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

Ann Evans ann.evans at hintlink.com
Tue Feb 16 13:04:29 EST 2010


Dear GPDD Family,
I am having my home remodeled. I am living in a construction zone and 
will be living in this mess until the second week of April. That is if 
everything goes well. Thankfully the piggys have a caviary. I am 
thinking of moving in with them. I will try to keep up with the digest 
the best that I can.
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.




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