Swarfega

[kevincarpentryandjoinery]

Hi.
We always successfully used swarfega for the boy's grease glands but can't get the classic original green version any more and the new orange version has gritty bits in it so we don't want to use that...we've tried coconut oil with little success...any recommendations please?
Lots of thanks!

 

[piggieminder]

If I have to clean grease glands I use coconut oil but it's very rare I need too. Rub it in and leave it for half an hour and wash off with a bit of pet shampoo, don't use loads of the oil just a small bit as it can leave a very greasy residue in the hair. I use the Gorgeous Guineas shampoos.
Swarfefa used to be recommended but is now thought to be too harsh for piggy skin.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree - swarfega is no longer recommended. Coconut oil needs lots of time to soak in but it is the recommended product.

Do keep in mind that while some piggies do naturally produce more grease than others, cleaning the gland can actually make things worse - the more they are cleaned the more grease they will produce.

 

[Eriathwen]

I've always used a tiny, tiny dab of diluted fairy liquid for overactive grease glands or really stuck on build ups that coconut oil doesnt get off. Try not to get it on too much of the body as it obviously strips oil, drying out the skin and coat which can cause irritation. Gorgeous guineas does some moisturising creams (for feet) which I use a tiny bit of on the gland after to prevent drying out once the oils have been removed. Once this has been done, usually coconut oil is sufficient for many follow up tidy ups back there.

Luckily the boars I currently have, have very minimal build ups, I can only assume because they were castrated pretty young.