Barbering - how to limit/stop?

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Sodapops

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Over the last week ive noticed that my beautiful texel girl is being chewed by one of her cage mates, i don't think Wexford is doing it as for a short time when Tulisa was young he had a rather dashing haircut courtesy of Tulisa (although it certainly wasn't as noticeable as Tulisa's is) - therefore i suspect little Charlotte is the one doing it (as her peruvian locks are still very much in tact).

Ive read that chew sprays can help and i notice there are some which state they are safe to use on the animal itself to stop chewing of the coat - although these are mainly for dogs/cats - would they be safe to use on a guinea pig if used in very small quantities?


here is a selection of the sprays ive been looking at (any suggestions on which would be the best to try would be greatly appreciated)

http://www.pet-supermarket.co.uk/productlist.asp?SearchString=chew%20spray
 
I heard bitter apple can help but there is really no cure for barbering some pigs must just like to eat hair, Esme thankfully grew out of it but I do suspect every so often Milo barbers himself now! x
 
No idea on the sprays sorry.

But just a thought - is it definetly one of the others barbering her or could she be barbaring her self? Putt (rip) used to barber herself by her cyst unfortunatly because of the pain the cyst gave her. It may be worth getting your girl to the vet if so.
 
Ginger is a terrible barberer aswell...!
All of my pigs in olivers herd have extremly short hair she even barbers smooth coats... My Swiss and sheltie have hardly any hair and when I have my textel and two marinos in there aswell they were eaten within an inch of their life's...!
I have yet to find something to stop her...
But barbering doesn't cause any distress to the piggies so I wouldn't be concerned about it... Unless you have witnessed the barbered pig getting upset about it there's not alot you can do... If she's getting distressed then I tend to separate and place them in another herd...
I would bs weary of any chemicals or sprays you put on them... Because if it tastes of smells bad to stop the barberer barbering then the barbered pig I would have thought wouldn't be too happy when it comes to cleaning it's self...
x
 
i have the same problem!

My long haired girls have had their beautiful quiffs chewed off by my Himi, wilma!

Silly piggie, now they have short hair around their head and shoulders!
 
I had a piggie that barbered her daughter. I wasn't able to deter her much, but I washed her daughter once with gorgeous guineas lavender shampoo and it stopped her for a bit, maybe she tasted funny?! But she did grow out of it in the end, you might just have to wait it out. :/
 
Jeff fancies himself as a hairdresser rolleyes

I'm just putting up with it at the moment - I'm not keen on the idea of sprays and such, as if it tastes bad enough to deter a barbering pig, it'll taste bad enough to stop the piggy from grooming itself!
 
i just wish the culprit would barber the other side so it at least looks even lol :)) i guess it's more obvious as she's got long curly hair - when Wexford was barbered his looked like he'd had a nice layer put in his hair as he's a coronet :))

Tulisa herself is a very gentle, quiet pig so it would be hard to judge whether she's 'pushed around' her nature is very submissive anyway (she's around 9months old and charlotte is around 5months old) - she doesn't go without food though - she's always first to the veg plate and hay rack....

Her locks were still in tact on 20th December when i took her to the vets to get the all clear from her abscess - so this has only come about in the last 2wks :(

I'll see how things go over the next couple of weeks before trying any sprays....
 
My Ena used to have a lovely long 'skirt'. Well, thanks to her three cage mates, the skirt is no more! I have came to the conclusion that Ena will always have shorter chewed fur
 
Claire W said:
My Ena used to have a lovely long 'skirt'. Well, thanks to her three cage mates, the skirt is no more! I have came to the conclusion that Ena will always have shorter chewed fur
Click to expand...


I'm slowly coming to this conclusion too :) Tulisa has one of those faces where she looks so hard done by that you cannot help but feel sorry for her - she's one of those pigs you just wanna pick up, cuddle and protect from the rest of the world xx>>> everyone who meets her instantly says 'ahhh' and just wants to give her a big cuddle. She's probably a right little mare when my back is turned rolleyes
 
sport_billy said:
No idea on the sprays sorry.

But just a thought - is it definetly one of the others barbering her or could she be barbaring her self? Putt (rip) used to barber herself by her cyst unfortunatly because of the pain the cyst gave her. It may be worth getting your girl to the vet if so.
Click to expand...


The barbered hair is just above her front leg (along what would be her shoulders)
 
I saw something about this on peter gurneys website, the links on the health and illness forum.
 
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