Hair mats and urine on bums...?

[sabriel_paws20]

Hi,

Okay so my two girls, Gin & Tonic, have some mats under thier bums. The mats usually have dried mushed up poop in them. I was wondering if this is normal on guinea pigs or should I be worried? I tried to cut some of them off but I was so scared of hurting them since they are close to the skin, so I just gave up. Should I be grooming them more? They don't like it very much and when the comb gets stuck in a tiny tangle they squeak. I don't like hurting them!

Also, sometimes when I pick them up there bums are wet with urine...is this normal?

They have longish hair. It drags a little bit on the floor but only a centimeter or so. Is it safe to give them hair cuts? Or should I be doing those weird hair wraps you see sometimes? Should I be doing good groomings every day??

Help please!

Thank you so much!

-Meghan

 

[Denise]

What about a little mini-bath in the sink with some warm water and mild pet soap to soak off the poops? Use maybe only enough water to touch their bums, and let them soak a bit. As for the urine, mine only get wet like that when they are on a rubber mat, so I can't really address that.

 

[MetallichicA]

If your piggy's hair is getting tangled then you should definitely be brushing it every day and giving it regular haircuts around its bum. I have a short-haired pig who gets long hair on her back half, and I give her a haircut every time she gets a bath (about every month). It's easier to cut when it's wet.

And yes, if you're having trouble getting the poops off, you should bathe them anyway. That should help loosen them. Maybe you could take a soft brush and try to brush them off.

The easiest way I've found to cut Poppy's hair is to get her wet, then grab a bit of her fur between my pointer and middle fingers of my left hand with the fingers pointing straight down. I then just cut straight down towards the ground with the scissors. It kind of feathers it a little and keeps it shorter near her bum than on her back.

How often do you change their cage? If they're wet with urine and they have lots of poops stuck to them, maybe they should be changed more often.

 

[sabriel_paws20]

If your piggy's hair is getting tangled then you should definitely be brushing it every day and giving it regular haircuts around its bum. I have a short-haired pig who gets long hair on her back half, and I give her a haircut every time she gets a bath (about every month). It's easier to cut when it's wet.

And yes, if you're having trouble getting the poops off, you should bathe them anyway. That should help loosen them. Maybe you could take a soft brush and try to brush them off.

The easiest way I've found to cut Poppy's hair is to get her wet, then grab a bit of her fur between my pointer and middle fingers of my left hand with the fingers pointing straight down. I then just cut straight down towards the ground with the scissors. It kind of feathers it a little and keeps it shorter near her bum than on her back.

How often do you change their cage? If they're wet with urine and they have lots of poops stuck to them, maybe they should be changed more often.

I'm very good at changing there 2x6 grid cage every 7 days. So it's never really messy. Should I change it more often, is that why they have poop stuck them and they're wet with urine? I'm just worried that they might have a bladder infection or something.

I'll definetly try giving them some little baths and a hair cut. I just wasn't sure if hair cuts were safe or not. Is it difficult to do?

Thank you so much for your advice!

Do anyone else's pigs get mats on their bums though? Do you trim your pigs hair?

Thanks!

-Meghan

 

[cinn&sprinslave]

I'm very good at changing there 2x6 grid cage every 7 days. So it's never really messy. Should I change it more often, is that why they have poop stuck them and they're wet with urine? I'm just worried that they might have a bladder infection or something.

I'll definetly try giving them some little baths and a hair cut. I just wasn't sure if hair cuts were safe or not. Is it difficult to do?

Thank you so much for your advice!

Do anyone else's pigs get mats on their bums though? Do you trim your pigs hair?

Thanks!

-Meghan

My texel male always gets mats on his bum. I usually just cut them off unless they are to close to the skin then I soak his bum in warm water, he has super long hair (4-5in. long) so I just cut it all off. (During the summer I have my vet shave his hair down to about an 1in. long.) But when I cut it I usually use sissors, but sometimes use this little shaver for my dog, the shaver is quiet and cuts the hair quicker than sissors. I don't know why the poop gets stuck, but it is not because of some medical reason, because I have gone to the vet about it, it just happens. My males hates to be brushed, he squeaks and sqeals the whole time,so I usually just cut the hair, but try and brush it once a week.

 

[cinn&sprinslave]

My texel male always gets mats on his bum. I usually just cut them off unless they are to close to the skin then I soak his bum in warm water, he has super long hair (4-5in. long) so I just cut it all off. (During the summer I have my vet shave his hair down to about an 1in. long.) But when I cut it I usually use sissors, but sometimes use this little shaver for my dog, the shaver is quiet and cuts the hair quicker than sissors. I don't know why the poop gets stuck, but it is not because of some medical reason, because I have gone to the vet about it, it just happens. My males hates to be brushed, he squeaks and sqeals the whole time,so I usually just cut the hair, but try and brush it once a week.

Oh yeah, I forgot to say I spot clean my piggies cage every day so he couldn't be getting poop on him because it isn't clean. And I clean the whole cage once a week.
I have no idea why your piggies would have pee on them.

 

[Treen]

Guinea pigs aren't actually meant to have long hair - it's just a trait we've bred for the look of it, regardless of the practicalities for them. So as a result if the hair around their bottom gets long and isn't trimmed or brushed every day, it will most likely get matted and wet which isn't good for the skin underneath.

I had some pigs that had long hair around their bottoms and I just trimmed it regularly and gave it a quick comb every day - if you do it frequently it doesn't build up so it gets matted and they don't mind having it done as much as if it gets knotted.

Most guinea pigs hate the wraps - they're only used by people who are showing their guinea pigs so want to keep the hair ridiculously long. It's much kinder just to trim them so they stay comfortable.

If they still repeatedly get wet bottoms after you've trimmed them etc then have them checked at the vet as it can be a sign of problems with their waterworks.