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Oil/Grease glands in boars

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nutmeg

nutmeg

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Can somebody tell me where these are and what they look like please.
I have just used the search part of the forum, and come up with Sunshine and Twinkles dodgy oil on her car! rolleyes
Thanks xx
 
I can't find mine either but they are both young piggies as you know. I had a good look but other than their man parts and anus i couldn't see anything else!
 
If you look and feel on the rump above the anal sac (where a tail would be if they had one) it will feel quite hard and a bit sticky. It is not visible on dark haired pigs/long haired unless you search for it, but it is clearly visible on light haired guineas as a black circle.
 
I know this sounds stupid but what is an anal sack? do they not have a hole (maybe what I thought was anus was the gland?)? I think I need to read up on anatomy of guinea pigs :)) It seems very strange!
 
Briony_Y said:
I know this sounds stupid but what is an anal sack? do they not have a hole (maybe what I thought was anus was the gland?)? I think I need to read up on anatomy of guinea pigs :)) It seems very strange!
Click to expand...

Just tried looking on internet but doesn't appear to any useful sites anyone know a good one with a piccy so I can see what the gland looks like?
 
I'm still a bit confused too. One of my own boars has, just about where a tail would be at the bottom of his back, a hardish black round circle, slightly raised, bald, and a little, very little bit of sticky fur round it. Is that the oil gland?
 
Yup that is it! the stickiness round it is excess grease not the gland itself and needs to be cleaned regularly using swarfega to break down the grease, then rinsed. I normally do this before their bath every 3 months or so.
 
This thread is just perfect timing for me, as I have logged on tonight specifically to search out grease glands, as one of my boars seems to be a bit sticky in that region.

I had gps for years prior to this time, and never knew this grease gland even existed! Is it that some boars never have grease gland problems? I hope so, as I never cleaned any of my previous boars' glands.
 
my boar scruffy hasnt had a problem with his gland its never sticky or anything he is two now
 
2 out of 3 of my girls regularly get mucky grease glands too.

I must admit, I'm always a bit worried about using Swarfega to remove it (seems like strong stuff, if anyone can reassure me there :{), so I work some oil in to remove it instead.
 
Yup, good ol' Fairy liquid! But rinsed very well...

Not all of them have a problem with it.. I've got some boars that have never needed it cleaned, others are always needing it done and are waxy there. On the ones with no wax, it's hard to even locate where it would be, but it's very obvious when there is a problem as it can make it the size of a 10p or so.

Sophie
x
 
I find swarfega more gentle than fairy liquid but either is fine as long as rinsed well. If you still find it hard to come off, try using a soft baby toothbrush. I think boars who live together and are a bit rumbly have more active grease glands than say lone boars or neutered boar/sows-maybe that is just mine though :))
 
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