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In this podcast episode I share:
- The long-haired guinea pig breeds
- The extra care that they require further to the care that all guinea pigs need
- Extra things to be aware of from a long-haired piggy owner’s experience
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Long-haired Guinea Pig Breeds & Extra Care Required - Grooming, Haircuts, Barbering & Bathing
Podcast Notes:
Hi & Welcome to the Popcorning Piggy Podcast, your audio guide on all things guinea pigs. I’m your host, Sam, & this week’s episode is all about guinea pig cages.
Long-haired guinea pigs are super cute with their flowing locks & funky hair but they require a lot more care than other short-haired guinea pigs breeds. Which if you have one or are considering getting one is very important to be aware of & plan for.
In this episode, I sharing:
- The long-haired guinea pig breeds
- The extra care that they require further to the care that all guinea pigs need
- Extra things to be aware of from a long-haired piggy owner’s experience
So let’s get into this week’s episode.
Long-Haired Guinea Pig Breeds
Let’s start with a description of the main long-haired guinea pigs breeds. I’ll have an accompanying blog post linked in the show notes & on my website so you can visually see these breeds so check that out too if there’s some you never heard of or you want to see photos of each.
The long-haired guinea pig breeds
The main long-haired guinea pig breeds are:
Peruvian
A Peruvian's long hair (usually straight) tends to fall each side of their body from a middle parting that runs from their head, along their back, to their bum.
Texel
This breed is a mix between a Silkie & Rex breed. Their hair is curly in a crimp, short curl style.
Merino
Merino's have mid length long wavy hair which tends to be a little wavy or crimped looking.
Sheba Mini Yak
Often known just as Sheba. They are a mix of the Peruvian & Abyssinian breeds. Sheba's hair length or look will depend whether they have more Peruvian or Abyssinian in them. (Our own Popcorning Piggy, Finn, is more Peruvian looking.)
Silkie or Sheltie
A Silkie's hair flows generally backwards & sideways with no clear parting. From above their hair will fall in a teardrop shape.
Coronet
Silkie breed but with a crest on their head where the hair parts in a circular pattern.
Lunkarya
They are a Peruvian breed but with extra curly hair. It tends to stick out at all angles.
Other guinea pig breeds that are considered long-haired but won’t necessarily required the extra care detailed in this blog post are:
Abyssinian
Abyssinian's look like rockstars. They have tufts of hair all over their body that point in lots of different directions. They also have a 1-2 or more swirls or rosettes on their body.
Rex
A Rex has a dense, thick coat. They look & feel a little bit like a hedgehog.
Teddy
Teddy's hair looks a little electrified. It could be soft or wiry textured.
The extra care that they require further to the care that all guinea pigs need - Grooming, Haircuts (& Baths?)
Grooming & Brushing
Short-haired piggies will never generally need to have their hair brushed, you can if you want, but generally they’ll never need it. Not like long-haired piggies.
Long-haired piggies need their hair brushed very regularly (often daily!).
The main area to keep an eye on is the bum area for obvious reasons! Pee, poop & boy bits! Daily brushing will stop hair becoming matted, stained & start to smell as well as ensure that it’s not stuck in any areas it shouldn’t be – this is especially important for boys’ bits! Not just boar glue (aka guinea pig semen) but also the hair can become stuck in the opening & be quite painful for the guinea pig.
Not all guinea pigs enjoy being groomed but generally the longhaired breeds experience it from an early age & therefore learn a way of ‘coping’ with it. Believe me, they feel better afterwards & will like you for doing it! They just might not show it!
Haircuts
Haircuts are also something you’ll need to do as a long-haired guinea pig parent. Most often you’ll need to cut hair around the bum & all 4 legs so they don’t keep stepping or sitting on it. The regularity of this will depend on your piggy’s hair & how quick it grows. I tend to do a trim of my piggies every month. In summer when it’s warmer I might do it fortnightly to help keep them cool.
If you want a laugh, you can watch the first guinea pig hair cut I ever did on foster guinea pig, Lawrence. (sorry, Lawrence!) Lawrence is a Peruvian guinea pig.
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Barbering
Barbering is when a guinea pig trims or eats their own hair or the hair of a cage mate.
It can be a normal behaviour, but most often it is because of boredom or illness.
If a guinea pig is barbering themselves they could be in pain. Guinea pigs barbering their cage mates could be the ones in pain & taking it on their friends.
Bathing
You do not need to bathe your guinea pigs if they do not need it. Generally bathing your guinea pigs should only be required if they have any illnesses or if they are particularly soiled & messy (if the latter than you might need to clean them out more regularly!)
