Long-hair Syrian Maintenance

[Zipfelmuetze]

Any tips and advice on how to keep a long-haired Syrian's fur nice and clean?
Right now he's got a bunch of Clean and Cosy stuck to his long hairs on his bum. How can I get that off without hurting him?

[Nyxietrixx]

Originally Posted by Zipfelmuetze

Any tips and advice on how to keep a long-haired Syrian's fur nice and clean?
Right now he's got a bunch of Clean and Cosy stuck to his long hairs on his bum. How can I get that off without hurting him?

Hi! I'm new to all of this as my last hammie was short hair, but I'm pretty sure sand baths are good. Mine rolls and digs in hers and quite often the sheets of paper and loose poo's stuck to her fur come off. She also picks them off herself, or I do it if I see her and can get at her.

Also grooming using a finger groomer - found on amazon or in Pet stores - failing that use a tooth brush to gently stroke it's fur.

[Nancy's Hamsters]

The best way to avoid MOST tangles and mats in a LH Males coat is to bed them on a substrate that doesn't cling to their fur. Not sure if your UK or USA so I can only suggest for the USA. I use Yesterday's News for all my LH Hamsters. I also offer Kay-Tee Crinkle paper for them to use as a soft nest as the Pelleted YNews is hard.

Also using a Wheel which has no hole openings but is fully open(Comfort Wheel like in USA, Carly like in the UK) If you use a Wodent Wheel you'll need the Wobust Wheel to avoid the long hair getting pulled off as they enter and exit the wheel.

Some show breeders don't even give a wheel to their LH Males as even the best wheel will catch the fur around the spindle of the wheel. Instead they either offer lots of out of cage time or they offer a 12 inch saucer.

For the mats there now you can either cut them off and wait for the hair to regrow, or I have found a specialized Matting comb made for LH Dogs and cats works well to split the mat in half and then carefully pulling the two smaller mats apart little by little. The last method of removal requires a calm and well tamed hamster. The first still requires a some what tame hamster.

To keep mats away daily brushing of just the areas most apt to tangle is needed. Best tool for this is a hard bristle Toothbrush. I find most LH Males actually start enjoying being brushed and will actually demand you brush them. Brushing is a great way to build stronger bonds with your pet too.

[Zipfelmuetze]

Okie dokie, yeah I'm in the U.S. He has an open wheel and a saucer in there. I don't think he'd be able to catch his fur on the wheel I have. I think the easiest for me is to just keep the back trimmed. He has a sand bath, but I guess it didn't help.