Barbering - ingesting buddies' fur

[MELANIE AVIS]

Hey everyone...i have a rescue guinea pig, who has finally, after 6 months, come out of her shell. She is short haired and in with a sheltie male and a short haired guinea. Sadly Luna is eating our sheltie's (Tribble) fur. He is no longer a sheltie and i am worried. She isnt trimming it back to the skin but there is no fur in the cage nor in her poops. A lot of fur is gone. I dont want to separate them, they love each other. I have tried toys, putting their hay in loo roll tubes and even spraying poor tribble with lemon juice and it isnt stopping her. Any ideas? I dont wanna separate them or send her back she had a rough start

 

[Nadsgirl75]

Hi, I’m no expert but my guys do this a lot and I consulted this forum about the problem. Apparently it’s totally normal and they will digest the fur, not quite sure how but they do. My guys are fine and considerably shorter haired than when we got them 3 months ago!

 

[Wiebke]

Hey everyone...i have a rescue guinea pig, who has finally, after 6 months, come out of her shell. She is short haired and in with a sheltie male and a short haired guinea. Sadly Luna is eating our sheltie's (Tribble) fur. He is no longer a sheltie and i am worried. She isnt trimming it back to the skin but there is no fur in the cage nor in her poops. A lot of fur is gone. I dont want to separate them, they love each other. I have tried toys, putting their hay in loo roll tubes and even spraying poor tribble with lemon juice and it isnt stopping her. Any ideas? I dont wanna separate them or send her back she had a rough start

Hi! Please have a read of our babering guide.

It is very common that long-haired piggies get barbered. Normally, things settle after a while and the hair grows back.
Barbering ( Eating Hair)

 

[MELANIE AVIS]

Thanks everyone. I have been worried as the vet we saw Friday said we should consider separating them and I dont want that.

 

[piggieminder]

I wouldn't seperate them. My Rusty did it to Bracken when they were first together for a while but he grew out of it!

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks everyone. I have been worried as the vet we saw Friday said we should consider separating them and I dont want that.

I would not separate unless a piggy is being barbered down to bare skin and is stressed/losing weight. Barbering long-haired recently bonded piggies is pretty common and nothing to worry about. It usually settles down over time.
I've just had this happening over the last year with my Gareth (you can see the progress of his barbering in the guide link in my last post). I am happy to say that he is back to being a long-haired 'husboar' to three sow-wives again, who is just getting the occasional little social nibble from his top lady. But he clearly sees it as a loving gesture, as he is standing still and submitting to it and is not protesting and moving away.