# Alternate mite treatment



## fancyteddy1 (Mar 14, 2013)

Hey,

this has to be somewhere else on the forum, but I used the search engine and still couldn't find precisely what I was looking for.

Is there an alternate method for treating for mites, other than the ivermectin/iver-on solution? I'm having a hard time finding some to buy, and I'm fairly certain a few of my mice are showing signs of mites.

Thanks!


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

None that I know of that are known to work as effectively when the parasites are on the mice. Have you tried feed stores, or places that sell cattle products? You're wanting a liquid cattle pour on... not a word on it about mice.  Needless to say, you want the smallest bottle they sell. :lol: Don't use it on collie type dogs...I think, and some other dog. Really wasn't paying any attention to info about dogs. No dogs here, and my parents dog wasn't one of the breeds with issues. Doesn't appear to bother my cats, they get it same time I treat the mice. (Not saying they wouldn't really rather I left them out of it, but no lasting observable effects.)

In the US, they are behind locked glass, and sold with cattle meds. I just asked for the Ivermectin cattle pour-on, and said no thanks to the injectables they prefered to sell me. Most places could probably order in some for you, if not in current stock.

Plenty of alternatives to prevent them getting back on the mice, but not too many for actually getting them off. If you don't know doseage, or treatment cycles, please ask, but I'm guessing you saw all that in the searches. I will add, in my opinion, you should treat all living warm bodies in the house. That includes you, depending on the mite. Not sure what kind are in the UK, but it wasn't too difficult to treat myself just in case. However, I was doing all that as a precaution during QT, never saw any signs of mites on the actual mice. :roll:


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## fancyteddy1 (Mar 14, 2013)

Yeah, I know all the dosing/exactly what the product is. I used to have some that a friend supplied me with but it's run out now.

I'm not worried about the mites transferring to other hosts, as I've read that they're basically host specific, and it definitely is toxic for dogs! Although.. it wouldn't be bad to know anyway; how would you suggest I go about treating myself/my things?

I live in a country community, so finding the cattle pour on ivermectin was easy enough, but it's sold in such HUGE quantities that it becomes very expensive, and isn't something I want a lot of around my house because I do have a dog as well.

Sigh, I guess I'll have to suck it up and buy way more than I need  Perhaps I can get a coworker who owns rats to split it with me.

I've never seen a single mite or egg or anything on my mice's fur or in their tanks, but some have been having skin irritations and I think the first precaution/treatment course I should take is to treat for mites or other parasites to rule that out. I've also had to get back into the awesome practice of picking sunflower seeds out of their food :? ..any idea if there's a peanut-free food out there?


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

So on this topic, someone I know said her vet recommended kitten flea stuff, and she said that it worked. That's very second hand information, but maybe it's a lead you can search after??


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

Sure there is a peanut free food, and sunflower at that... a mix you make yourself.  Honestly, I haven't seen a pre-made mix that didn't look like more work than just making my own, to start with. Not sure about the rodent/mouse blocks where you are. Plenty think those work well though. I haven't liked any of the blocks ingredients lists, so still shying away from them.

Ivermectin doesn't bother/harm all dogs. Only certain breeds. My parents American Eskimo had no trouble, nor was he one of the breeds that is meant to. (QT for my mice started in Florida, at my parents house.)

I made up the strongest spray dilution, sprayed myself down, scalp and all. Waited about 8-10 hours, then showered. Did that each time I treated the mice, for the duration of those weeks. As sensitive as I am to most everything, I was really shocked that my skin had no issues with me doing this.

You will never see me in person, nor hopefully any photos, so I'll explain that I can't use anything on my face now except water, and jojoba oil. No other oils, no soaps, nada. And it's still red and angry, at a moments notice. That's just my face. The rest of me has similar issues, now, with things like all lotions, shampoos, and I can only use certain formulas of very natural soaps. Just assumed I'd have an agonizingly painful burning face/body, for days, but didn't really get much more red. :shock: I really can not express how shocked I was.

Does smell absolutely awful, however. Did the cats like a spot on with some of the undiluted, and some over the back area spraying with the diluted spray. They had only an observable reaction to the smell, and that only in the first few minutes.

For my things, I sprayed all fabric surfaces to damp, including clothes/blankets, and waited 24 hours to wash them. In the case of furniture I just left them alone after spraying, other than vacuuming them. I think it might be way easier to make up a dilution in a bucket, and just dip handleable fabrics, like clothes, in and then wring out. Hard surfaces you can do the same, but I have a high temp steam cleaner that I used. (Get a powerful spray bottle, or that spraying gets OLD in a hurry.)

I based this method on those used to good effect by people who were struggling with some various mites on them. I realize the literature all says the mites don't transfer, but if they like mice blood, I see no reason they wouldn't settle for mine in a pinch. Mice are used to research human potential reactions to various substances, after all. I am not healthy, so I would think I might have more appeal as a parasite target in general.

I sprayed the bedding/food storage containers, including lid, thoroughly. Not actually touching the food though. I have half-gallon canning jars in a larger bin, filled with the various seeds/grains, or buckets that have a liner that the seeds/grains are in.

Needless to say, I had less issue having so much in the bottle, as I found ways to use it. LOL I paid something like $25-30 dollars for it. I also sprayed the bedding/food containers down, and any cages that touched the floor, before adding bedding again; long after the treatment time was over, just in case.

Use any of that information as you see fit. Not sure in your case if I would bother with much past the mice, their stuff, and the warm bodies in the house, that deal directly with the mice. :lol: Good luck with their skin irritation.


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## fancyteddy1 (Mar 14, 2013)

Thank you very much!
I'd heard second hand before that kitten flea/parasite treatment works but I haven't been able to find any reliable info on it. I think I'll just get the iver-on, and as TCG said, use it all around the mice's things just in case  Glad to hear it wasn't an irritant to you! I have very sensitive skin and assumed the same thing, that it would buurn! I'm also fairly sure that if the mites were transferring, I would have noticed by now. I'm notoriously allergic to bug bites and even one and my skin would have flared right up. My concern about my dog is that she's a rescued mix, so there could be anything in her - wouldn't want to risk poisoning her! But I can safely spray a dilution on the mouse's things and the area around them, as the dog isn't allowed near their tanks. 
Thanks again!


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

look on eBay several peeps selling ivermectin


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