Scared Piggies Need Grooming?

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Jojessgaz

Jojessgaz

Junior Guinea Pig
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I'm going slow with my girls as suggested but being longer haired they are looking in need of a bit of a brush. How do I do this especially with the very scared one if I can't get near her? It's been 4 weeks now and one is I'd say worse than ever but I'm trying to just feed her by hand ...Won't now in the hutch though has done and out via tube she will shake but eat from my hand as long as she stays in her tube. I'm getting worried as she's wet all the time and needs a good brush now but as soon as the brush goes near her back or bum she hates it...help
 
Could you try brushing her whilst she's in the cage? I know it won't do a proper job but could help get her used to it at first while she still feels safe in the cage..
And try feeding her veggies while you brush her to distract her?
 
I haven't got any long haired piggies. I will tag @Wiebke who has long haired piggies and has also settled in shy piggies but she may not respond for a while as she is unwell.
 
Beans&Toast said:
Could you try brushing her whilst she's in the cage? I know it won't do a proper job but could help get her used to it at first while she still feels safe in the cage..
And try feeding her veggies while you brush her to distract her?
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I can't get near her in the hutch. As soon as she sees me open the door she runs to the back corner and I would only be able to brush a tiny bit of one side of her. I will keep trying little bits. She's still very iffy taking food. It takes a long time for her to decide to venture to my hand for it... so if a brush went near her then she would just run. I am actually taking them both to a lady this weekend who is going to trim their fur at the bottom so it's not such a mess so she will be able to brush her quick but I fear this will send her back to the very beginning but it has to be done. Just hoping that as it's not my hands there she won't hate me! It's so hard when you gave such a timid one to still look after them and check them over
 
Do you take your piggies out for daily lap time at all yet?
We have one long haired guinea pig and I trim just around her bum & at the back(as this can drag on the floor & get soaked with urine etc.) and also brush her when I can. I do this at laptime as she is more likely to stay still on someone or something (like a fleece on the sofa) & also she can't run off anywhere like into a tunnel or somewhere in the hutch lol.
Hope this helps :)
 
VickiA said:
I haven't got any long haired piggies. I will tag @Wiebke who has long haired piggies and has also settled in shy piggies but she may not respond for a while as she is unwell.
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Please don't bother wiebke it's fine. Can I ask you though vickiA you have timid piggies how do you check them over health wise. Do you just pick them up as quick as poss? I don't know what to do for the best as I'm trying to go slow and gain her trust which is going to take ages which is ok but in the meantime I feel I'm neglecting her
 
3cutepiggies said:
Do you take your piggies out for daily lap time at all yet?
We have one long haired guinea pig and I trim just around her bum & at the back(as this can drag on the floor & get soaked with urine etc.) and also brush her when I can. I do this at laptime as she is more likely to stay still on someone or something (like a fleece on the sofa) & also she can't run off anywhere like into a tunnel or somewhere in the hutch lol.
Hope this helps :)
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Yes that does help 3 cutepiggies. ..our black one comes out every day and we brush her lightly while she eats... the other white one which I have concerns about vibrates as soon as she's out and tries to burrow in anything she can find. So I have been getting her out via the tunnel but then she won't come out hense trying to brush what I can see while she's in there... not alot! I am taking them to a lady sun so she can help me trim their back ends so I may just have to brush her quick and hope she forgives me for the trauma. I just don't seem to be making any progress with her.. but will not give up with her ever but don't want to go backwards in doing something she hates
 
Jojessgaz said:
Yes that does help 3 cutepiggies. ..our black one comes out every day and we brush her lightly while she eats... the other white one which I have concerns about vibrates as soon as she's out and tries to burrow in anything she can find. So I have been getting her out via the tunnel but then she won't come out hense trying to brush what I can see while she's in there... not alot! I am taking them to a lady sun so she can help me trim their back ends so I may just have to brush her quick and hope she forgives me for the trauma. I just don't seem to be making any progress with her.. but will not give up with her ever but don't want to go backwards in doing something she hates
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Hi, :) all piggies have different personalities and some are more nervous/timid than others. It is normal for a nervous piggy to vibrate and that may just be his/her personality, but with daily laptime and encouragement they will learn to tolerate things a little more lol.
I think we don't realise how much we will worry about them before they are brought home and you obviously care a lot about them :)
Good luck with the trimming/brushing which ever route you take. All in all it should only take a few minutes and your piggy will forgive you :)
 
Jojessgaz said:
I can't get near her in the hutch. As soon as she sees me open the door she runs to the back corner and I would only be able to brush a tiny bit of one side of her. I will keep trying little bits. She's still very iffy taking food. It takes a long time for her to decide to venture to my hand for it... so if a brush went near her then she would just run. I am actually taking them both to a lady this weekend who is going to trim their fur at the bottom so it's not such a mess so she will be able to brush her quick but I fear this will send her back to the very beginning but it has to be done. Just hoping that as it's not my hands there she won't hate me! It's so hard when you gave such a timid one to still look after them and check them over
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I would recommend for her to get a short-hair cut for the time being while you are making friends with her, so she won't need much in the way of grooming until she is hopefully over the very worst of it. Is she an only guinea pig and how old is she? Long-haired guinea pig are always happier with shorter hair over the warm period. If you have got somebody experienced who can help you so one of you can concentrate on holding and distracting her while the other one is doing the cutting, it makes things a lot easier!

Here are our tips for new owners, which you may find helpful in settling her in and making friends with her:
" Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners
 
Hi wiebke. .. appreciate the reply sorry to bother you when your not well. We have two piggies. I have posted a few times on taming and read all I can. One the black one is coming along well doing all she should. They are about 13 weeks old and we have had them for 4 weeks now. The white one has always been very scared. I try and feed her in the hutch by hand. .Sometimes she will sometimes won't. I get her out via the tunnel but she vibrates even in that and won't come out of it. I'm taking it all slowly but no change yet. I know she isn't going to like being cut. Was only going to trim her bum but if she has a cut all over is it just a matter of trimming it all. Will it grow back then? I chose her because of her lovely coat so I don't want to mess her up too much. Is there anything more than on the post I can do to help her trust me .I just feel I keep trying every day just to put my hand in and feed her but she doesn't seem to be progressing thx again
 
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