Bathing:- A Guinea Pig is generally a pretty clean animal. If he is kept in a clean cage, he should be an overall smell-free animal. Bathing is not essential, but for those that wish to do so, should not exceed one every 3-6 months. I find bathing stresses some of my Guinea Pigs out, but others quite enjoy it. It really depends on you and your animal. If you find yourself wanting to wash your Guinea Pig and not knowing how, you may like to follow what I do with my Piggers. I run a bucket of water (a fairly shallow bucket so they can reach the bottom) and make sure the water is at room temperature. Have towels and shampoo at the ready so you aren't leaving your Pig unattended at any time. Your Guinea Pig most likely wouldn't drown - but instead leaping from the water in a bid for life and splashing water absolutely everywhere! As with most animals, and small children, avoid getting the shampoo in the animals' eyes and ears, and try to be gentle. Your Guinea Pig is a very small animal and rubbing shampoo in with vigour isn't encouraged. Lather the shampoo very gently and then rinse him, making sure you have a jug of water aside to get the rest of the shampoo out. As for shampoo brands, if you are concerned about the level of acidity I would get nothing more than Baby Shampoo or puppy and kitten shampoo for an adult Guinea Pig. Baby Guinea Pigs need not be washed ordinarily.
Grooming:- A short haired or Abysinnian Pig doesn't require any grooming, however the longer haired varieties may need some form of a hair cut to ensure the hair isn't becoming matted and tangled. These varieties will also need to be brushed daily, or at least every other day as removing matts is very unpleasant for the animal. Cutting the hair is very simple if you have a willing participant, but many a Pig cannot stand having their hair trimmed. Just have patience, and maybe a handy towel.
Nails:- I clip my Guinea Pigs' nails whenever I notice they need trimming, which turns out to be every 4-6 weeks. If you don't clip them, they curl and grow into the animals' feet. You must be sure not to clip past the quick, which is the blood flow in the nail. In Light coloured animals it is very easy to see where this is as it is coloured slightly darker at the base of the nail. Black and Brown coloured cavies are so much harder to clip as you can't see the quick at all. My suggestion is to just clip off a small amount - a couple of millimetres should suffice. If you keep on top of it there is no need to be concerned about it.
Teeth:- Guinea Pigs' teeth are continually growing. They are known as rodents, however it has been scientifically questioned of late. Generally their teeth need no attention at all. Sometimes one of their from teeth can snap off, leaving just one to do the slicing. You might want to take him or her to the Vet, but there is no need to clip the other tooth. The broken tooth will re-grow and return to normal in a matter of a week or two. Seagulls Guinea Pig Compendium - Grooming Cavy Love - Hygiene Back to Basic Care  |
