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

Question

Hello, I have two new guinea pigs (females), they are three months old and I got them at the store. I have them on fleece. I don't know when this started, but they are scratching and biting themselves quite a lot. I tried to check them and I think I saw a little dried skin and one has a little dandruf. Is it because of the new bedding? Do you think I should use coconut oil and rub it to their skin? It would be great if you could advise me because the vets are expensive and I have two of them.

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

Congratulations on your new guinea pigs! The most common cause of itching and dried skin in a new guinea pig would be mites (more common) or lice of the skin. Unfortunately you usually will not be able to see these with the naked eye and a vet will need to check your guinea pigs over and do a skin scrape to check for the parasites. In the US we most commonly use a product called Revolution to treat these parasites, but it is prescription only and also requires the guinea pigs to be accurately weighed to determine the safe dose. For these reasons, unfortunately, I would not recommend rubbing coconut oil on their skin. It could cause further irritation and delaying treatment could result in more expense if skin lesions appear and become infected.

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

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