How much extra work...

**DocDolittle** · #1 10-05-05, 07:30 pm

How much extra work is a longhaired piggie? Just curious because I'm looking into adopting one and I want to make sure I don't horribly harm it by not grroming properly. I already brush both of by boys with a gentle bristle brush every day, but is it alot of extra work to keep a long haired piggie's coat in shape? I know I'll have to trim his hair every once in a while, but how often?

**Guinea_Gal** · #2 10-05-05, 07:44 pm

I have three short hairs, and a few months ago adopted 3 texels. I absolutly LOVE longhaired cavies! They are so fun to hold, because they are just little fluff balls! Anyway, to answer your question: I bath me three girls about every 3 months, and about every 2 months, my mom and i shave their behinds with a gentle dog shaver and clip their hair to a reasonable length as well. I found it impossible to keep the hair around their butts long without TONS of matting!
They are not so much extra work that you shouldn't adopt any long hairs, but just be aware of a little extra grooming. It's pretty fun to do everything at once though, bath, nails, hair, cage, because its like a piggy SPA DAY!
If i were you, i would definitly adopt a long haired piggy! Which one/s did you have in mind, and from what rescue?

**Squirle** · #3 10-05-05, 07:44 pm

Im probly not the one to ask. I do have 1 shelty, but I don't do much to here hair, well not as much as i probably should!

I brush her hair every day with a brush, and then again with a soft bristel baby brush, its not too hard but Keep Her Bum Short!!! I didn't relize that at first, and it was aweful! her beautiful white hair around her bum had turned yellow and stinky! i' had to give her a MAJOR bum bath, it wasn't pleasant.

But its kind of fun brushing her, I guess because shes the only thing i ever brush other tham my own hair, my other pig is a aby so she only gets her hair some with the soft bristled brush everyday, and a comb 1-2 times a week.

Other than those aweful bum bathes i had to give my shelty, long haird are pretty easy, i think.

**DocDolittle** · #4 10-05-05, 10:24 pm

Pigs that I'd like to adopt:
1) http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?ac...w=25&tmpl=&stat=
2) http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?ac...w=25&tmpl=&stat=

3) http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?ac...ow=0&tmpl=&stat=

4) http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?ac...ow=0&tmpl=&stat=

Yes, they are all long-haired. I'd love a long-haired boy because I've already got a smooth and an abby.

**aqh88** · #5 10-05-05, 11:16 pm

If you already brush daily then just add trimming every few months and you should be fine. You really don't need to and shouldn't give them baths every few months. It gives them some dry skin everytime you do so it's best to not bathe them unless they are actually dirty.

**Ly&Pigs** · #6 10-05-05, 11:24 pm

Daily brushing, keeping butt area trimmed so it doesn't get gunked up with pee and poo (trim every 3-4 weeks) and if the rest of the hair gets way too long, it can be trimmed as well. Longhairs grow hair at the rate of about 1" per month. I have two silkie/shelties and I have to trim their bums at least once per month and only give them butt baths every 2-3 months. Shaving their fur in the summer in my opinion isn't a good thing to do as piggies cannot sweat and the longer coats keep them cooler. I have never trimmed my girls hair other than on their bums. But the other sows barber them and give them funky hairdos!

**Guinea_Gal** · #7 10-06-05, 05:39 am

I would definitly cjoose wilson or pumpkin! I have a thing for black piggies!

**enchantingcavy** · #8 10-06-05, 05:54 am

I adore cinnamon!!! hehe...

I've owned large numbers of longhairs for years...with the coats on a longhair use a wide toothed comb as brushes can damage the hair or make it go fuzzy. Combs are gentler no the coat

But yeah as the others said longhairs really arn't that much work as long as they are bathed when needed and their butt hair is kept clipped nice and short so it dosn't get matted/dirty/stained.

If they're kept on a very absorbent bedding then generally even if their coats are kept at ground level they shouldn't get damp/stained/matted easily.

Awww they're all cuties in those photos!

*~jess~*

**iLoveDusty** · #9 10-06-05, 06:08 am

I like parker!

**cavy-cool-crazy** · #10 10-06-05, 06:18 am

All of them are cute but #3 and #4 are my favourites out of those!

With Tuppy being a long-haired she gets more grooming than the others. As she lives on carpet there is no problem with shavings getting tangled in her hair, which is a common problem with long-haired piggies.

Each day I pick her up for a cuddle and run my fingers through her hair to get out any tangles, and at least once every 3 days I use a small animal brush to give her a really good brushing.

Every 5-8 weeks she gets a butt bath, but this doesn't get many of the pee stains off her. It just cleans her up a bit and gets any bits of poop out of her hair.

She gets a trim whenever she needs it, to be honest. If I notice her hair getting in the way of her everyday activities then she gets an all-over haircut. She gets trimmed around her butt more often but it's still a case of when it gets a bit too much and starts to cause problems.

**Sabriel** · #11 10-06-05, 08:10 am

Spinel's hair is pretty long and very thick. He had a couple knots when I adopted him and his hair was icky and dry. But a bath and a good brushing every day keeps his hair looking nice.

I use a brush like
this I had bought it for the cats, but it does well enough for Spinel.

I haven't cut his hair yet as I can't tell how fast it'll grow. It does trail behind him a bit, but he's on fleece so it really doesn't pick up anything.

**laura220** · #12 10-06-05, 09:51 am

Since I'm searching for another piggy I had passed all the longhaired guys thinking they would be too much work even though I do really want one. Now I know different. I'm glad you started this thread Doc, now I can look into the longhaired girls I liked.

**DocDolittle** · #13 10-06-05, 03:42 pm

Alright, thanks. I'm still trying to decide on which guy to get, though!

**ilovemykisses** · #14 10-06-05, 03:56 pm

Pumpkin is one sexy piggie!

Have you met any of the little piggies? They are all adorable.. it'd probably be hard to pick one just from looking at them.. maybe you can go and visit a bit with each one and see how their personalities are. It might make it a little easier.

Aside from the butt trims, I don't think they're that much harder to care for than short haired piggies

Did I mention that Pumpkin was one hot piggie? *LOL*

**DocDolittle** · #15 10-06-05, 04:00 pm

The only problem with meeting all of them is that they live an hour and a half away from here and my mom really doesn't want to have to make multiple trips, what with gas prices. I really have to go with who's most submissive to other pigs.

**ilovemykisses** · #16 10-06-05, 04:04 pm

Do any of them... catch your attention more than others?

I think the antisocial one that's scared of his own shadow would be a bad choice.. even though the little guy is cute as heck.

Any one of them would be happy to be loved and cared for by you.

Good luck!

**DocDolittle** · #17 10-06-05, 04:18 pm

^That's what I thought, though I do adore him.

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