Ivermectin
 solution. Do not try using diluted horse paste. This is a very potent
 drug and you must get the dose correct. All dosing is done orally. It
 can be done by subcutaneous injection. For cavies 3 months or younger
 use 0.1 ml, adult cavies  give 0.2 ml. On  day 1 give the first dose of
 Ivermectin and repeat this dose on day 10. Usually only 2 doses need to
 be given. Very rarely does a third dose have to be given. Skin scrapings
 are a waste of time, money and painful to your piggy. The female mites
 burrow under the skin and deposit eggs. The adults are only 0.2 mm long.
 The mites and their eggs and larva cause severe pain and
 inflammation.The male mites live on the skin. The cavy will scratch and
bite and self mutilate their skin in an attempt to rid themselves of the
 mites. This self mutilating behavior can cause fungal infections. Along
 with giving the 2 doses of 1.0% Ivermectin solution the cavy will also
 need to be bathed  in an anti-parasitic shampoo and an anti-fungal
 shampoo. I use Adams flea and tick shampoo with 0.15% pyrethrins or
 D-limonene. Do not use the shampoo that has flea egg growth regulator in
 it. Bath your cavy on Day 2,8 and 15 with the anti-parasitic shampoo.
 You will also need to shampoo your cavy once a week for 3 weeks in an
 anti-fungal shampoo. I used  Povidone Iodine solution also called
 Betadine Solution. You will find it in the first aid area of the
 pharmacy. I apply the Povidone Iodine solution directly to the area
 where the cavy has been scratching, biting or self mutilating. I also
 make up a 50:50 solution with water and a squirt of shampoo. I use this
 solution to bathe the cavy's entire body. Try to leave on the solution
 for at least 5 minutes. Bathe on day 3, 9 and 16 with the anti-fungal
 shampoo. You can use Nizoral shampoo instead of the Povidone, though I
 have found the povidone solution to be far more effective.
 I hopes this helps. I am not a vet. This information is what I learned
 from the Cambridge Cavy trust.
Cheers, > Ann and the Rescued Piggys of Piggyville, Tampa Florida USA.