Anyone adopted a badly matted or filthy piggie?

Betsy

Betsy

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If so how did you clean them up/unmat them please? I need this info for the forum guide I am now in the final stages of writing. I have no experience of this so anyone out there in forum land who can help me that help would be gratefully received. You will have a name check and your piggie and you will be famous! If you prefer to remain anonymous, this of course will be respected.
 
I haven't adopted a badly matted guinea pig, but my long hair guinea pig does get matts if I haven't combed his fur for a while. He's also quite skittish, so I tend to cut off any matted fur rather than try to de-tangle it.
 
I promised you some photos but completely forgot and now I can't remember what it was of?
 
Usually if a pig comes into me with a bad coat I will just clip with the clippers and start all over again. As my clippers are very quiet I find it quicker and easier for a piggy that isn't used to handling to just clips off as best I can (sadly not a beauty comp) so that they are comfortable and then you can start to work on getting them used to grooming.
 
Thanks Ruth that is very helpful. Do you wish to be named on the Guide or want to remain anonymous?
 
Flutterby said:
I'm happy either way Jacky it's only a tidbit of information x
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I have nothing at the mo Ruth so its very helpful. I only have a bit more of the Guide to do now. Then its a check over with a couple of notable members before it's the Official Guide.
 
Betsy said:
I have nothing at the mo Ruth so its very helpful. I only have a bit more of the Guide to do now. Then its a check over with a couple of notable members before it's the Official Guide.
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I look forward to reading it :D
 
Merab's Slave said:
I think some of @PigglePuggle ’s rescues have come with badly matted fur, Blodwen springs to mind, but I might be confused
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Aw not quite, Blod came with ringworm and sometimes gets poop dreadlocks in her skirt but luckily all my piggies have gorgeous fur except Tallulah who is deliberately naked! Blod is easy to groom, she loves a bath and stays very still while I do her skirt trims with those little curved nail scissors, with the points curved away from her- she's a very good hairdressing client!
 
Helen took in a very dirty Peru at the weekend. I will look out the photos.
 
No photo evidence, but had the pleasure of de-matting and poo-boots removal. I never use clippers, just scissors. I found that even if I cannot get all the way to the skin (for mats that are too close to the skin) if I cut most of it and then cut into the mat you can often loosen the reminder enough to get it all off bit by bit. Poo-boots, poor piggie had terribly long nails and bumble foot, covered in dry poop 😔 never seen anything like it. Had to soak his feet first before I could get the poop off so I could actually see his nails! It was heartbreaking... Luckily he recovered and found happy home x
 
Felix when he arrived. Under the top coat he was completely matted. There were lice crawling in his coat, and all sorts of debris. Under his coat his skin was a mass of sores (some open and some healing). He needed the clippers then several washes with an insecticidal shampoo to try to wash out all the mud. Check out his nostrils, they needed wiping each day to remove the mud and black reside that came out.
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VickiA said:
Felix when he arrived. Under the top coat he was completely matted. There were lice crawling in his coat, and all sorts of debris. Under his coat his skin was a mass of sores (some open and some healing). He needed the clippers then several washes with an insecticidal shampoo to try to wash out all the mud. Check out his nostrils, they needed wiping each day to remove the mud and black reside that came out.
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Where on earth was he kept? ☹️
 
Siikibam said:
Where on earth was he kept? ☹
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he came from a farm shop attraction, with 5 other piggies (4 boars one sow) and 3 buck rabbits. Pen was completely open to the elements with 2 small hutches. The flooring was mud and wood bark. Sadly those conditions ultimately led to his premature death in February. Still makes me so sad.
 
Betsy said:
If so how did you clean them up/unmat them please? I need this info for the forum guide I am now in the final stages of writing. I have no experience of this so anyone out there in forum land who can help me that help would be gratefully received. You will have a name check and your piggie and you will be famous! If you prefer to remain anonymous, this of course will be respected.
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Firstly you cut out the worst of the mats that you can get to fairly easily. Then you give a bath to clean a very filthy piggy. After that you go through the deep sitting mats that are closer to the skin and harder to reach. You may need two people - one who holds the piggy and one who cuts the mats.
 
I was given a matt comb which I've found really useful with badly matted piggies, you have to go really careful with it though as effectively its curved blades and used incorrectly it would cause more harm than good.
 
amy104 said:
I was given a matt comb which I've found really useful with badly matted piggies, you have to go really careful with it though as effectively its curved blades and used incorrectly it would cause more harm than good.
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We have one of those for the dog. Would never have occurred to me to use on a matted piggy. That said it's only my Swiss poppy that gets any mats now and they are always underneath near the genitals and very small so I tend to try and trim regularly to prevent the mats forming in the first place
 
Lady Kelly said:
We have one of those for the dog. Would never have occurred to me to use on a matted piggy. That said it's only my Swiss poppy that gets any mats now and they are always underneath near the genitals and very small so I tend to try and trim regularly to prevent the mats forming in the first place
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Yes I don't use it regularly as like you I prefer to trim regularly but its useful if any pig comes in on foster in less than ideal conditions as now I have the hang of it its easier to do this by myself than having to rope hubby in to hold the pig whilst I go very gingerly with scissors.
 
I've had waddling wigs came in to my rescue, and with two of us and a lot of patience, cut the knot out with curved scissor abit at a time,a bit of cucumber and pepper at the front end helps.
 
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