Guinea pig bathing?

[brightwing]

Hi,
My guinea pig's fur has been getting long and so I've been trimming the sides. But whenever I get to their butt ends they start squirming so I put them back in the cage since I read somewhere that they're sensitive there? And now the fur is so long, its all a tangle of dried urine, bedding and even hay. I don't know what to do.

I'm tempted to give them a bath or even this "Critter SHampoo" stuff, but is it safe? My friend who formerly owned a pet told me that getting them wet was really bad. So I don't know how to get rid of the clumps.

Guinea pigs don't have tails right? everytime I feed them I check their rear end a bit, and I noticed this wierd "tail" shaped thing on both of my pigs. I kind of looks like a piece of their feces got wrapped up into a cocoon by their fur but I don't know. I would cut it off, but it appears on both pigs and they squeal everytime I touch it.

Any suggestions on how I can keep their rear ends clean?

 

[Feylin]

I've been wondering about the same thing! My pig has short hair, but when he was out for floor time he escaped behind the TV and he picked up A LOT of gritty dust. I tried brushing it out with a baby brush, but it didn't work. Now every time I pick him up, he leaves gritty dust on me. I wanted to give him a bath in the bathroom sink with baby shampoo, but I wasn't sure if that was ok.

I have heard people on www.guinnealynx.com talking about giving their long haired pigs hair cuts- so I think you're ok there. I don't know about the bath thing though.

I hope someone who knows more comes along!

 

[steve_and_pigs]

I'd like to know about the shampoo. I've read that you must "only" use bunny or kitten shampoo. I've ready that baby shampoo is okay. I've read that baby shampoo is not okay. Nobody ever gives their reasons, so I don't know how to make a choice. I bought bunny shampoo, and my girlfriend thought I was nuts.

The only consistent advice I've read about bathing them is to be sure to get them dry. The reason for that is pretty self evident. Of course, be reasonable. If it is 80 degrees, they can air dry just fine. Towels work, but it takes a while. Only use a hair dryer on low, at a reasonable distance as not to scald them.

If is just the butt, and you don't want to hassle with a soggy piggy, just give him a butt/belly bath in the sink. Fill the sink shallow so that only his underside gets wet.

There are some videos on youtube.com of some folks bathing their guinea pigs. Some folks let them wade around in shallow water. Don't put them in a deep bath. Some pigs like to swim, but by choice, not to avoid drowning.

 

[MOC_Mummy]

I know I bathe my piggies, I'm not very sure about using the shampoo for guinea pigs though, I use kitty shampoo. I also know that Dog shampoo's are too strong for guinea pigs...Hoped this helped at least a little!

 

[Ly&Pigs]

I've ready that baby shampoo is okay. I've read that baby shampoo is not okay. Nobody ever gives their reasons,

There are many threads on this forum that state why human/baby shampoos are bad for guinea pigs. The biggest reason is that they dry out a cavies delicate skin and are not formulated for their pH balance. You need a shampoo formulated for small animals such as bunny or ferret shampoo with no added medications. Be wary of kitten and puppy shampoos that contain pyrethins and other medications/pesticides as they can harm your pig. Plain kitten shampoo is suitable if there is no medications/pesticides added.

I use Four Paws Bunny Bath when I need to bathe any of my girls.

Now as far as bathing, you can do butt baths or a full bath. In long haired pigs you want to keep their bum trimmed up so it doesn't get all matted. When the hair matts up it, the worse the matts get, the more it pulls on their skin and it hurts them. You need to get someone to help you by holding the pigs so you can gently cut the matts out of their hair. After the matts are cut out, then you can give a butt bath. Just make sure it's nice and warm in your home and they are fully dry before being placed back into the cage.

Guinea pigs do not have tails, they have more of a tiny little nubbin where a tail might normally exist on other animals.

Your friend who told you that getting them wet is really bad, well lets say your friend is wrong. It's ok to get them wet when they need a bath but bathing shouldn't be frequent. Most pigs only need bathing 2-3 times per year at most. They should not be bathed every month. Most Aby's and American pigs will rarely ever need bathing in their lifetime. It's the longer haired pigs that need bathing 2-3 times per year.

 

[Feylin]

Thanks! So, is a hair dryer is safe to dry him? Even when mine is on low or cool (it's still not cold air) , I'd worry that the noise would be too much for him.

 

[CavyLover94]

What about white guinea pigs? My little boy is almost all white. He's starting to look like a yellowish-white pig. How frequently could he be bathed? Thank you for any and all answers.

 

[brightwing]

No more than twice a year I think is how it goes, unless if it's a long haired breed~

 

[paperlady]

What about white guinea pigs? My little boy is almost all white. He's starting to look like a yellowish-white pig. How frequently could he be bathed? Thank you for any and all answers.

I know that for cats, you can rub a little corn starch into their fur and then brush it out really well--the corn starch absorbs grease and what-not. I'm not certain it would be alright for a guinea pig, but if you put the corn starch in your hand and rub it in so that none goes flying into the air to be inhaled, it seems to me that should be OK. I'd wait for someone experienced to comment on the idea first, though!

 

[Maisy]

My piggy is also white. I got him from someone and his fur underneath is stained yellow, apparently from his bedding that she used. I trimmed away some of those stain fur and probably let it grow out again and my piggy needs a shower