Grooming: Peruvians??

[HeatherBoo]

Hey there. I recently lost my Guinea Pigs due to old age and have decided its time to look into getting more. I have found a rescue about 2 1/2 hours away that I am going to adopt from. There is a trio of Peruvian guys there that have stolen my heart. The problem here, I have never owned anything except Americans and 1 Abyssinian. I figured this would be a good place to learn about grooming Peruvians and about any additional care they need, so please share any knowledge or advice you have for me. I really want to give these boys a home.

[Peggysu]

Three will be quite a bit of work in the grooming department. I have one peruvian and he keeps me pretty entertained. My advice is to keep their butt cut short and comb daily. If you do a thread search there are a ton of hints that people use when grooming or bathing their long haired guinea pigs.

[HeatherBoo]

I know they will be a lot of work, but I'm all for it. I've wanted a Peruvian for quite some time and three is just three times the fun.

Thanks, I will definitely check out the other threads and see what I can find.

[catzeye21138]

You could always just clip the fur short, and give them a wicked hair cut. Or, if you like the look of a longer fur, comb it daily, and carefully wrap the fur up in paper towels secured with rubber bands. Especially around the butt area, that can get pretty gross, fast.

Good luck getting your new boys!

[Dichotomy83]

Daily brushing with a SOFT bristled brush is a must. You'll want to also keep the hair near their rear end short to avoid it getting too messy. I plan on giving my peruvian mix a bath every couple months, or more often if needed to keep his hair nice. Dont bathe too often though, as you'll dry out their skin. You'll also want to cool-air dry them off to prevent them from getting a chill in colder weather.

I couldnt imagine having three long haired guys!! (although I do want another long hair eventually. LOL)

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by catzeye21138

comb it daily, and carefully wrap the fur up in paper towels secured with rubber bands.

I'm sorry but I don't see the purpose in doing this. Isn't something like this what show people do to their pigs? It's better to keep the but fur trimmed and keep the sides to where they aren't dragging the hair though stuff.

Long haired pigs should not be bathed more than every 3-4 months.

[TallulahBear]

Why is it recommended to bathe only every 3-4 months? I know getting then wet and chilled is always a risk. Besides that, goes monthly bathing take toll on their skin?

[HeatherBoo]

I want to keep their fur longer. Not long enough to keep it wrapped, but long enough to look like I have Peruvians. I plan on using the Fleece system, so would I be able to let their fur(not talking about the butt. I'll keep that short) get a little longer since there wouldnt be bedding to deal with??

What do you bathe a Guinea Pig with, like, shampoo wise??

[HeatherBoo]

Here's a picture of the boys at the rescue if anyone wants to see. If everything works out, they will be coming to live with me in 4-5 months(we're moving soon and then gotta get everything set up for them). The more I look at them, the more I think I'm getting their breed wrong. What do y'all think??

[TallulahBear]

So they are going to be in the rescue for 4-5 months waiting for you? What if someone else comes for them that can provide them a good home without the wait?

There is nothing wrong with loving the looks of a long haired piggy.....I have quite a soft spot for the long hair ones myself. Even so, I believe in keeping the piggies groomed to minimize the amount of discomfort and stress to them. I keep mine's butt trimmed and the sides all trimmed up so they don't drag around. She still has the adorable long fur around her head and down her back.

[HeatherBoo]

They have been at the rescue for a couple of years now and they dont see them being adopted anytime soon. Longhaired pigs and trios tend to stay longer and the fact that they are 3+ years old isnt helping their case much either. If they do get adopted and go to a good home, I will be happy that they finally have a family of their own and I will still be bringing home a pair(or trio) of needy Piggies to love. That all goes back to the "if everything works out" thing. I didnt mean that they were holding them for me or anything like that.

I dont mean like, 3 inches of dragging fur, just like slightly above the ground. Probably shorter than their hair is in the picture. Of course, if I see it bothering them at all, I'll be chopping more off.

[ferndalezoo]

I have two long-haired pigs. One peruvian (looks JUST like the black ones in the picture you posted) and one silkie. In both cases (they have lived on fleece in the past, though they are currently on Aspen), I keep the but hair cut short, and the sides short enough so that they don't drag on the ground, and it's never been a problem. Our other boars (skinny pigs, who are no longer housed with the two long-haired guys) chewed on the front of the peruvian's hair, so right now he has "bangs". We comb both guys daily, and they get a full-on bath a couple times a year.

[HeatherBoo]

So would a full bath in January, May, and September be a good plan??

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by TallulahBear

Why is it recommended to bathe only every 3-4 months? I know getting then wet and chilled is always a risk. Besides that, goes monthly bathing take toll on their skin?

Yes, it does. They have sensitive skin and many are prone to skin problems. You can do butt baths in between regular bathing.

Originally Posted by HeatherBoo

I dont mean like, 3 inches of dragging fur, just like slightly above the ground. Probably shorter than their hair is in the picture. Of course, if I see it bothering them at all, I'll be chopping more off.

Yeah cut the sides so it's slightly off the ground. Their fur will grow roughly an inch a month so you'd need to trim at least once a month. Keep the hind end fur trimmed shorter than the sides.

Originally Posted by HeatherBoo

What do you bathe a Guinea Pig with, like, shampoo wise??

A shampoo formulated for small animals like rabbit shampoo is the best. I use Four Paws Bunny Bath. No human shampoos and no medicated/insecticidal shampoos.

[HeatherBoo]

Wow, owning Peruvians is going to be so much different than the Americans I've had i the past. So..

Do I need to bathe them every 3-4 months or only if they need it??
Also, should I brush and comb them everyday or will just one do??

[GizzyandMe]

My Gizzy now knows that when the brush comes out it means a special treat of her favourit veg. I always keer the scissors near by in case a quick trim is needed on the sides and butt.
I keep her butt very short and her sides about 1 centimeter from the floor. I am always amazed at how quick her hair grows.
I know it seems like a lot of work but I love hearing her purr while brushing her.
I have to say that I have been bathing her once a month and use ByoFresh Aloe Vera Deodorising shampoo. It aparently does less damage to her skin.

[HeatherBoo]

I am fully prepared for the work that these little boys(or any Pigs I bring home) entail and cannot wait to get started!!

Exactly how short do I need to clip the butt?? Like, American length or shorter??

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Those pigs are gorgeous but they are coronets. Not Peruvians. They need grooming more like silkies than true peruvians.

[HeatherBoo]

Thats what I was thinking after I looked at them more, but I wasnt sure. Their breed isnt listed on the rescue website, but I have e-mailed them to find out for sure.

[HeatherBoo]

Ok, I just got the e-mail back from the rescue and the are indeed Coronets. So, what is the difference in grooming Coronets as opposed to Peruvian??