Guinea Pigs and Baths

[popcorn_kirby]

Hii, I'm wondering if anyone know if the chemicals in a bath bomb are harmful to guinea pigs. I made it in Chemistry class so the ingredients are as follows: citric acid, baking powder, fragrance, corn starch, and dye. I think they will have a lot of fun if it isn't bad for them.

 

[luvfamrap]

Guinea pigs dont like water so they wont have fun.They are given baths just when its needed ,fragrance and dye will not be good for your gp and not sure about the other things.

 

[Piglet]

No, it won't be a lot of fun. They need special guinea pig shampoo - so that when they groom themselves they don't get sick

 

[Sabriel]

That's not always true. Sakura, my cranky pig, loves water. I give her a bath once a month. I think she's figured out that if she gets all stinky I'll give her a bath.

Tomoyo is OK in water and Kero hates water. I think it all depends on the personality of the pig.

That said I think the dye and frangrance would overwhelm the pigs. The fizziness would also freak them out. I think they'd have more fun with a rubber ducky (or rubber turtles. I couldn't find a ducky at my dollar store)

 

[Marlania]

What exactly were you trying to accomplish with a bath bomb and your guinea pig anyway?

 

[popcorn_kirby]

First off what I was trying to accomplish was to make them have fun, I shouldn't have to answer that since it was mentioned.

Secondly, I want to know if there is any cases or proof that guinea pigs will have any trouble with regular shampoo. Wondering if there is any foundation to this claim because I like to save money.

 

[LuvMyPiggers]

First off what I was trying to accomplish was to make them have fun, I shouldn't have to answer that since it was mentioned.

Secondly, I want to know if there is any cases or proof that guinea pigs will have any trouble with regular shampoo. Wondering if there is any foundation to this claim because I like to save money.

With all due respect, reg. shampoo is horrible because it is infact practically Animal Testing

 

[Marlania]

A lot of things are fun, but they aren't necessarily safe.

 

[TheAlmightyMiko]

From what I understand, any type of human shampoo (including baby shampoo) will dry out a pigs skin, and is really not a good idea to use on them because it is so harsh and could irritate them (i.e give them dandruff and make them itchy, etc.). I personally use ferret shampoo on my boys as it is formulated specially for small animal skin and for deodorizing, but I have also heard that kitten shampoo is also ok. I can absolutely understand you wanting to save money--our pets can rack up quite the bill if we aren't careful, right? Personally, I buy my shampoo from WalMart (I know, I know...but I'm a poor student, give me a break guys =) ) and it only costs $5 CAD, which would be $3-4 American; around the same price as human shampoo. If you shop around a bit, then in time you'll find good deals for practically everything you need.

I know my pigs HATE water, as do most pigs. You can always try to give them a bath and see what they think, but I would avoid the bath bomb. As it contains citric acid and baking soda, the combination could also dry out their skin and lead to irritation. If you find your pigs like water, great! If not, then try to limit their baths as it only causes unnecessary stress on them.

Good luck!

 

[Slap Maxwell]

The best shampoo is Bunny Bath in the pink bottle. I use a ferret shampoo with aloe vera.

 

[TheAlmightyMiko]

Thanks slap, I forgot about bunny shampoo! I found some here but they wanted $15 for it, and I had to choose between that and oxbow, so you can guess what I chose

 

[TheAlmightyMiko]

I found this in another thread (Thanks again, Slap...I've just been leaving things out all over the place recently...)



"Human shampoos (even baby shampoos) contain all sorts of chemicals that make it smell nice and lather well. These will leave a residue, even if you rinse really well, and this isn't designed to be ingested. That's fine for people, but guinea pigs lick their fur and will just end up eating whatever residue is left. Stick to shampoos that are made for them, and with their behaviours in mind."

-Treen

 

[emithebug]

Bath bombs are probably a definite no. Baking soda and an acid cause a big, fizzy reaction, which is how they work since water will function as an acid. That's okay for you to bathe in, because you probably won't be ingesting it, nor will you be licking your skin or hair when you're out of the bath. Unfortunately, the piggies will be fighting you the whole way, might try to drink the water, eat the bath bomb, and will groom themselves later when they're dry. Baking soda + acid (such as acetic acid, or VINEGAR) is the big "woo! it's a volcano erupting!" project reaction thingy that they taught everyone in 1st and 2nd grade. Stomach acid is way stronger. Who knows what it would do to your piggies' tummies?

I don't really see how money is an issue with shampoo OR the bath bombs. First, assuming you use the super-awesome bath bombs (like Lush's *drool*), you'd be wasting one to potentially upset your piggies' tummies. Even if not, then it'd still be a waste of money since you can't put that much water in the tub to bathe them anyways. And, even if you were going to use human shampoo, your piggies shouldn't need baths that often anyways.

 

[DocDolittle]

I wouldn't mess with a bathbomb(I don't even know what that it, but it doesn't sound good) or human shampoo. I use a small animal shampoo given to me by our vet from when the boys had mites. I've heard human shampoo, even baby, can dry out and irritate their skin and if ingested could do harm.

Also, one of my boys absolutely loves water. I'll fill the tub up a tiny bit ocassionally and let him wade around and popcorn in there. He's easily amused.

 

[My Baby Mu]

Sabriel-you shouldn't give your pig a bath every month because they will get dry skin.

 

[CuteButShyPig]

"Human shampoos (even baby shampoos) contain all sorts of chemicals that make it smell nice and lather well. These will leave a residue, even if you rinse really well, and this isn't designed to be ingested. That's fine for people, but guinea pigs lick their fur and will just end up eating whatever residue is left. Stick to shampoos that are made for them, and with their behaviours in mind."

Soap is already like that, if you've already learned acids and bases. Soap is a base that has a slimmy feel and that takes the already natural oils out of your skin thats why its like that. Not just because of the added chemicals. I'm not saying it's bad for guineas and I'm not saying to use reg. soap. I am just saying that it's not just because the chemicals. because I agree with this statement:
That's fine for people, but guinea pigs lick their fur and will just end up eating whatever residue is left. Stick to shampoos that are made for them

 

[holli'smommy]

try to find the gentlest product, with the least amount of ingredients. I think you can even go to a health food store and find shampoos with all natural ingredients, without harsh chemicals.

 

[982792]

well not that im a expert but i know that you cant use human shampoo on rabits because of the same reasons so i would assume that just to be on the safe side to find something else for entertainment. im sure you can find something funner than a bathbomb like a run/walk (well my rabbit liked it)

 

[Sabriel]

Sabriel-you shouldn't give your pig a bath every month because they will get dry skin.

I give her a bath whenever she gets stinky, which is about once a month. Sakura has a bad habit of sleeping in her litter box so she gets soiled very easily.

I haven't observed any problems as of yet. She isn't ichy or flakey and she seems only as cranky as she usually is. In fact after a bath she seems slightly less cranky (aside from the fact that she doesn't like the extra lap time required to dry her off).
If I was stinky, I'd be cranky too.

My other two pigs get baths far less often. Tomoyo has only had one in the 5 months I've had her and Kero had to have one a little after I brought him home since his fur was so yellow and grungy.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

If sabriel is using shampoo formulated for bunnies or piggies then it's ok for her to give her pig a bath that often if the pig really needs it. I give two of my girls butt baths every 6 weeks because they get nasty and I use 4 paws bunny bath.

As far as a bath bomb, no. Shampoo's formulated for small animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs or even ferrets are the only shampoo's that should be used. Nothing else.