Longhair Grooming

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kayjay

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Despite me trimming Grace's bum quite short it still feels wet and matted everytime I check her - is this inevitable in longhaired piggies? Lottie's is ok but with her hair being curly, it springs up off the floor more.

Also, they both need a bath as their hair is feeling greasy but now they're outside can I still bath them if I make sure they're dry before they go back out or should I wait until warmer weather?
 
I can't answer about long haired piggies Kathryn but i've bathed my piggies on colder days before, after hairdrying i kept them in overnight just to make sure they were fully dry before they went back outside  :)
 
My Tiger's bum is often wet even tho I trim his hair and groom him but he is a wriggler so I can only do a bit at a time, and he pees so much! The hair round his rear end gets matted a lot and he squeaks when I try to comb him so I have to do it really slowly... it does worry me, but I don't want him to get distressed by making him have his hair brushed for too long... :-\ Also he seems to run right through his puddles and gets wet again, silly piggie!
 
All you can do is trim as close to the body as you can, using round ended scissors. Use the most absorbent bedding possible (though min e were fine on shavings for years, use megazorb now.)

It's not wise to bath guineas and put them outside at this time of the year, or any in my opinion. If he really needs it, just wash his "tail end." Dry as much as possible with a soft towel, then finish of with a low heat dryer.
Keep him indoors for an hour or 2 in a not too warm are, away from draughts then put him out again. With lot's of hay....which is obvious!
I presume he is in a shed?

If I'm honest I like to see the very long-haired guineas indoors, especially over the winter, this is one of the main reasons.
Some need bathing more than others and if not done soon look very sorry for themselves....and their hair grows so quickly :D

Barbara

Barbara
 
cavykind said:
All you can do is trim as close to the body as you can, using round ended scissors. Use the most absorbent bedding possible (though min e were fine on shavings for years, use megazorb now.)

It's not wise to bath guineas and put them outside at this time of the year, or any in my opinion. If he really needs it, just wash his "tail end." Dry as much as possible with a soft towel, then finish of with a low heat dryer.
Keep him indoors for an hour or 2 in a not too warm are, away from draughts then put him out again. With lot's of hay....which is obvious!
I presume he is in a shed?

If I'm honest I like to see the very long-haired guineas indoors, especially over the winter, this is one of the main reasons.
Some need bathing more than others and if not done soon look very sorry for themselves....and their hair grows so quickly :D

Barbara

Barbara
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Yes she's in a shed - I had to move them all out of the house due to mice being attracted to them and we couldn't get rid of them as they were eating the guinea's food. She's on shavings with a layer of hay on top. I'll try a bum bath until the weather warms up.

Mine hate being groomed around their bum and it does seem to distress them so I keep it cut as short as I can
 
there is a dry shampoo http://www.bitsforpets.com/product_...=1969&osCsid=1afd008919fdef719a8b7c8743f4ac47 you should be able to buy it from most pets shops, i have never used it so can't tell you what it is like but it saves getting the guinea wet.
there is also an anti-tangle grooming spray i've been looking for it in pet shops but it seems that this is the only place that sells it! http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=406&pf_id=3713 i will be ordering some shortly now that i have longhaired piggies :)
 
Bertie absolutely hates being combed around his back-end so I have to keep it pretty short. He is actually very good at keeping himself neat and tidy - I think he fancies himself as a beauty queen ;D. So, I just tend to brush him when needed and of course give him regular baths as he has quite an active grease gland.
 
Tiger is a lot drier now that we've moved him indoors as he used to sit where the rabbit weed! He's on a mixutre of shredded paper and hay and it seems to do the trick. He really hates being grromed tho - I had to trim a tangle off him yesterday.
 
Bungle does get hay etc caught in the furr around his backside even though he is groomed daily and trimmed short around there. I have been using one of those 'rollin the hay' balls as a hay rack and this has really helped keep him matt free. As for the wet... I don't have that with Bungle o perhaps that is down to the bedding I am using. I am using Aubiose but was previously on megazorb. Bungle also hates grooming he turns around so fast as if he is going to bite (but he never does).
 
I use Aubiose too and my Texel lady Treacle never seems damp - she does wee on her hair sometimes and has a lot of 'bum dunk' baths! I keep her trimmed around the rear to stop her getting her legs tangled! She is groomed a few times a week.

I have just adopted a beautiful Sheltie boar so I am learning as I go with his hair! Have trimmed him at the back and brushed him daily so far and he looks lovely - bet it doesn't last though!
 
My piggie Tiger is a crested Sheltie (I think!) - I try to groom him little and often (every day!) and keep his hair short round his rear. He is not damp anymore now that he is on his own cage, but he still gets a lot of knots and will not sit still while I comb them! Every time the comb snags (and I do got very carefully and slowly) he squeaks, and I feel so guilty! Consequently I don't get very far ... I have been trying to balance lap time between cuddles and grooming as he was not that tame when we got him and used to nip. I didn't want him to get too distressed by the grooming. Anyway he is a lot tamer now, loves his cuddles and no longer nips, but just needs a lot more grooming! Hmm..
 
I trim my two longcoated cavies around their bottom and they appreciate that as it stops it getting wet from their wee and it stops it from getting matted and soiled from dragging on the floor. They are happier anyway in my opinion with trimmed hair. I use dog scissors to cut their coat with a blunt end.
 
I've bought a stand for my indoor cage and Lottie and Grace are coming back in :D I'm hoping being higher up any mouse can't get to the cage and I've also bought a wooden box to store all their bits in and a plastic container for food. Just got to make room for it as it's rather big! Once they're back in and settled it's bathtime (wash,cut and dry) ;D
 
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