Hamster parasite

RE: Hamster parasite

Stephen Courtney — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 20:55:14 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[quote user="K Burton"]They were gross! I was in a state of advanced shock... [/quote]Surely not as bad as those horrible biting flies that seem to fly off wild bird casualties, especially debilitated feral pigeons, at the speed of sound and make a beeline for your hair? Not caught one of them alive yet!

[/quote]

We call them flat flies. The appearance of one of those turns everyone into a ninja

RE: Hamster parasite

bob lehner — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 16:46:52 GMT

'Hamster parasite' - yes I always thought he was remarkably untalented and living off the reputation of the other two - although I don't really go for any of them.

RE: Hamster parasite

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 12:45:43 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Surely not as bad as those horrible biting flies that seem to fly off wild bird casualties, especially debilitated feral pigeons, at the speed of sound and make a beeline for your hair? Not caught one of them alive yet![/quote]

100% agree - the damn things are horrendous!

RE: Hamster parasite

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 09:52:36 GMT

RE: Hamster parasite

Kathryn Burton — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 22:06:22 GMT

They were gross! I was in a state of advanced shock...

RE: Hamster parasite

Kathryn Burton — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 22:05:50 GMT

They were gross! I was in a state of advanced shock...

RE: Hamster parasite

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:21:53 GMT

[quote user="Stephen Courtney"]

If that was my consult room I would have been scratching for a week, just on psychological principles of course...

Where did those red mites go??

[/quote]

I sort of love the fact that as the mites started running the OP's primary concern was to kill the beggars, rather than collect diagnostic samples!

I might have combed the animal again with some tape or cotton wool and surgical spirit handy to stun them.

RE: Hamster parasite

James Thorntonsmith — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 20:45:16 GMT

Ornithonyssus bacoti?

RE: Hamster parasite

Stephen Courtney — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 18:16:08 GMT

If that was my consult room I would have been scratching for a week, just on psychological principles of course...

Where did those red mites go??

RE: Hamster parasite

Kathryn Burton — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 11:38:18 GMT

Thanks. They did look like the red mites I've seen on poultry in the past, just somewhat out of context so didn't consider those! The owner doesn't have any other pets at home, although it's possible he doesn't consider birds as pets... I gave it a three Tx course of Xeno so hopefully that will sort it.

RE: Hamster parasite

Catriona MacIntyre — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 20:00:17 GMT

Do the owners have poultry?

RE: Hamster parasite

Utlendigur — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 19:52:37 GMT

What about the red spider mites that you get in the garden this time of year. If the cage was near a window a few stray ones might have got in. They're small, red and run very fast!

RE: Hamster parasite

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 18:54:14 GMT

You need a Sellotape strip or some paraffin on a slide to slow the little beggars down. I wouldn't have though it was harvest mites, unlikely in an indoor pet and AFAIA they don't run. Sounds more like poultry red mites. How long have they had it from a pet shop, what other pets do they have?? Whatever stick some Xenex on it should sort it out.

RE: Hamster parasite

mariette asselbergs — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:58:18 GMT

Harvest mites? Thrombicula autumnalis or in french "Aoutis", abundant in some grassy areas in August, but maybe early this year? The young stages are bright red/orange). Hamster must have been outside on the grass to pick them up though.....

Mariette

RE: Hamster parasite

mariette asselbergs — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:57:26 GMT

Harvest mites? Thrombicula autumnalis or in frech "Aoutis", abundant in some grassy areas in August, but maybe early this year? The young stages are bright red/orange). Hamster must have been outside on the grass to pick them up though.....

Mariette