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Originally Posted by josiemv09
Thank you so much!!! I'm not even sure if he has mites...its just the scratching and biting like a dog...all the time. Right now i'm using a home remedy of diluted listerine and witch hazel and I will be applying that everyday by running my fingers through his , not soaking him. What did you mean by using a soft cloth to spray? How? Also he is on carefresh bedding at the moment...but when I do the beddimg changes once or twice a week I will be using aspen since it is cheaper..and when I know the "mites" are gone I will go back to carefresh. Is that okay? What do you think?? How can I really tell if there are mites. For sure it wasn't from my bedding. I feel so bad for him...I also think he can't see well at all.....compared to my other hamsters, oh and when you sprayed your hamsters with the petsmart solution how much did you spray? And did you do it under the belly too? And head?
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The only way to be sure it is mites or fleas is a Vet appointment. It is very important to know if there is a mite/flea problem as treatment is rather stressful and is applying a chemical which some will react to. Has your Hamster been on Carefresh before the scratching and biting started?
Home remedies some times work and other times don't. I've read of that mix your using on line and never tried it myself. I would say if it turns out mites that just lightly applying the home mix won't be very effective. However once again the scratching and biting could be from an allergic reaction to the Carefresh.
The Fiproguard is a spray can and hisses when sprayed which often startles a hamster so I saturated a soft cloth(I used a micro fiber cloth like used for dusting) You spray the cloth until it is quite damp then place it around the hamster just from the neck down of the hamster and gently rub it with the cloth until the coat is coated with the spray to the skin. NEVER cover the head or face and on the belly NEVER spray or rub the genital area.
You simply scruff the Hamster and hold the can about 6 inches away from the hamster and pushed the nozzle and completely cover the hamster with the spray from the shoulders back to the hips and then use the towel method on the Hamsters tail area on top. Then I sprayed my finger to apply a small amount between the ears being very careful to not touch the face area. On the underside only spray the chest to even with the hips and again use the cloth to get a light coating from the tummy to the upper part of the inside of the hide legs.
The hamsters didn't like the taste so I simply placed the hamster back in it's carrier to air dry. The fiproguard has a residual effect which when the mite/flea crawls through the treated fur it dies. The first hamster I did had mites falling off dead in seconds of the spray applied. After just 10 minutes or so the coat was completely dry and the Hamster was fine.
Erin R's Vet is who told us about the spray. The Vet said it was safe even on dwarf hamsters but I only have used it on Syrians( I Think Erin used it on a few dwarf hamsters too but you'd need to ask her). The Vet also told her it was very very important to Only use the spray for Kittens, and Cats and NEVER for Dogs. They also said it was Very important to remove all wood objects, and spray all plastic items as mites thrive on wooden things, and lay eggs on the plastic items so I'm not sure if Aspen would be a wise bedding. I used shredded Toilet paper while doing the initial treatments and changed the bedding in the first week every 2 or 3 days(Note: this may stress some hamsters). I also sprayed the cage both inside and outside and the shelf units the cages sat on every clean out the first two weeks, I bought a Horse fly spray for the walls and floors which My Vet suggested to save cost. They suggested a fly spray called Equisect as it is organic and has no harmful chemicals to my Cats.
Within a week I couldn't see any mites on any hamsters, but as par the Vets instructions I retreated all 2 weeks later and swear by the FiproGuard spray.
The vet was a Banfield Vet in Dayton which Erin R. uses confidently.
As in any chemical substance it can cause reactions with some hamsters so I would still seek a Vet's advice before using this yourself. The Vet who tended Erins hamsters was very gentle with the hamsters and very good at showing Her how to show me how to treat all my hamstery.