[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Fur lice, mange mites, and parasites

[Ann Evans]

Dear Ellen and the GPDD Family,

I am a pharmaceutical scientist as well as a rodentologists who has 
operated a cavy rescue home for over 25 years. I am also a long term 
student of Vedra Stanley-Spatcher of the Cambridge Cavy Trust. I plan on 
sitting my British Association of Rodentology (BAR) Exams in June 2011. 
The Icelandic volcano eruptions interfered in me taking my BAR exams 
this past May. I volunteer as a cavy health advisor at Dr. Frank 
Bonsack's veterinary surgery. I see between 10-15 patients/week as well 
as being on 24 hour call. I always have mixed feelings when I post about 
giving medications. I am writing to an international audience with 
varying backgrounds in education and experiences. Also in other 
countries different words are used for the same thing such as cc (cubic 
centimeters) = mL (milliliters). Drug names are also different in each 
country. That is why I put the generic name next to the brand name for 
example Panacur = fenbendazole. Fenbendazole is the active ingredient in 
Panacur. You can use instead of Panacur 2.5% Valbazen. Albendazole is 
the generic name of the active ingredient in Valbazen. I always use 2.5% 
Panacur. It is very important that you understand the units and 
concentrations of the drugs that you give your cavies. IVERMECTIN WILL 
KILL YOUR CAVY if you give too much. All veterinarians in the USA have 
1.0% Ivermectin for injection. They also have Panacur for worming dogs. 
The concentration of Panacur you need to use for cavies is 2.5%. A 2.5% 
suspension of Panacur is equivalent to a 25 mg/ml of Panacur. You 
administer 0.4 mL orally of the Panacur. Therefor the dose of Panacur 
you are administering is 0.4 mL x 25 mg/mL = 10 mg of Fenbendazole.

Ivomec either regular or super contains 1.0% Ivermectin for injection. 
It is given orally. It can also be given subcutaneously. It is used to 
treat lice and mange mites as well as some internal parasites. The 
protocol developed by Vedra Stanley-Spatcher to treat mange mites and 
fur lice is to give orally 0.1 ml to cavies that are 3 months old. For 
cavies that are 6 months old and older 0.2 mL of 1.0% Ivermectin can be 
used. The treatment is to be repeated on day 10. In addition the cavy 
must be shampooed in an anti-parasitic shampoo like Lice & Easy, Vet 
Select or Adams flea and tick shampoo containing 0.15% pyrethrins but no 
flea egg growth regulator or Adams shampoo with D-Limonene. The shampoo 
must be left on for 10 minutes. Wrap the cavy in a towel after you have 
lathered it up including working lather into the ears. Rinse with warm 
water and towel dry. The shampooing must be repeated on day 8, 15 and 
21. Then shampoo once a month. The purpose of the shampoo is to kill 
adults and remove the sticky eggs. Also wash the cage and the entire 
contents of the cage thoroughly and put fresh bedding in before putting 
your freshly bathed cavy back into the cage.

To complete the treatment for both external and internal parasites Vedra 
recommends to give one dose of 0.4 mL of 2.5% Panacur. Every 3 months 
your cavy should be routinely wormed with 0.1 mL or 0.2 mL of 1.0% 
Ivermectin and 0.4 mL of 2.5% Panacur.

Now in the USA we have a much larger variety of parasites then what is 
found in the United Kingdom. Also out fruits and vegetables are grown 
primarily in Mexico, central and south America. Therefore, our cavies 
are subjected to a greater chance of parasitic infestation. I was taught 
in 1980 to worm my cavies from a breeder who has 250 cavies and sells 
her cavies worldwide. She taught me that the first time she treats her 
cavies for parasites at the age of 3 months that she gives the 2 doses 
of Ivermectin, the second dose 10 to 14 days after the first dose. 
Additionally she gives 5 doses of 0.4 mL 2.5% Panacur. That is 0.4ml 
once a day for 5 days in a row. This is only for the initial treatment 
for internal and external parasites. She also does this with any new 
stock she gets in that is in quarantine along with the baths with the 
Adams shampoo for flea and ticks.

At Dr. Frank Bonsack's office I see cavies of all ages, with multiple 
parasitic infections so for the initial parasitic treatment we give the 
2 doses of Ivermectin and the 5 doses of Panacur. Along with the baths 
this treatment protocol has saved many cavies lives and we have never 
seen any ill effects. Also in Quesenberry and Carpenter's book Ferrets, 
Rabbits and Rodents they recommend to give 20 mg of Panacur for 5 days 
in a row. We are only using half that dose. Vedra's protocol has been 
used for 30 years at the Guinea Pig Hospital in Cambridge.

Please if you have any questions contact me or your veterinarian. I can 
not stress how important that the amount of Ivermectin you will be 
giving is literally a tiny dose. 0.1 mL = 1 to 2 drops of 1.0% Ivermectin.

I am not a vet and my advice should not take the place of consulting 
with a qualified veterinarian.


Cheers,

Ann and the Rescued Piggys of Piggyville, Tampa Florida USA.