My guinea pig is scratching. Is it mites? Can I use coconut oil?

It's not likely to be fleas (not common in guinea pigs and you would usually see them) , it's more likely to be mites, which are tiny creatures that you cannot see with the naked eye. you will need to buy a treatment against mites, you can find those at pet shops and veterinary clinics.

Poor Foxy, mites are a common reason for guinea pigs to scratch incessantly. I am not aware of a safe over the counter product that works for them. My experience has been to use a spot of Revolution (selamectin) onto the skin. Or a drop of ivermectin injectable which is also off label use. The treatment is repeated weekly until no further itching.

I would highly recommend taking baby to a vet for a good exam. Young guinea pigs can have skin mites like scabies and this needs to be addressed by a veterinarian. Certain skin mites can also be contagious to people so please monitor yourself for itching. Allergies, skin infections and fungal disease can also cause itchy skin. I hope that helps

Hello, and thank you for your question. It is possible for bedding to cause itchiness if the pet is allergic to the material, or if the bag of litter carried parasites such as mites. I would suggest using a paper-based bedding such as Care Fresh: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/carefresh-natural-pet-bedding It may also be a good idea to swap out the bag of bedding altogether for a new one, and thoroughly disinfect the cage with soap and water in case of parasites. Of course, the itchiness could also be unrelated to the bedding, so if the itchiness does not improve after making these changes, I would recommend visiting your veterinarian for a further workup. They may perform a skin scraping and provide medication if they suspect a bacterial infection. I hope this helps, and that Robert feels better soon!

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Guinea pigs can get bacterial infections, skin mites and ringworm (which you can get as well). It’s hard to say which is present without seeing your veterinarian. Certainly if you see both pigs get lesions or if you start noticing skin issues then you need to take them in. At home you can wash the areas in antibacterial hand soap- rinse it well and be careful not to get it in their eyes, ears or mouth. You can then apply just a dap of coconut oil and rub it in very well. Try to watch her afterwards to make sure she doesn’t lick it off. Change the cage frequently and make sure she is getting plenty of vitamin C. If it worsens, then have her seen by the veterinarian. I hope this helps!!!

Hi, he could have mites. I would suggest your ring your local vets to have him checked over and if anything else is excluded you could treat him with drops on the back of the neck for mites. Hope this helps !