guinea pig barbering

[Penny Less]

I have two guineas, one is a long haired type the other has sort of candy floss hair. The long haired one developed bald patches on back legs and bum which I took to be mites and treated. However, the long hair is getting now to be a short back and sides and I am pointing the finger at the other one chewing the hair. Should I separate them ? I only have the two and they have been together for 5 years, this hair loss started about 18 months ago. Don't really want to keep each on its own and I don't want to take on any more
as companions . Does this hair chewing have any bad effects physically? Why is it happening, they have gertie guinea pig, hay and
greenstuff every day

 

[Smurf's Gran]

Are you sure the other pig is doing the chewing, if you haven't actually seen it doing it, maybe the hair has just grown this way. It would be a shame to separate after five years. We have had a lot of G pigs and not have just one old girl, its not something I have ever heard of

 

[Penny Less]

Its well documented on the gp forums, but doesn't say if causes any ill effects unless sores are present, which they arent Definitely not grown this way, used to have to trim long haired gp now all the ends are "blunt cut " and about half the length

 

[webble]

Is piggy a girl? If so could be hormone related

 

[Penny Less]

yes is a girl

 

[webble]

I have known a few older girl pigs and ones who have just given birth to develop bald patches due to hormone changes so this might be an option for your girl

 

[Penny Less]

Guinea pig is ill now, waiting to take to vets this pm, think it might be "the end" as she is about 5 and I know they can go downhill
very quickly. Other gp knows something is wrong and keeping close by. Ill be having the dilemma of do I leave this gp on its own or get
another thus repeating the never ending ownership of gp's!

ETA don t k now why my posts keeping breaking into odd lines

 

[PolaroidPony]

Intrigued to know the outcome? Hopefully the little squeaker is okay! I have 10 boys and I had a 6 week old with a 6 year old boy and the baby boar used to barber my old boys bum! I thought my old boy had something wrong with him so off I trolled to the vets and the vet told me sometimes they barber as a sign of over affection. Not sure how true that is, after a while he stopped nibbling away his bum fluff and just left him be. They were inseparable. Right until my old boy was nearly 8. That's when I lost him to bloat
hope you're little fluffy is okay.

 

[Penny Less]

Guinea pig died few weeks ago unfortunately( not due to barbering !)