Are they mites?

nic0lala on January 21st 2012, 10:28 pm

Hello guys! New APH owner!

Got my APH on Thursday and have been doing quite a lot of research on how to take care of my baby!

She's only 8 weeks old (apparently) I got her from a pet shop, I've noticed she has a few quills missing on the top of her head between her ears (literally)..
So I obviously started to get a bit paranoid encase something is wrong.

I read up about mites...
So I laid down a black bin liner and placed her ontop rubbing my hands gentle along her quills.
I noticed a lot of what seemed white dots on the bin liner - not moving - but appeared to be flakes? dry skin?
I'm so confused.
Do you think the tiny tiny white flakey dots are mites?

Gonna take her for her first visit to the vet either tomorrow if I can get an appointment or Monday evening, but need some reassurance.

Zangetsu on January 21st 2012, 10:42 pm

Both of my hogs have a stripe of no quills in between their 'visor quills' which as far as I know is pretty comon.

If you got the hog from a pet shop then the hogs diet might not have been the best so it probably just has a case of dry skin, if you could get a picture and upload theres plenty of people on here who know significantly more than me who could tell you for sure if it is effectivly just dandruff or if it could be mites.

If its around 8 weeks too then its probably either quilling or getting ready to do so, so unless you start to see massive quill loss and patch's showing then this is pretty normal too. Smile

nic0lala on January 21st 2012, 10:53 pm

Can't post a link or image as only been a member for a day...

She has a lot of dirty quills... I want to bath her but making sure I'm doing the right thing first encase she has got mites..

Jamiioo on January 21st 2012, 11:27 pm

You could always treat her for mites as a precaution if you are worried that she might have? x

miffy on January 22nd 2012, 8:27 am

The bald stripe between the ears is common, mine has the same thing.

The white dots, it might just be dry skin, perhaps give her a bath with some aveeno, that will help for dry skin. blush

You done the right thing in asking.

ravensgirl on January 22nd 2012, 8:33 am

Give her a bath with aveeno oil as it wont do her any harm but will help her skin if she is quilling a bit. Let us know how she gets on at the vets :-)

Redswife on January 22nd 2012, 9:32 am

Holly has a bald patch in the centre of her head also like this?

Holly was rescued from a pet shop also and i still suffer with flakey skin. When i took her to the vets he said unfortunatly it could be something she always has due to her diet and care in the pet shop. The best thing you can do is bath with aveeno or olive/vegetable oil to ease their skin and fingers crossed it will get better.

As Jamiioo stated you should treat her for mites anyway. First treatment i took holly for the jab at the vets. However i now use Beaphur for guinea pigs and rabbits on her and porridge every four weeks.

Hope this helps xx

happyhogs on January 22nd 2012, 11:23 am

The bald stripe on your hog's head is not just 'common'....every single hog has this...it is what allows them to flex their quills around their head when balling or visoring so is nothing to worry about at all. The flakes just sound like dry skin and as mentioned, you could bathe your hog and add aveeno oil or even olive or vitamin E oil to the water. You can also add a couple of drops of olive oil to food which will also help keep skin moist and supple.

If you want to avoid actual bathing, you can use 'One Cal' cooking spray and apply it directly to the quills....just a couple of 'pumps' every few weeks but if you do decide to treat for mites, give hoggie a bath so she's nice and clean and the skin is free from debris....allowing the mite treatment to be properly absorbed and meaning you have a clean hog....as once you have mite treated, you can't bath her for four weeks x

Redswife on January 22nd 2012, 11:45 am

happyhogs wrote:The bald stripe on your hog's head is not just 'common'....every single hog has this...it is what allows them to flex their quills around their head when balling or visoring so is nothing to worry about at all. The flakes just sound like dry skin and as mentioned, you could bathe your hog and add aveeno oil or even olive or vitamin E oil to the water. You can also add a couple of drops of olive oil to food which will also help keep skin moist and supple.

If you want to avoid actual bathing, you can use 'One Cal' cooking spray and apply it directly to the quills....just a couple of 'pumps' every few weeks but if you do decide to treat for mites, give hoggie a bath so she's nice and clean and the skin is free from debris....allowing the mite treatment to be properly absorbed and meaning you have a clean hog....as once you have mite treated, you can't bath her for four weeks x

That reminds me, flax seed oil is good in there food too, a fellow hogger recommended it to me and i havent looked back!

Four weeks? the vet told me i could do it two days later? xx

nic0lala on January 22nd 2012, 12:14 pm

Thanks guys! She's booked in at the vets for 14:15 so not long now, just getting ready and we shall be on our way.

I have noticed she's sleeping an aweful lot which is a worry to me, usually there's evidence she's been out at night when there's urine on the wheel and poops by the wheel...

But none tonight, and no sign of movement...
Checked her bed gently and she started to make the russling shivery noice as if to say she was threating... I think perhaps I'm a little over cautious with her as she's my first hog but the again what kind of owner would I be if I didn't worry?

Anyway, shall put these items you've all recommended on a shopping list and shall get hunting for them. I'm off to pet's at home so shall keep my eyes peeled.

If it's okay with the vet, I shall bath her tonight - first bath I've given her and I'm VERY nervous.

OH & YESSS! the gap between the quills is exactly the same as the image above! Thanks guys! Smile

Are they mites?

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