Cavies are very clean animals and do not require frequent bathing. Too much of it can even be harmful. A cavy should not be bathed more than once every two months; if it's done more often it will wash out the natural oils cavies need to keep their skin soft and healthy.
Bathing is best done with a small animal shampoo, (not the leave in kind) but in a pinch, baby shampoo works too. Regular shampoo has too many chemicals in it that can be harmful to cavies if ingested, which is exactly what they will do when they're grooming themselves after their bath. Have a towel on hand to put your piggie on when you're finished. For males, rubbing a little nail polish remover on the grease gland helps to loosen the oils, but always wash it off right afterwards as it can be very harmful if ingested and leaving it on too long can hurt his skin. |