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Skin question

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jess_2745

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One of my guinea pigs has got long hair on the bum area and i when i try to groom it she squeals like I'm murdering her. She only does it when i groom that area. Her hair is quite dry and feels like its been hair sprayed near the roots. I try to be as gentle as possible and it makes me feel so mean. I can't bath her as they are outdooor pigs and its too cold. Her skin looks quite flaky too.

So a few questions:

Do most guineas hate being groomed?

Do longer haired ones tend to have more sensitive skin?

Any idea why her skins like that?

A couple of my others don't like being groomed on the rump area either. Sorry if these are stupid questions but who else can you ask :))
 
My two are both long hairs and hate being groomed around the rump. A lot of pigs are sensitive particularly around this area. Generally I find that veggies can distract them! Think I read somewhere that Shelties seem to be more sensitive to grooming but don't know how much truth there is in this. Is the flaky skin a bit like dandruff? If so she could have lice- which may also help to explain why it hurts her so much. Maybe get her to a vet if you're not sure.

Bathing her shouldn't be a problem even if she's an outdoor piggy- just bath her inside and wait til she's properly dry before you take her outside again (hairdryers on a low heat setting are good here!). x
 
I thought they had lice so they've been treated, maybe they are being stubborn and don't want to leave. I have some lice and easy so will do them with that to make sure they're all gone. It takes a long time to do 6 pigs and they make such a fuss!
 
Try using Alphosyl shampoo. It is meant for flaky skin eg psoriasis.
Nizoral shampoo is an anti fungal shampoo.
Often the differential diagnosis can be difficult so treat for both conditions.
Use these shampoos, both available from most chemists, on alternate days. You must let the shampoo remain on the skin for 3-5 minutes for maximum effect. Rinse and blow dry. After 3 or 4 days repeat the cycle, if, after another week, the problem hasn't cleared up then repeat the treatment. There are no hard or fast rules about the time between treatment cycles, some owners may leave it a week or slightly more.
It may help to use a conditioner on the hair after each shampooing session to soften the hair.
 
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