Hi everyone, I'm hoping some1 can help. Yesterday I bought home a beautiful 4 month old female. She is long haired, of the teddy variety I think. I don't think the woman I bought her from knew to much about guinea pigs. She has a few large knots and her coat is very overgrown. She is very nervous I don't think she has been handled much so I don't want to stress her by sorting out her tangles. What is the best way to go about sorting this out? Also she has areas that are much thinner than others. Is this normal? I have never kept a long haor before and my other 4 are short hair and absyinnian. I would much appreciate and advice as I obviously don't want to cause her any more stress. Many thanks.
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advice needed new guinea
- Thread starter eikciv
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The best thing you can do, is to be ruthless and give her a short haircut and cut out all the matting and a bath. The hair will grow back, but with regular grooming, you should not have any problems. It is less tough on her while she is still frightened and she will feel a lot more comfy afterwards.
Please have her checked preferably by a piggy savvy vet. Bald patches can have various reasons and need different treatments; mange mites can kill if not or undertreated, so can advanced fungal. http://www.guinealynx.info/hairloss.html
PS: Teddies are shorthaired, so you may rather have a texel.
Please have her checked preferably by a piggy savvy vet. Bald patches can have various reasons and need different treatments; mange mites can kill if not or undertreated, so can advanced fungal. http://www.guinealynx.info/hairloss.html
PS: Teddies are shorthaired, so you may rather have a texel.
Guinea pig slave
Senior Guinea Pig
I would start by gently and very carefully trimming some of the knots out - bit nerve racking I know but she will get used to being handled.
I always find it easier to trim long haired piggies when they are having a bath as any matts can be teased out with shampoo and your fingers.
Always place your fingers between their hair and skin when trimming, never use scissors near their skin :x
Do you have a rescue local to you if you feel a bit nervous, they may be able to show you how to groom her ?/
I always find it easier to trim long haired piggies when they are having a bath as any matts can be teased out with shampoo and your fingers.
Always place your fingers between their hair and skin when trimming, never use scissors near their skin :x
Do you have a rescue local to you if you feel a bit nervous, they may be able to show you how to groom her ?/
Thanks to * both, * have been helpful. I shall get started tomorrow. I will get her checked by a vet, I plan to pair her with my single anyway and I can't do that till she's been checked over.
I am going to google texel n have a look. She has a wild mass of hair and looks like she's been crimped. As I said though I don't know much about longhairs.
I am going to google texel n have a look. She has a wild mass of hair and looks like she's been crimped. As I said though I don't know much about longhairs.
gpmomma
Teenage Guinea Pig
Poor piggy with the mats.:0 She will feel SO much better after she gets the mats cut out!
Good luck to you and your piggies!
Good luck to you and your piggies!
meganhannaford
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can we see a photo
mikulinek
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As Wiebke says, I would definitely get her checked out by a good cavy-savvy vet just to ensure that there are no underlying medical/parasite reasons for the baldness and it's simply due to poor care from her pevious owner.
Also, as she is frightened anyway, if she is uncomfortable in her current condition, this will only worsen the problem. She needs to have her matted/knotted hair cut away and be given a nice bath. She will of course be nervous but she will feel more at ease if she is not itchy/uncomfortable.
Also, as she is frightened anyway, if she is uncomfortable in her current condition, this will only worsen the problem. She needs to have her matted/knotted hair cut away and be given a nice bath. She will of course be nervous but she will feel more at ease if she is not itchy/uncomfortable.
SDRB_TP
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I agree with what Wiebke said, in that giving her a short haircut will be best.
At the end of the day, even if it's a messy/uneven one it won't really matter - she doesn't really care what her hair looks like; so long as the knots are gone and her coat is untangled. :-)
It's best to do it as quick as possible, if like you said, she is nervous. Then after that, focus on bonding with her and getting her to trust you, so by the time her hair is long and due for another cut, she will be much more settled and you will be able to do it a lot neater.
Good luck!
x
At the end of the day, even if it's a messy/uneven one it won't really matter - she doesn't really care what her hair looks like; so long as the knots are gone and her coat is untangled. :-)
It's best to do it as quick as possible, if like you said, she is nervous. Then after that, focus on bonding with her and getting her to trust you, so by the time her hair is long and due for another cut, she will be much more settled and you will be able to do it a lot neater.
Good luck!
x
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