yucky hairball

Question
We have a 14 month old long-haired guinea and are new guinea owners.  The poor thing has a wad of tangled hair mixed with hay and probably poo on his bum.  In the bath he grunts, groans and jumps if we get anywhere near it with a comb.  I am assuming it is sore. I have heard that we should have had had his hair trimmed to avoid this problem.  Should we him to the vet or to a pet groomer?  I am not sure I can remedy this at home.

Answer
Hi Dana,

Is it possible for you to cut off some of his hair, removing the hay and poop with it? This is a common problem in long-haired piggies. I've never had one, but I had a boar with mid-length hair and we had to keep his hair very short at the back or he'd drag it around all day and make a right mess. Once it gets matted, it does tend to hurt the piggy when you remove it - have you tried soaking his bottom in warm water to encourage it to move, rather than combing?

If you feel unable to do this yourself, I'd recommend a rodentologist over a vet or groomer. Give the Cambridge Cavy Trust a call and Vedra should be able to put you in touch with your nearest one. If you're not in the UK or if there isn't a rodentologist near you, try calling some local breeders. With any luck, you'll find one who shows long-haired piggies and is more than happy to help you out.

Hope this helps and good luck!

If you have any other questions, just ask.

Jenny.