Can Anyone Offer Advice Please? - Moulting

[Ginnypig]

my piggy moults really badly. She doesn't have mites and she is groomed regularly but everyday the fur is in thick layers all over me. When she is brushed it just keeps coming and bathing doesn't help. I was told recently that Piggys shouldn't moult and my other one doesn't at all so what's going on?

 

[theoretikos]

My boys drop hair all the time. I have never been told that they shouldn't moult! Hopefully someone with a bit more knowledge will appear soon

 

[Wiebke]

Some guinea pigs moult quite a bit and others don't moult much at all. It depends on on the breed; all piggies lose some hair, same a us humans.

Moulting is just general hair loss without any bald patches, itchiness or flaky skin. It usually happens most pronounced in spring and autumn.

At times, I have been joking I could furbish a whole yurt (Mongolian felt hut) from one of my teddy's moulting!

 

[Ginnypig]

I've never seen so much fur. I used to have cats and they didn't moult like my piggy. I'm surprised she has any fur left lol. She doesn't itch and she is lovely and glossy but I think she is a different breed to my other one. My other is one colour (ginger) with huge floppy ears and a long face. This piggy is a brownish grey with white flecks and a white stripe on one side of her tummy. She is white underneath and has white hair round her eyes. Her eyes are dark with a red tint and she has tiny mouse like ears and a round face. She also has much smaller feet than my other piggy and shorter legs. Any thoughts?

 

[Wiebke]

I've never seen so much fur. I used to have cats and they didn't moult like my piggy. I'm surprised she has any fur left lol. She doesn't itch and she is lovely and glossy but I think she is a different breed to my other one. My other is one colour (ginger) with huge floppy ears and a long face. This piggy is a brownish grey with white flecks and a white stripe on one side of her tummy. She is white underneath and has white hair round her eyes. Her eyes are dark with a red tint and she has tiny mouse like ears and a round face. She also has much smaller feet than my other piggy and shorter legs. Any thoughts?

Could you please upload pictures?
Here are some guides: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/videos/ or http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/videos/

 

[Ginnypig]

This is what she looks like :-)

 

[Wiebke]

She looks like a fox cross or a mismarked fox to me. The white eye rings are typical for foxes, which are generally a more specialist breed.

I have some smooth piggies that moult stronger than other others, but it is generally not something to worry about. And it should stop at around the time when you have the feeling that there REALLY can't be any hair left on the piggy - which of course couldn't be nay further from the truth!

 

[jenny57]

Hi, I have two boys who moult constantly too. My short haired one Buddy is the worst offender but Diesel who is a strange semi- longhaired chap is not far behind. Its amazing how much hair can come off one small animal.

Your little girl is lovely, and as long as she is healthy, no bald or sore spots I wouldn't worry.

 

[Ginnypig]

Interesting to hear about the breed 'fox' as never heard of. She is quite s character though. Do you know much about this breed? Personality traits or anything else? She has moulted since we got her but it seems worse at the moment. Her fur is quite thick and straight but wavy in places. She's my odd baby lol x

 

[Wiebke]

Interesting to hear about the breed 'fox' as never heard of. She is quite s character though. Do you know much about this breed? Personality traits or anything else? She has moulted since we got her but it seems worse at the moment. Her fur is quite thick and straight but wavy in places. She's my odd baby lol x

No, I don't know much about foxes, as they are not a common pet breed. Personality in piggies is so individual that breed characteristics quite often don't apply, anyway.

 

[Ginnypig]

Have tried looking it up on the Internet but not much info on the fox breed. Haven't seen any pics of piggys on the net who look anything like mine. She is more mouselike in appearance. Would love to know more though.

 

[Freela]

Some guinea pigs shed more than others. It's not always the ones you would expect either- I have a short-haired pig and a sheltie cross... it's the short-haired who sheds about three times what the longer-haired pig sheds! Some days, we can get such a huge ball of fur off her just patting her with bare hands that we could make a whole other piggies out of the hair!

 

[lady liberty]

Hi my piggies moult constantly to

 

[Ruby Inferno]

Your piggies are beautiful! Never heard of the fox breed, but looks lovely.

My piggy, Doughnut, moults constantly too. This is what he looks like, I think he is a rex hybrid, he has coarse fur.

And his brother, Caramel, a silkie. He doesn't moult at all, possibly because his fur is so smooth.