Cleaning up after mites

[Schmuzzle's Mom]

Ok, so i know if my hedgie has mites ( we are going to the vet today) that I should wash everything and change the bedding. My question is...since she has played on the carpet in "her room" how do I treat that? Do mites fall off and how long can they live. If I just don't let her play on the carpet for a week or so will they be dead. Everything else can be cleaned but what about the floor? :confused:

[Ldy_Icedragon]

When Cleo had mites I had to switch her to Liners since she had previously been using aspen and the mites came from that. Also throw out anything in her cage that's made out of wood. As for everything else wash all fabrics, and wash the food bowls, etc. As for the carpet I'd say if you have a powerful vaccum than maybe it'll suck them up? I'm not really sure. It really depends on how many got on the floor. Maybe someone else here will know. Cleo says that she knows how "sucky mites are! Good luck!".

~Danielle

[Schmuzzle's Mom]

I have a plastic bottomed cage with a coated metal wire top, plastic pigloo and stainless steel, ceramic and plastic dishes (one of each). I do use the shavings, but I keep them frozen, then warm them before using them as I am told that freezing kills the mites that may be lurking in the bedding. :rolleyes:

I would not mind changing bedding except for a few reasons. Every type recommended in here I checked out at Pet smart, and it seemed as though either if she ate it, it would be bad, it was too hard and pellety, or it could be getting stuck in parts I would rather not mention :laugh: . I even read in here that one hedgie got into the middle layer of his velluxe and ate the stuffing and died. My girl is a baby and you just knowthey put everything in their mouths. I found every type of bedding mentioned in these forums at the pet smart (exept velluxe) but noticed also that she seems to like rooting in her shavings for food too as well as burrowing in her pigloo too! They also seem kinda close to what she might walk on in nature, as to surface type a little bit. Just no dirt or rocks :laugh: .

By the way, her skin seems very soft and not dry, and I did the black shirt test with no pos result (several times) and she is definitly quilling. She loses a few quills each playsnuggle time and you can see them coming in little teeny points on her skin. Do you advise a trip to the vet, or should I wait to see if it ends with quilling ending. I heard that this can take weeks and I'm nervous about waiting, even though quilling seems to be the other obvious answer to her itchies. :|

[Ldy_Icedragon]

If you see quills then she's definately quilling. In that case I wouldn't worry about a vet trip. Also since you freeze the bedding it should be mite free like you said. Quilling can take a few weeks (not sure exactly how long) so your hedgie may be a grump for a while. Good luck!

~Danielle

[Schmuzzle's Mom]

Do you think that she may have had mites for the pet store? By the way, a check up with her vet will cost $48.00 and either the injection for mites or the revolution will cost $20.00. They have a special tool which they look through to see if she has them first before doing a skin scraping. Then apparantly because there are different types of mites ( didn't know that) they either give the injection or the revolution. Does this sound like somethng I should wait for? I'd hate to take her if it can "wait and see". By the way this vet has lots of hedgie experience. I really checked out huge ton of vets! :D

[Moose]

It's always a good policy to take a new pet to a vet for a check-up. The first check-up also serves as a mean to go by in subsequent vet visits. Personally, I go by better safe than sorry with pets. Peace of mind is worth quite a bit to me, although I've been known to be excessively compulsive. :rolleyes:

[Ldy_Icedragon]

If she hasn't been to the vet yet then I'd say definately yes for a check up. And while your there you might as well get the skin scraping just to be safe. :)

~Danielle

[Schmuzzle's Mom]

We went to our vet today and may I say that Muzzy was an absolute princess. She travelled really well, and liked being out with me on the vets table. Barely hissed or popped at all, and only really balled up when he tried to look inside her mouth at her teeth and gums. :slurp: Even then she just stayed semi balled and let him get right into her mouth. He had a special magnifying glass on a stick with a bright pen light on the other side to search for Mites. He said if they are not bad, they will be hard to detect since they mostly live just under the skin unless infestation is very bad. She happily let him poke and prod and look for extended amounts of time all over her body, even her tummy from head to toe and guess what? NO MITEY MITES!! His theory is that they CAN come from bedding but most likely from contact with other infected animals.

He agreed that it's probably quilling or just behavior like you all told me and to see how it goes and if it gets worse bring her back and he will treat her for free if she has them. Her skin is in very good condition, not dry at all, but he recommended keeping the fatty acids high especially since Alberta is so dry and the furnace runs all the time now so that her skin stays healthy. She let him lift her tummy up and examine her tiny feet and everything. She keeps making such awesome progress. I guess all the time we spend together is really paying off!

He recommended a little epsom salts in her bath water when I dare to try THAT! He is very experienced in exotic animals especially hedgies and we discussed many questions that I had. No rushing me out the door or acting bored. She also weighs 200g and I have a little chart to keep track of her weight etc. :love:

He said that her diet and overall care seem great. Thanks you guys for all your help and patience!! I couln't have known what I know now without your help~!He also said to make sure bugs = 1/3 of her diet approx.

God am I the braggiest MOM in here or what? :D

[Moose]

That sounds fantastic! :) I'm so happy for you and Muzzy (very cute) on a successful vet visit. You are so lucky to have a great vet like him. I've had my share of hardships with vets! It sounds like Muzzy made her mommy very proud and what a relief that she's mite free. :applause: Keep up the excellent job with your new gal!

[Schmuzzle's Mom]

Thanks for the nice compliments, but miss Muzzy did all the work. Thats my gal! :love: