Joined
·
14 Posts
Hi! I have not posted on here for a while but I have a question concerning my three year old male, Moriarty. A few months ago, Moriarty contracted mites from, what we suspect, was a bad batch of bedding. I work at a vets office and my boss is an exotic pets DR. as well. We treated him and got him back to normal. I switched bedding and things were going well. Then, three weeks ago, I was giving him his weekly bath and noticed that he had them again! I had checked him the previous week during his last bath and saw nothing, cleaned his cage, and kept up with his schedule. I had not been able to play with him as much because we are currently working on a new house to move into, so I would clean his wheel, feed him, and scoop out the soiled litter while he slept, so I had not noticed the new infestation until a week later. I was so annoyed and frustrated that I felt like a terrible owner and wanted to cry. I took him back to work and we treated him again, (this time with Revolution) and my boss said I should switch bedding again and keep him on a monthly prevention of Revolution to keep away anything. I decided to take him off of bedding completely.
Prior to the second bout of mites, I had him in a three level ferret cage and on the soft recycled newspaper bedding. Fearing that the mites had infested the cage (I bleached it out the previous time but I decided to give him a completely fresh start this time) I threw it out, which I didn't want to do because it was 112 dollars, and moved him into a one level guinnea pig cage. The old one was bigger, but it was a pain to clean and the ramps and tubes leading to the shelves were slowly breaking and getting harder to maintain. The new cage is smaller, but big enough for his wheel, toys, food dishes and his tree house. I took him off of the bedding completely and switched to puppy pads that I will switch out daily and a fluffy blanket that I will wash and switch daily as well. He doesn't seem too upset by the change so far.
My question is this, if I keep him on the Revolution, keep his cage clean (even though I did before) wash his blankets daily, and keep up with his weekly baths, could I prevent any future bouts of mites? Also, we are only a month away from moving and there is a HUGE backyard. I am currently putting in flower beds and gardens. I want to find a shady spot, fence it in, and put some fun and cute things in it. Over turned pots, wooden tunnels, and such and make it into a little habitat for him. Not to stay in, but for nice days that are not too hot or cool for him to play in when I am outside in the garden and keeping an eye on him. I figured the Revolution would help keep away any pests and he could catch up on excersize he will lose without the larger cage. And on days he can't go outside, he will be handled and have run of the kitchen like he always does.
Do you think these new changes and ideas are okay? I know he is older and the life span is only a few more years, but I want him to stay happy.
Prior to the second bout of mites, I had him in a three level ferret cage and on the soft recycled newspaper bedding. Fearing that the mites had infested the cage (I bleached it out the previous time but I decided to give him a completely fresh start this time) I threw it out, which I didn't want to do because it was 112 dollars, and moved him into a one level guinnea pig cage. The old one was bigger, but it was a pain to clean and the ramps and tubes leading to the shelves were slowly breaking and getting harder to maintain. The new cage is smaller, but big enough for his wheel, toys, food dishes and his tree house. I took him off of the bedding completely and switched to puppy pads that I will switch out daily and a fluffy blanket that I will wash and switch daily as well. He doesn't seem too upset by the change so far.
My question is this, if I keep him on the Revolution, keep his cage clean (even though I did before) wash his blankets daily, and keep up with his weekly baths, could I prevent any future bouts of mites? Also, we are only a month away from moving and there is a HUGE backyard. I am currently putting in flower beds and gardens. I want to find a shady spot, fence it in, and put some fun and cute things in it. Over turned pots, wooden tunnels, and such and make it into a little habitat for him. Not to stay in, but for nice days that are not too hot or cool for him to play in when I am outside in the garden and keeping an eye on him. I figured the Revolution would help keep away any pests and he could catch up on excersize he will lose without the larger cage. And on days he can't go outside, he will be handled and have run of the kitchen like he always does.
Do you think these new changes and ideas are okay? I know he is older and the life span is only a few more years, but I want him to stay happy.