Post by petersons cavies - ADMIN on Nov 8, 2007 17:59:27 GMT
How to prepear a rex for a show!!
First of all, like all breeds, a good rex is bred, not made. However, a cavy is greatly improved by good show preparation.
Rex cavies should be regularly combed through, with a medium toothed metal comb, first combing the coat flat, to remove any hay seeds, then back up against the lie of the coat. Whenever you stroke a Rex, always do it from rump to head, to encourage the coat to stand up. I do this with my Rex every day, and also groom out a few guard hairs each day, which makes the preparation for the shows so much easier.
The hutches of Rex should always be kept very clean too, as dampness can cause them to lose hair on the belly (not good!). Some people keep Rex bedded on straw, which they say keeps air circulating under the belly, might be something in this.
The Rex coat should be dense, harsh, springy and crunchy in texture, never soft, and no longer than half an inch in length. Rex cavies should never be bathed immediately before a show, as this makes the coat soft and woolly. If a Rex needs a bath, then do it at least a month before the show.
First, give the coat a good comb through to remove any hay seeds or other bits that can get lodged into the coat, and also to remove any dead hair. Then comb the coat flat, and groom the coat as you would a normal short coated cavy, removing the guard hairs ... the more guard hairs removed, the better the coat will look. Every so often, groom the coat back up against the lie of the coat, and look at the cavy against the light. This will show up any guard hairs you have missed.
Once all the guard hairs have been removed, your Rex will look 10 times better than he did before!
The next thing to do is to ensure the grease gland is clean and not greasy. I do this by washing just the 'bum' under the kitchen mixer tap, using washing up liquid. Other people use surgical spirit, but do wonder if that stings!
Finally, make sure that nails are clean and short.
If you do all the prep the day before the show, all you need do on the day of the show is comb the hair up nicely and remove the odd guard hair that you have missed. A well groomed Rex will be a credit to you, and should do well in the show!
Thanks to pimms pages for this information
First of all, like all breeds, a good rex is bred, not made. However, a cavy is greatly improved by good show preparation.
Rex cavies should be regularly combed through, with a medium toothed metal comb, first combing the coat flat, to remove any hay seeds, then back up against the lie of the coat. Whenever you stroke a Rex, always do it from rump to head, to encourage the coat to stand up. I do this with my Rex every day, and also groom out a few guard hairs each day, which makes the preparation for the shows so much easier.
The hutches of Rex should always be kept very clean too, as dampness can cause them to lose hair on the belly (not good!). Some people keep Rex bedded on straw, which they say keeps air circulating under the belly, might be something in this.
The Rex coat should be dense, harsh, springy and crunchy in texture, never soft, and no longer than half an inch in length. Rex cavies should never be bathed immediately before a show, as this makes the coat soft and woolly. If a Rex needs a bath, then do it at least a month before the show.
First, give the coat a good comb through to remove any hay seeds or other bits that can get lodged into the coat, and also to remove any dead hair. Then comb the coat flat, and groom the coat as you would a normal short coated cavy, removing the guard hairs ... the more guard hairs removed, the better the coat will look. Every so often, groom the coat back up against the lie of the coat, and look at the cavy against the light. This will show up any guard hairs you have missed.
Once all the guard hairs have been removed, your Rex will look 10 times better than he did before!
The next thing to do is to ensure the grease gland is clean and not greasy. I do this by washing just the 'bum' under the kitchen mixer tap, using washing up liquid. Other people use surgical spirit, but do wonder if that stings!
Finally, make sure that nails are clean and short.
If you do all the prep the day before the show, all you need do on the day of the show is comb the hair up nicely and remove the odd guard hair that you have missed. A well groomed Rex will be a credit to you, and should do well in the show!
Thanks to pimms pages for this information