Mites?video

[Veer]

Tonight, when giving Droppie her medication for her ear infection (she still has 2 more days to go) i saw some small black things coming from her and climbing over my hand.
What are these? I haven't seen them before.
Are these mites?how to treat them?
I emailed the video to my exotic vet, hope they can prescribe something for it and send it to me.
What do you think this is and how it could be treated?

 

[Veer]

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[Veer]

I read that mites are too small to see them?could this be lice?or something else?

 

[Maz]

They won't be hamster mites because yes, those are too small to see. I suspect it'll either be from food or something like sprays or hay in the cage. Can you see where the source is?

 

[Veer]

I don't know, i will have a good look tomorrow.
So no bloodmites?
Should i take all the bedding and houses and sprays out for a deep clean tomorrow?
I have this on hand, do you think this is safe to use?
I also have some ivermectine drops of needed.

 

[Maz]

Were you going to link a product? I wouldn't use Invermectin unless the vet suggests it, as that is for hamster parasites, which you wouldn't see. If the bugs are definitely coming from inside the cage and not out of it, then yes you may need to do a full cage clean. I would check her hoard first and see if they are coming from there, but it will probably still need a full cage clean. As to what to use, either white vinegar (it kills some bug eggs) or a pet safe disinfectant - not sure which one you have.

Sorry you're having this - not fair on you and Droppie.

 

[Veer]

Yes this product:

Beaphar Dimethicare Mite Blocker for Chickens, Aviary Birds & their Housing, 500ml - Beaphar

Pesticide-free mite blocker spray for chickens, aviary birds and their housing. Immobilises red mites, lice, fleas and ticks. 500ml.

www.beaphar.co.uk

Could it be safe to use in het tank?
Will have a look at the bugs in the morning to see where they are coming from. I thought that because they were coming from her when i hold her, it might be bloodmites.i don't know if any other bugs would be on the hamster?

I think i take her out her tank tomorrow morning and put her in a large transport box with a ceramic house and toiletpapier (and food and water) to see if any bugs come from her.
I can empty her tank a few hours later ( i have to work in the morning) and i am afraid it could stress her too much to be in the transport box that long, but usually she goes to sleep in the small transport box.

I want to clean everything to see where the bugs are and if i can find the source.

I have this cleaner on hand.was thinking about cleaning her tank with this and spray it with the beaphar mite blocker after cleaning (if it is safe)

Beaphar Multi Cleaner 500 ml | DRD Knaagdierwinkel®

Probiotic spray cleaner for rodent and rabbit enclosures, accessories and surfaces. Specialist since 2011.

www.drdknaagdierwinkel.nl

I only have paper bedding (expensive) on hand. Maybe i can get something else for the next couple weeks, if i have to empty her tank again due to bugs?

 

[Veer]

She had her antibiotics just now (8 am). I did not spot any bugs on her.
Yesterday evening she had a lot of bugs crawling on her when i took her out of her nest/house.
She is sleeping in het small transport box for now,but i will put her back in the tank until the afternoon.
I will have to empty her tank to see where the bugs come from.
I suspect blood mites, because of them being so active in the dark yesterday evening. But she doesn't seem to be itchy or bothered by the bugs in any way....

 

[Socks' Mum]

Could you squash one to see if they have blood in them? They might be on Droppie's fur because they are searching for warmth and moisture. If they are not biting her, I don't think Ivermectin will destroy them. For Ivermectin, the dose should be worked out by a vet as it is quite a potent medication. They could be bugs that feed on cereal and bedding. Unfortunately you might need a bedding change to get rid of them. I hope things work out OK

 

[Veer]

I am so sad about all this.
First her loosing weight, then the treatment for her ear infection, now this.... And i have been sick for a while too,it makes it so hard to give her all the needed care.
I do everything i can for her, she is so special to me,it breaks my heart!

I think i place her in the ferplast mini duna this afternoon, with just a lot of torn up toilet paper, a ceramic house and (if it fits) her plastic wheel.

I can spray the outside of the duna with the Beaphar mite blocker, and see what she carries with her when she is in the clean mini duna.

Then i can do a deep clean for her tank: Vacuuming,wiping down with the beaphar multi cleaner, and then also the beaphar mite blocker in the tank.
I will leave her in the mini duna until i can treat her (if needed,after the vet advice).

 

[Maz]

I wouldn't use that mite blocker spray - it could affect Droppie and be too strong. They are bugs - it just needs a clean out and most things will kill bugs - the main thing is removing the source of where they are hatching from (food is common). If they were on Droppie they probably came from her nest.

Even with hay mites, a specialist mite spray wouldn't be used usually.

For a pet disinfectant, it usually says "small pet" disinfectant. But as the cage doesn't need actually disinfecting - just removal of bugs - white vinegar could do a good job. Vinegar is not good for bugs and eggs which is why it can be helpful.

If you prefer the idea of a disinfefctant, to be sure, this is the Beaphar version for rodents and small animals. The one you linked is just a cleaner, not a disinfectant so it won't do the job IMO.

Yes it's so unfair - I'm really sorry you have this. Could it be some food that missed being frozen? That is usually the issue.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beaphar-Deep-Clean-Disinfectant-Rodents/dp/B00366WM5G/?tag=thehamsterfor-21

This one is also small pet safe and suitable for hamsters - either of those, you need to rinse well afterwards to minimise any scent, but the scent is very light (even though on the bottle it says you don't need to rinse!).

Johnsons small pet disinfectant

 

[Maz]

It looks like you might be able to the get the Safe4Pets disinfectant in the Netherlands as well. They do a clear, unscented version, that is safe for hamsters, but you want the ready made spray bottle, not the larger bottles, as those need diluting.

Safe4

Safe4 Desinfectie, veilig en tegen veel micro-organismen inclusief virussen zoals Corona.

www.dierenkoning.nl

 

[Veer]

Thank you! Vet mailed me back and think this are mites, and that she would need stronghold.

I am not sure...i just cleaned her tank completely, vacuumed it and used the beaphar cleaning spray. Will also do a white vinegar spray later.

I do have F10 for desinfectant, but i don't think it works against bugs?

Droppie is in the bin style cage i had for Ukkie before, with 3 ceramic houses,her wheel, a sandbath and food and water and lots of toiletpapier strips (a complete toiletpapier rol) so i can figure out what to do next, and see if the bugs return in her tank, on her,or in her bin cage.

I didn't find any bugs or movement in the bedding or sprays while cleaning.
All her food has been frozen, but i just discovered a closed box with sprays, but they all look good and fresh.
I will put them in the freezer with all her wooden and cork stuff for at least a week.
All other things i have, made from polyresin, are soaking in hot water with dishwasher soap for a few hours.

 

[Maz]

Well done, what a nightmare. Yes after rinsing off the beaphar, I would use the white vinegar, because it's more likely to kill bug eggs which may not be visible. There are many types of mites, but I doubt these are from Droppie herself. They're more likely to have come from sprays or hay if not the food. So yes it's a good idea to refreeze food and sprays just in case, so more can't hatch out. You could actually bake the cork. Just run it under some hot water to rinse it and make it slightly damp, then bake in the oven at 100 degrees centigrade for 30 to 40 minutes. It effectively steams then because it's wet.

 

[Veer]

Thanks for all the help!

I hope she stays clear from any other health issues and that the mites stay away from now on!

It is strange that they were all over her last night, but not visible in het scape,houses,bedding,sprays....that still worries me they are bloodmites....
but i worry a lot about her

Have you ever seen other mites or lices that don't show themself in the environment, but are visible on the hamster ?

 

[Maz]

No I've never seen anything like that. Charlie was sitting with moths crawling around and over him once - the first time I had a moth outbreak, but it was clear they had hatched in the cage. It didn't seem to bother him strangely but it wasn't very nice.

 

[Maz]

It's possible, if you think they are living on her, that they could be tropical rat mites. It is probably best to take her to the vet again really because if they are something like that and living on her, then the vet would need to prescribe some treatment for her.

Now she's in the smaller enclosure, can you tell if she still has any?

 

[Veer]

I did not see any yet, will look again in the evening.
In the Netherlands they are called bloodmites,or bloodlice, of birdmites. Not sure if it is the same as tropical rat mites though.
The vet has seen the video and send me some Stronghold.
If they show the self again, i can start the treatment immediately.

 

[Maz]

I think it might be the same thing - rat mites or poultry mites can suck blood. Which makes it seem more likely they came from something in the enclosure - ie they hatched it from some natural product from a pet store eg - What is Stronghold?

 

[Socks' Mum]

Oh dear, I hope they disappear quickly