Brushing disaster

xxangelxx2440

xxangelxx2440

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Hi everyone! Back with another general question, advice needed. Got my sows in mid January, but one of them either was bred to be tiny or never got enough nutrients growing up..... getting plenty now lol.
But I have a question in regards to her hair, I have to brush it everyday but it pulls so much, she starts squealing, so should I cut it (which I'm reluctant to do because she so pretty) or just keep brushing it? Opinions?
 

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I have a long haired girl and use a wide toothed comb for her fur.
Any bits that are too matted I cut off.

@Betsy has written a guide to furdressing but I lack the tech skills to link it for you.
 
I actually use leave in shampoo on her hair which kinda works, just worries that it'll get t the point where I'll have to cut it 😱😭
 
She’s beautiful!

I have a long haired boy and I cut his hair around his back end regularly so it doesn’t get too matted and doesn’t drag on the floor. In summer he gets a full all over cut to keep him cool.
I use a baby brush
 
Claire W said:
What sort of brush are you using? You should use one with very soft bristles. When I had a pig with longer fur, I used a brush that was marketed for babies
Click to expand...
I use a soft brush to start with then a wide comb, it's pack of 3 you get from pets at home
 
You will probabably find our grooming guide helpful
An Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting

My personal opinion if that grooming is causing her pain and distress then the kindest thing would be to at least cute the hair in those areas.
She doesn't care how she looks, and deserves to be comfortable.
I would not advise leaving shampoo in her hair, as this could be toxic if she or a cage mate lick it off.
These products designed for humans are not really suitable for guinea pigs.

I understand it is hard when you have a beautiful coated guinea pig, but her welfare should really come first, and you could start with a trim which preserves a lot of her hair and see how you get on.
 
xxangelxx2440 said:
I use a soft brush to start with then a wide comb, it's pack of 3 you get from pets at home
Click to expand...
I'd just stick to the soft brush but as much as you don't want too, you may need to consider cutting her fur to make her more comfortable. The last thing you want to do is hurt her
 
Long-haired piggies are pretty but grooming is not fun for them because long hair is a human idea and not a natural development. They won't love you if you pull their hair daily - and why should they?

I would recommend to cut at least the areas around the genitalia and legs short (where most of the matting happens) also keep the under-layers short to avoid tangles. Always cut them out carefully and gently without pulling on the skin.

In summer, please give her a full short haircut and do not force her to wear the equivalent of a skisuit on a tropical beach - it can help prevent heat stroke/heat exhaustion. The hair will grow back again for the winter.
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Personally, I keep those of my long-haired piggies shorter that really do not like being groomed so a monthly cut will do and in any case keep the hair short enough that they are treading on it and can enjoy the full natural behaviour.
 
It's not quite the same, but we have an elderly, long-haired cat who is... not keen on brushing.

When she was younger she just looked a bit scruffy sometimes, otherwise keeping herself in good nick between the odd brush; now she's an old girl it causes her problems incredibly fast sometimes. As much as I hate it, and as much as she looks daft, preventative clipping of key areas (like the back of her legs) has really, really helped. She mats quickly these days as well and a trim of areas that are heading that way, rather than brushing, is much more effective at warding them off. Daily brushing is a big time investment as well, and sometimes trimming is just the kinder option for both of you. :)

(Please don't ask me why scissors and clippers are okay but a brush is not - I have no idea what goes through her mind :)) We are always gentle and I have tried so many to find something she finds comfortable!)
 
poggle said:
It's not quite the same, but we have an elderly, long-haired cat who is... not keen on brushing.

When she was younger she just looked a bit scruffy sometimes, otherwise keeping herself in good nick between the odd brush; now she's an old girl it causes her problems incredibly fast sometimes. As much as I hate it, and as much as she looks daft, preventative clipping of key areas (like the back of her legs) has really, really helped. She mats quickly these days as well and a trim of areas that are heading that way, rather than brushing, is much more effective at warding them off. Daily brushing is a big time investment as well, and sometimes trimming is just the kinder option for both of you. :)

(Please don't ask me why scissors and clippers are okay but a brush is not - I have no idea what goes through her mind :)) We are always gentle and I have tried so many to find something she finds comfortable!)
Click to expand...

Scissors and clippers don't pull on the hair the way a brush can do - or the memory of a bad brushing session... ;)
 
My current long haired piggy is my second long haired piggy.
The first was half Peruvian, so long haired but not trailing to the floor. Her hair was super fine, silky smooth, and ultra soft (our little cloud). I had a comb that had two different style of teeth, wider set on one end and very fine on the other; I primarily used the wider side. Most of her snarls were when she was shedding seasonally and detached hair would tangle near her rump. I would pinch the hair with a snarl on the side close to her (so it couldn't pull) and then comb out the loose hair.
My current piggy is a lunkarya, and with her coarser, wavy hair (her tummy is woolly; her face is velvety), the comb I had been using was too fine and didn't make her happy. My mum gave me a comb that she had gotten for dogs that had slightly wider teeth that rolled, and it works great for my lunkarya. Interestingly, for her, it often works better to hold the tangle and comb behind it ... she does seem to be a bit ticklish, so it may be that if I hold the attached hair it feels funny or pulls when she wiggles, where as if I hold the tangled bit, wiggling just helps slide the tangle from what's attached. She lives in a temperature controlled house, so heat isn't a concern for her (if anything summer is cooler with the A/C running).

If your girl is objecting to the grooming, you might try a different comb or brush; it might be the tool isn't a good fit for her hair type ... same as witch people. I have fine hair, so too wide of a tooth on a comb doesn't work very well, but for someone with coarser or curlier hair, a fine toothed comb might just tangle and not even get through ...
 
When I had longer-haired pigs, I used to go over them with a slicker brush that I got from the pet store (kind of a wide brush with far-apart, flexible teeth... if you look up 'slicker brush' you'll find some good examples.) It was enough to just keep their backs detangled. I did used to use scissors to trim long fur around their back legs and genital areas, as well as anything long enough to trail on the ground, as there was really not enough brushing in the world to keep that from matting or getting dirty. They didn't love either brushing or trimming, but we bribed them with treats!
 
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