GP boars <ahem> 'emissions' - how on earth are you meant to get rid of them??

[PacificDogwood]

I use cage fleece liners.
Simple washing does not seem to destickify them

Any ideas??

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

D'you mean boar glue?
Or general cloudy pee?
Or pooh?

I always hot wash my guineas towels (with Ecover)

You could soak in Soada Crystals to degrease if you make sure you rinse really well
You can see why I favour the hay'n'newspaper

Our older boy gets boar-glue everywhere (and I'm dubious if it's his ) Our GP2 was a bit a-sexual, GP1 got boar glue on his belly , his ear his nose.

GP3 keeps trying to bonk GP1, so anything round his stern end might be GP3.

If they get a claggy grease gland (just above where the tail would be) you can use neat shampoo, or Swarfega, then rinse.

[PacificDogwood]

Yes, boar glue.
They don't call it glue for nothing

I don't think they have forgiven me their bath from several weeks ago and I am not sure I have recovered from the experience

Soda crystals, eh?
I've got Bicarb of soda - would that work, I wonder??

[giraffescantboogie]

I skimmed this and thought it was of g.p. question and thought it was about if patients farted how you get rid of the smell before the next patient.

Are these indoor GPs? What are you washing them with?

[PacificDogwood]

I am quite fond of their poo btw - v clean and hygienic - and unfussed about the cloudy pee, but the sticky stuff: tsk.

[giraffescantboogie]

x posted there

[PacificDogwood]

giraffes, farts don't upset me either - human or otherwise

Yes, they are indoor pigs mainly although they were in the garden today (wasn't it marvellous outside this afternoon?).
They are in a C+C cage with fleece liners which I wash every 4-5 days or so with spot cleaning in-between times.

[giraffescantboogie]

Yes was lovely, I ended up abducting (with permission!) the older 2 after work and taking them to visit my Gran in the care home...we sat outside watching the chickens and eating ice cream!

I had female GPs, I never knew this problem existed.

[PacificDogwood]

Nor did I… or at least I thought you could wash stuff in the usual manner.
Ariel is defeated.

Ah, well, I can always pick it off.. something to look forward to

Your afternoon sounds nice.

[giraffescantboogie]

Am sure you could pick it off and then sell it on ebay!

My male rabbit didn't do this...that I was aware of anyway

[PacificDogwood]

You're not wrong - there's a market for almost ^anything6

The rabbits I had as a child were much cleaner in their toiletting habits - one 'poo corner' and the rest of the hutch quite clean.
My GP boys are little pooing machines

I'm off to wash the henna off my head and to get some sleep at least. Thanks, ladies

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

White vinegar works well on the white pee stains (those cloudy patches)

Actually Ecover works pretty well on the towels (I only use towels indoors to give them a soft bed to sleep, the hay is a much easier and favoured option)

When we had GP1 and GP2, I gave them a banana box (from Costco) with an old pillow inside, the snugglepad and a piece of fleece. This was in their haybox (but no hay)

I gave them hay in their large trug. Every morning, I'd left the lid on the trug and there they were. Looking up from the hay. Lovely cushion bed, abandoned

You do need to be careful with what you wash their bedding in though, they are quite sensitive respiratory wise and they have their faces right in there.
Some people use Dettol, but IMO it's quite strong .

[dotty2]

I don't have any helpful suggestions re. the glue but I am intrigued that you manage to wash them only every 4-5 days. I have a C&C cage and use a mixture of old (cotton) towels and rugs for mine which I have to wash every day or they get too soggy, but I guess fleece is better at wicking. So tell me more. Do you have paper underneath? And do you need to change that more frequently? Might need to invest in some fleece, I think.

[PacificDogwood]

I have newspaper underneath and I have vair posh custom made fleece cage liners with absorbent inner lining so wetness is not really a problem (the paper is often quite dry underneath when I change the lot).
I spot clean with a pan and brush every day sometimes every other day.

They seem happy although still shy, and don't smell.

I had one set from here and another from CavyCouture but she seems to currently not take any orders (I like hers more)

I am off to clean them out !

[dotty2]

Ah - well, if it saved me several daily changes each week, I would gladly shell out for posh liners, thank you for the recommendation. (Mind you, one of mine currently has an abscess and I am spending ££ on vets bills, so perhaps I should wait and see how that pans out...)

[PacificDogwood]

Fleeces do add considerably to your washing - I do at least 3 GP related loads/week.

I am coming round to what I've read before I got them that there is no ideal bedding - even with just giving them hay to eat/play in, I throw so much hay out with every cage change, I have no idea what I'd do if I used it for bedding too. I cannot imaging hay working for indoor piggies - does it??

Anyway, I have massively extended their cage today: from 3x2 C+C cage with loft (I had not really considered that the ramp actually reduced their running-around-space - doh!) to 6x2 and no loft. They have 2 new wooden houses (which they have already started to eat - the hay house is gone ) and some new toys. They were hiding absolutely terrified during the construction period (DSs3 and 4 'helped' ), but now I've seen them racing around so I think they approve.

I have still not solved the boar glue issue, mind….

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

We had a ramp (wide and carpeted and an L shape to reduce the angle) going up onto the carpeted lid of the haybox to give another level.
They never used it, There was no evidence (pooh) there. They'd waltz down the ramp to food.
When we got GP3 , I blocked the ramp for his safety, then got DH to remove it (in case they got narky and pushed each other off the ramp or lid)

They will much appreciate more space. Do change things round, we love to move their boxes (they have the haybox which is fixed), the wicker house, a rubbery trug with a door cut and a cardboard lid and one of their Hop Inn tunnels.
The look of on their little faces when they discover....."What? Where? Why?"


Boar Glue on their FUR sets like wax, DD picked some off GP1s nose and left a tiny bald spot