- Remove any potential allergens. Take out any objects or plants in the new cage that may aggravate the guinea pig’s skin. Only provide your guinea pig with items safe for chewing, such as hay and vegetables. Remove bedding and use shredded newspaper or paper towel instead.
- Check your guinea pig. Carefully inspect your guinea pig to see the extent of its skin condition and to check for any pests like fleas or mites that could be causing the issue.
- Wash your guinea pig with an oatmeal bath. An oatmeal bath can relieve inflammation and itching from the mange and help to heal any open sores. To do an oatmeal bath:
1. Boil 1 cup of water and mix it with 1 cup of rolled oats to make oat “tea.” Let it cool until it is just lukewarm.
2. Fill another container with about an inch or so of the warm oat tea.
3. Place the guinea pig in the oat tea for about 15-20 minutes, keeping the water around its stomach or below its chin to avoid getting water into its nose or mouth.
4. Be sure to rinse away the oat tea once you are finished.
- Apply an antibiotic cream. Use an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin to help treat any open wounds or skin infections. You should apply this several times a day until the skin has fully healed.
- Consider treating the cage mates, too. Even if only one of your guinea pigs is displaying noticeable signs of mange, you may want to consider treating all of your guinea pigs to avoid reinfestation.
- Quarantine new animals. If you want to bring new guinea pigs home after an outbreak of mange, wait until you are certain the issue is under control. After about a month, you can bring them home into a new cage set up, away from your current piggies. Monitor the newcomer for a week or two before allowing general contact with the other animals.
- Be gentle with your guinea pig. Skin problems in guinea pigs can be uncomfortable and even itchy. While your guinea pig is under treatment, handle it delicately to avoid causing additional unnecessary discomfort.