Guinea pig bath?

[kelda]

Can I wash my guinea pig?

I have just given one of my boys a hair cut (very long haired male), and his fur is a bit grimy, and seems to be getting worse. He is in good health.

If so, how do I go about it?

[FernieB]

With a lot of towels and be prepared to be wetter than your pig.

I use piggie shampoo from pets at home and an old washing up bowl on the floor (If they leap out they don't fall far). I get a jug of warm water ready and pin down the pig in the bath whilst wetting him and then lather him up. He gets rinsed an then a good towel dry followed by a blow dry on a low heat (keep your hand between the hair dryer and the pig). He usually tries to escape a lot so I end up soaked

Mine are bathed every 3-6 weeks depending on their stinkiness!

[MadeOfStarDust]

thank heavens for smooth/short hair.... ours have reached 5 years old without being bathed once.... the breeder said it really was not necessary for short-haired-girly-piggies.....

just have the madness that is nail trimming - with ALL black nails.....

[kelda]

Thanks

They've kept themselves very clean until now. The other, short haired male doesn't need a bath.

Thankfully I don't need to cut their nails - maybe because their corner is part grass, part concrete, so that keeps their nails short?

[fortifiedwithtea]

Two 2yo smooth haired sows here that have never had a bath either. They just have a faint whiff of girlie pig

Now my dearly departed Old Boy had several in his lifetime and loved his baths so your stinky boy may surprise you.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

GP1 is starting to sport a GreaseSpot 'Tail' so it's time for his annual wash

DD and I wash them in the bath- they don't enjoy the experience and they always threaten to leap out. I'm not sure if they could hoist their carcasses out of the bath but we don't want to risk it (previous ,more determined guineas have done ).

They smell lovely afterwards then DD and I spend ages drying them, changing our clothes and sorting out the wet towels.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

We put a towel in the bath for them to grip on too.

[Essexgirlupnorth]

My sister used to wash her long haired piggies. Used baby shampoo or special animal shampoo. Wet, lather and rinse either with a jug or the shower attachment if you have a shower over a bath.
They shake like dogs so you will probably get wet. Then used to wrap them in old clean terry nappies or use a hair dryer on a low heat on them. in summer used to dry them in the sun.

[kelda]

'They shake like dogs so you will probably get wet. '


I think we will have to bath them tomorrow!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Make sure the water is shallow enough to keep their faces and especially their ears out of water.
I had one Guinea years ago who loved to swim. We;d fill the bath, put a folded up towel 'island' in the bath and she just went
Her mum-pig would skin anyone who took her near the bath.

My boars think they look like lions with their great ruffs of fur and slinky bodies. Truth is, they look like little rats

[FernieB]

Mine do not like to stand in water so I only drizzle enough on them to rinse them. I'd love a swimming pig.

You also need a lot of parsley - at least that's what my boys tell me

[Methe]

We bath ours in a large bucket n the lawn in the sun. They love it!

[KRITIQ]

DBoar 1 is a Texel (of sorts) so a bit high maintenance. He has a monthly-ish haircut and bi-monthly shower in the bathroom sink under the mixer tap. DBoar 2 is mostly short hair, so gets away with a shower about every 4 months. I just tend to use Head & Shoulders 2 in 1 with an extra conditioner, and they smell divine for at least a week.

[noyouhavehadawee]

mine had one bath in six years and that was probably three years ago now i only have one left i might treat her to a spa day she does her own nails on the patio

[alemci]

yes we bathed ours yearly. Our old boar is being bathed just in water more now as he is getting old and lame and his leg is getting weed on which is a shame.