Amysguineapigs
Teenage Guinea Pig
I've seen some gorgeous Shelties and Peruvian guinea pigs, and was wondering do there coats require frequent grooming?
Shelties & Peruvians
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Amysguineapigs
Teenage Guinea Pig
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claire8234
Teenage Guinea Pig
Hi Amy
My two boys are sheltie cross peruvian!
If you look on my post titled cage free play you will see a couple of photos of them
They have long hair which is also very thick, slightly wiry and curly. The brown and white one Carrot has less fur and is softer than Daisy the cream one.
Their fur is not as smooth as some other breeds so even with daily brushing it can seem a bit tangly. I use a wire slicker brush similar to this http://www.petsathome.com/shop/soft-pin-slicker-brush-by-options-15828
and find it gets the tangles out without pulling too much but don't expect your piggies to enjoy it
I cut their fur regularly which, because it is thick is not the easiest of tasks and they really aren't keen on that, especially as I get near their bottoms so a tasty treat to keep them distracted always helps.
I keep the hair on their bums fairly short and cut the hair elsewhere when it starts getting to the stage where it brushes the floor. They may not win any prizes in a beauty contest but they are clean! When cutting their hair I use a comb to life the hair and cut the hair off the comb so I know the scissors are nowhere near their skin
If you do have long haired guineas you need to brush them every day, trim their fur if it starts getting long, keep an eye on their bums and give bum washes as and when needed. I don't bath mine unless I really need to. My boys also have a tendancy to sit in their own wee if they are on our laps or running in the house which makes their fur wet so keep this in mind.
I have always had long haired piggies so I don't find any of this a chore, I just love their scruffy bed heads
My two boys are sheltie cross peruvian!
If you look on my post titled cage free play you will see a couple of photos of them
They have long hair which is also very thick, slightly wiry and curly. The brown and white one Carrot has less fur and is softer than Daisy the cream one.
Their fur is not as smooth as some other breeds so even with daily brushing it can seem a bit tangly. I use a wire slicker brush similar to this http://www.petsathome.com/shop/soft-pin-slicker-brush-by-options-15828
and find it gets the tangles out without pulling too much but don't expect your piggies to enjoy it
I cut their fur regularly which, because it is thick is not the easiest of tasks and they really aren't keen on that, especially as I get near their bottoms so a tasty treat to keep them distracted always helps.
I keep the hair on their bums fairly short and cut the hair elsewhere when it starts getting to the stage where it brushes the floor. They may not win any prizes in a beauty contest but they are clean! When cutting their hair I use a comb to life the hair and cut the hair off the comb so I know the scissors are nowhere near their skin
If you do have long haired guineas you need to brush them every day, trim their fur if it starts getting long, keep an eye on their bums and give bum washes as and when needed. I don't bath mine unless I really need to. My boys also have a tendancy to sit in their own wee if they are on our laps or running in the house which makes their fur wet so keep this in mind.
I have always had long haired piggies so I don't find any of this a chore, I just love their scruffy bed heads
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You will need to groom at least every second day. The hair is usually not very thick and still quite smooth, but some piggies can have lots of them, like my coronet Caron (who is a very similar breed), where you literally can't see the skin because of the mass of hair! If not, painful mats and tangles that pull on the skin can develop quite quickly.
They require occasional coat trimming (especially around the bum area and the sides, as the hair keeps growing) and checking for mats.
Also bath or at least a bum bath more often, since things can get somewhat messy and smelly when piggies sit in their own pee. It is not a huge extra amount of time, but something you need to factor in if you have a busy lifestyle. Don't expect your piggies to like grooming time!
Caron with very long hair:
Caron all tangled up after crawling forwards and backwards through the new fleece tunnel:
The solution to too many tangles: summer hair cut (which is growing back nicely now)!
They require occasional coat trimming (especially around the bum area and the sides, as the hair keeps growing) and checking for mats.
Also bath or at least a bum bath more often, since things can get somewhat messy and smelly when piggies sit in their own pee. It is not a huge extra amount of time, but something you need to factor in if you have a busy lifestyle. Don't expect your piggies to like grooming time!
Caron with very long hair:
Caron all tangled up after crawling forwards and backwards through the new fleece tunnel:
The solution to too many tangles: summer hair cut (which is growing back nicely now)!
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Amysguineapigs
Teenage Guinea Pig
Thank you for your advice--- and yours are gorgeous!
I have a Alpaca guinea pig which requires grooming and trimming but not very often at all!
So was wondering if smooth long haired requires more attention!
I have a Alpaca guinea pig which requires grooming and trimming but not very often at all!
So was wondering if smooth long haired requires more attention!
Thanks - I had to wait only 30 years until I came across my childood dream piggy at the right time, with the right gender and for once available in a rescue! 
My two other coronets Cariad and Ceri are a bit easier than Caron - even though they are the same breed, Caron has so much more hair. In my experience, problems are minimised when you keep the hair around the bum area cut short - that is where most dirtying and tangling happens.
My two other coronets Cariad and Ceri are a bit easier than Caron - even though they are the same breed, Caron has so much more hair. In my experience, problems are minimised when you keep the hair around the bum area cut short - that is where most dirtying and tangling happens.
NatalieMT
Teenage Guinea Pig
I find the fine hair on Shelties/Peruvians/Abyruvians tangles really easily compared to the breeds that have more course, dense coats like Alpacas, Merinos and Texels. My Swiss doesn't tangle at all though, he is the greatest ball of toilet brush type fluff ever!
They all need bathing on a regular basis (except Mr Swiss due to the breed being prone to dry skin), especially if you happen to have a pig (like me!) who doesn't groom itself too much either. Pigs who have long hair do tend to sit in their own wee too as others have mentioned, which isn't super nice and does need to be dealt with. I seem to be constantly bathing all mine on a rotational basis and they all get brushed daily. I have a couple of pigs who don't object too much to bath time but most of them attempt to make a soggy bid for freedom and don't stay still which makes it all take twice as long.
Personally my favourite breed so far to own is the Rex, obviously short hair but lovely texture, look gorgeous and don't require all the extra maintenance. I love putting my hands in their thick coat!
They all need bathing on a regular basis (except Mr Swiss due to the breed being prone to dry skin), especially if you happen to have a pig (like me!) who doesn't groom itself too much either. Pigs who have long hair do tend to sit in their own wee too as others have mentioned, which isn't super nice and does need to be dealt with. I seem to be constantly bathing all mine on a rotational basis and they all get brushed daily. I have a couple of pigs who don't object too much to bath time but most of them attempt to make a soggy bid for freedom and don't stay still which makes it all take twice as long.
Personally my favourite breed so far to own is the Rex, obviously short hair but lovely texture, look gorgeous and don't require all the extra maintenance. I love putting my hands in their thick coat!
Piggyologist
Junior Guinea Pig
You will need to groom at least every second day. The hair is usually not very thick and still quite smooth, but some piggies can have lots of them, like my coronet Caron (who is a very similar breed), where you literally can't see the skin because of the mass of hair! If not, painful mats and tangles that pull on the skin can develop quite quickly.
They require occasional coat trimming (especially around the bum area and the sides, as the hair keeps growing) and checking for mats.
Also bath or at least a bum bath more often, since things can get somewhat messy and smelly when piggies sit in their own pee. It is not a huge extra amount of time, but something you need to factor in if you have a busy lifestyle. Don't expect your piggies to like grooming time!
Caron with very long hair:
Caron all tangled up after crawling forwards and backwards through the new fleece tunnel:
The solution to too many tangles: summer hair cut (which is growing back nicely now)!
OMG Caron is GORGEOUS!
Hiya,
I have two long-haired pigs, a sheltie and a coronet. Their grooming requirements are really up to you. If you keep the hair long, grooming will be daily. If you keep it short, you could get off with ever 5 days!
Personally, I have a preference for floor-length hair which requires grooming every 3 days or so. My piggies hair is currently quite short- so short sometimes people think they're long-haired piggies! :omallethead
You can see them here if you like:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SVTR9kXaPQ[/ame]
-Piggieslave x>>
I have two long-haired pigs, a sheltie and a coronet. Their grooming requirements are really up to you. If you keep the hair long, grooming will be daily. If you keep it short, you could get off with ever 5 days!
Personally, I have a preference for floor-length hair which requires grooming every 3 days or so. My piggies hair is currently quite short- so short sometimes people think they're long-haired piggies! :o
malletheadYou can see them here if you like:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SVTR9kXaPQ[/ame]
-Piggieslave x>>
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