Thanks. It was wet and a bit matted where it's been wet then dried. We've only had them a few days so
Not sure if this is new or not.
I will try to bath her then cut the hair short.
They are on newspaper and wood shavings with puppy pads underneath the newspaper. I'm thinking of changing to fleece but I think you can only get the liners for cc cage? The sspca gave us what is obviously a shop bought cage.
Hi!
Please keep long-jaired guinea pig cut short around the bum end and the back legs. If you like them to be doing piggy stuff, then you keep their overall hair shorter. If you love the long hair, then cut the underlayers on the sides shorter and the sides, so that the hairs are off the floor; that is going to make grooming easier and will minimise matting.
When cutting out mats, make sure that you have a finger between the skin and any sharp scissors, and don't pull on the skin.
Unless your piggies are very dirty, a bum bath with hand warm water should do the trick. Do not bathe piggies, especially new and freaky ones, in a sink to prevent them jumping blindly and injuring themselves. Eitehr use the bathtub, a shower or a basin on a wipeable floor.
If you want to use a long-hair piggy shampoo, Gorgeous Guineas have a range of shampoos formulated for guinea pig skin ph. The ones for long-hairs, which contains conditioner, is called posh'n'go. However, as every bath can dry out the delicate guinea pig skin, keep full-on bathing to a minimum.
How To Bathe Guinea Pigs - Including Ears & Grease Glands
If your piggies are urinating very strongly and stale smelling urine, then you need to see a vet over a cystitis or urinary tract infection, which requires an antibiotic.
As to fleece bedding: I am using anti-pil micro or polar fleece by the yard from an online shop for my pens, but also cheap acrylic bed spreads or baby blankets from Primark. You do not have to spend a fortune and you can use them for a traditional cage. Please follow the tips in the guide to make sure that your fleece is not sealed with conditioner, doesn't come out stinking from an overfilled drum and doesn't mess up the filters too much.
The underlay should be something absorbent, whether that is puppy pads, washable incontinence mattress or seat covers (which you cut to size) or plain cotton towels.
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview