Length of hair

Question
My oldest piggy, Preston, is a Peruvian and has pretty long hair. The hair around his backside is pretty long and it tends to get tangled and nasty when he goes to the bathroom. We comb him a lot, he really enjoys it...purrs through the whole thing! But, no matter how often we do it, the hair back there is a mess. Would it be a bad thing to trim it so it stays out of his way?

I just heard about impaction in males, and things getting in there and causing problems. I wanted to make sure that cutting his hair wouldn't allow for more things to get trapped and make things more difficult. (He hasn't had an impaction problem, but I don't want to do anything that would increase his odds)

And at what age do we need to start cleaning him down there to prevent impaction? And how would we do it?

Sorry for all the questions! Thank you!!

Answer
Jennifer,

It is fine to cut Preston's hair to keep it from getting messy. It is better for him that way to prevent UTI (Urinary Tact Infection) and it'll help in preventing impaction. Trim it up so it is off the floor and out of the way of getting messy.

It doesn't matter what age to start cleaning him up down there. It is the best way to prevent impaction, here is how to do so.

The perineal sac is a collecting place for all sorts of debris (hair, cage shavings, hay) and should be cleaned out on a regular basis. Mineral oil, warm water soaks and/or flushes, and Q-tips work well for this procedure. Make sure you retract the folds of the anus enough so you can see right into the sac (it is quite deep). Your guinea pig won't like this procedure but it doesn't hurt though the smell can sometimes be quite strong! It's possible, in some boars that haven't been cleaned regularly to develop an anal plug - basically a solid mass of debris and grease which is stuck to the anal wall. This can be worked out using liberal amounts of mineral oil to release the edges of the plug without tearing the skin - this takes time and a lot of patience. See your vet if you are unsure as you don't want to harm him.

I hope this helps,
 Take care now,
     Jules