[HedgieJustice]

okay, so ive been reading, and apparantly alot of people say that you'll get a mite outbreak sooner or later, how do you go about handling a mite outbreak situation
?

i have mine on aspen wood shavings, and people say eventually he'll have an outbreak

HAAAALLPP whats a good way to prepare

and what do i need to know

 

[lucky18ea]

Mites can live in aspen shavings, before using any new bags of aspen you should freeze them to kill any mites that may be living in them. Liners are a better alternative to aspen. They just need to be washed, are more comfortable, and don't get stuck in sensitive areas like aspen shavings can. Years ago my sister had a hedgie that she kept on aspen and the aspen would fall into his ears and cause nasty infections. I stay away from it.

If you do get mites, the best treatment seems to be using kitten revolution. It's a topical flea medication for kittens and puppies that you get from your vet. Since hedgies are so small, they only need a drop or 2 of the revolution. With my experience, it's best to treat them once, then again about 2-3 weeks later. Everything in the hedgie's house must be sanitized to kill any mites that could be living in the cage. My vet recommends using diluted bleach water and being sure to rinse everything many many times.

Some vets recommend ivermectin injections. I did try these because I had used them with my rats before knowing about revolution. Ivermectin and revolution are in the same drug family, but ivermectin can be deadly if not administered in the proper dosage or by a skilled vet. It was also more expensive for repeated injections and didn't work nearly as well.

 

[HedgieJustice]

thanks =]

but the thing is, my hedgie loves burrowing

he'd do it all day, infact, he does

and you cant really burrow with a liner

 

[dorasdaddy]

i cut up a bunch of strips about 1 inch wide and about 6 inches long and make a big pile for Dora to burrow in.

 

[HedgieJustice]

HMMM


so its reccommended i use liners, but how easy is cleaning them and stuff

and are they expensive?

 

[dorasdaddy]

i bought fleece blankets from wal-mart for about 4 bux each and cut them to size, just be sure to cut the hem off.....after that all you have to do is pick out the poo every day and change them ever 3 days or so....make at least 2 sets so you have a set to put in while you are washing the other set....after buying the liners your expense is done, you just wash and reuse....better for them and much much cheaper in the long run

 

[HedgieJustice]

oh so like they arent like, things you buy at a pet store

okay =]

 

[Immortalia]

Heh, this has been something I've been paranoid about too. I flip Shinjy on black cloth weekly and check his skin daily.

Though I've also read through some websites, there's a breeder in the Ontario area who "treats" for mites monthly. Anyone have any idea what they'd be using?

Also, I've read that some people prefer to use kitten mite spray that's mild, non-alcohol based and must have pyrethrin. Anyone use that as a precaution?

 

[Callie255]

If she is treating monthly, my guess is its with Revolution. Revolution is labeled for monthly use for cats and dogs.

I really don't know if there is any harm in using a kitten spray with pyrethrin for hedgies with mites. Pyrethrin is a very harsh chemical and is very toxic to cats. I would think in something as small as a hedgehog it could be very toxic as well. The flea product Canine Advantix has pyrethrin in it and is not recommended to be used on a dog that lives in the same household as a cat because of how toxic it is to them.

I think the safest way to treat them is with Revolution and you won't have to worry if there will be any associated problems.

 

[Nancy]

Treating monthly is most likely Revolution but who knows. That is probably the same breeder that worms them monthly and I simply don't understand the point of doing either.

Regardless of the fact that Revolution is considered safe, it is still an insecticide and why put an insecticide on any animal unless there is a suspicion, especially on a small animal like a hedgehog where you can control it's environment and minimize the risk of mites. To do it monthly as a preventative is IMO ridiculous and unnecessary. I treat as needed and in almost 6 years, have only treated them all twice, once after a very suspicious bag of shavings the moms were on, and the second time after a rescue had mite eggs confirmed in a skin scrap even though he had already been treated before he arrived here. I do treat rescues sometimes depending on where they have come from but most times even with them I watch for symptoms and only treat if I have a suspicion of mites. In all this time I've only had one hedgehogs that I was positive had mites and he was a rescue found wandering in the woods. I will treat babies before they go home if the new owner wants it and so far, only two have asked for it.