Texel ?

Question
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Followup To
Question -
I have a baby GP called a Texel,as well as a Rex.  What is the best way to look after the Texel coat & how long will it get.  It is soft and fuzzy and sparse right now at approx 9 wks of age.
Answer -
Colleen --

Texels are a relatively new breed of guinea pig.  In fact, they are so new, they were only admitted to the ARBA books in 1998.  They were imported here from England.  The hair will grow to about three inches long.  As far as care goes, you have a couple of choices.  First, if you are planning to show the animal, regular washing, combing, hair rolling and grooming will be necessary.  If you are not planning on showing, it may be easier to maintain the coat if you trim it to about 1 inch on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.  However, either way, lots of brushing is a good idea, to prevent matting -- you will also want to bathe on a regular basis to prevent dirt from building up in the coat and making the animal a great home for pests.

Hope this is helpful.  If you have any more questions about your new pet, please feel free to contact me.  Good luck!

Lorena

Your info was great !!!!!!!!!!!  Any suggestion on care for the Rex, her coat is extremely thick, course, wiry. Thanks again in advance.

Answer
Colleen --

I am presuming you live in England, as the Rex is not yet a recognised breed here in the US.  However, I understand from a few friends of mine that it is much like the American "Teddy" breed.  In that case, it's my specialty.  What you will want to do is wash occasionally.  If you're going to show the animal, you should never use conditioner or wash at all in the week prior to a show.  Other than that, you will want to maintain the coat and remove loose hair with a "slicker" brush.  This is a brush that will have a small paddle and little, bent, wire teeth.  It looks a lot like a miniature curry comb.

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous email  about washing.  Guinea pigs are extremely prone to catch colds and pneumonia.  If/when you wash, you will want to get them completely dry again before exposing them to any temperatures colder than about 75 F.  You can do this by using a hair dryer, set on low.  Make sure you don't hold it aimed directly at the animal, as they can become burned.

Hope this is helpful.  Please feel free to contact me if there's anything I've missed or anything else you need to know.  Good luck!

Lorena