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Small pets

Do GPs moult??

11 replies

PacificDogwood · 31/05/2014 23:04

You could make a whole new GP out of the hair that my 2 shed every day Shock

One short-haired, one Rex (both are mutts from the local rescue).
I tried brushing them but they do not approve, so I've stopped. It did not seem to make much difference tbh.

They seem happy and healthy and don't have any skin problems.
So, will it settle?!

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/05/2014 23:23

Yes they do I think there's a magnetic energy in laptops that attracts hair. That and nice clothes
The winter coats are well and truly being shed now, we've noticed alot of GP1 looe hairs are long hairs

We have a Smooth and a Rex (he'd be mortified to be called a 'mutt' BTW, he came from a Rescue after being retrieved from a Breeder - who didn't like guinea-pigs Sad )

The smooth boy is losing a good few hairs at the moment when we stroke him, the Rex less so , but we can tell who's hair it is . Their colour is near identical.


DH was working in the Pighouse today and said "I noticed how skinny GP1 is"
True he's thinner than GP3 (GP3 is solid ) but weightwise there's a difference but not a massive difference.
GP1 is more rangy and bony (I notice when he walks he is a bit middle aged and creaky) but eats/poohs well and happy with life.
It just makes me quite Sad that animals age (he's 3.8 now)

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/05/2014 23:24

looe hairs = loose hairs

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PacificDogwood · 31/05/2014 23:27

Oh, I cannot even think about them getting older.

Mine are deffo 'mutts' Wink - they were removed from a hoarder, you know, the 'How clean is your house?' variety.

They are both black and white and yes, their respective hairs are very distinctive and everywhere.

The smooth one seems to be catching up weight wise - I weighed them today and there is only about 20g difference between them now. The Rex still looks twice the size because he is so fluffy Grin

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/05/2014 23:28

Mind you 'Mutt' is kinder than the bloke on the market stall (Fruit & Veg) who calls them Rats and not in a complimentary way.

I'm tempted to let them loose on the stall to run amok in his bunched coriander Grin

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PacificDogwood · 31/05/2014 23:32

I say 'mutt' lovingly - I grew up with (dog) mutts and love my strays Grin

We also call them gerbil pigs and guinea rats - sorry!
This follows DH getting all confused when they were all new...

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/05/2014 23:36

One of the saddest pictures is on The Potteries GP Rescue site (about halfway down the page) of two pigs in a hutch that is about 18" deep in pooh. These filthy, frightened looking little animals are literally living in a deep bedding of their own excrement Angry

It beggars belief how they are treated (though none of ours were neglect or cruelty cases thankfully, just 'excess' )

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/05/2014 23:37

Grin the boys have a load of nicknames including Rat Wrappings for some weird reason (blame Roland Rat)

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PacificDogwood · 31/05/2014 23:42

Can I tell you a secret: I have been wasting hours spending time looking at rescue dogs 'friendly with small furries' today Blush.
I am NOT in the market for a dog just now, I really am not, but it does not hurt to stay informed what goes on in the rescues… Grin

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/05/2014 23:49

Grin it doesn't harm to do some research .

My parents know someone with a Border Collie who rounds up the Free Range guinea-pigs to put them to bed.
I'm not 100% sure that he wouldn't eat one given the chance but he sees it as his job to get these pesky rodents safely locked up .
He is a working dog, and would most likely go a tad OTT if he didn't work.

Greyhounds,lurchers and small terriers (rat-catchers) are probably off the agenda then

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PacificDogwood · 31/05/2014 23:57

Well, we are some years away from any kind of dog - I need DS4 to be a bit less insane and a bit more predictable in his behaviour.
It's not about not trusting the dog, it's about not trusting the mad toddler Grin.

I have clipped their toe nails on more than one occasion now btw - yes, I am very brave.

Btw do you think I should take them to our vet for a MOT or summat? They seem fine, we've not kiiled them in almost 3 months looking after them, but I don't want to be neglectful IYKWIM.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/06/2014 00:26

Most guineas don't need a vet TBH (and sadly, alot of vets don't have that much interest in guinea pigs)

Weigh them, keep a note (or like DH set up, a spreadsheet)
Keep them protected from extremes of temperature and damp and draughts
If they go out on the grass, make sure it's dry enough, limit their grazing to begin with and avoid poisonous plants (I put things over anything like daisies and avoid buttercups, but when they graze they tend to avoid them )

Keep a check on their teeth (you'll only see the front ones). GP1 has broken a tooth off a couple of times but they grow back.

Check their bodies for lumps - can be a fatty nodule which is common, Or abscess , bite, foreign body.

We took ours to a Rodentologist before they went on holiday. They had a worming treatment (Panacur) but I do the Xeno 450 drops on them.(Ivomectin for mites and wormer)
The Rescue you got them from might offer a check up, I know the Rescue I got GP3 does .

It's a good idea to have a search of all the local vets (if you look at the staff profile you should find out if any have a special interest in Guinea-Pigs) .
Then if you do ever need a vet, you'll know where to go.
You could take them for a check to register their details.

The other advice, get a simple Guinea First Aid Kit. (There's a thread way back about this )
Critical Care (Fine Grind) syringes, non fluffy sterile gauze and salt for cleaning eyes, fine tweezers (I had to pull grass out of GP1 teeth when he was gagging) small scissors, Vit C tablets/drops, baby wipes.

GP3 has been with us nearly a year now, from a weeny, skinny little scrap of fur to a big, blustery boar.
GP1 is still our bolshy boar but he's mellowed and lovely .

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