Guinea pigs are usually clean. These adorable creatures spend a significant amount of time grooming their fur and taking care of their general appearance, but they also have a considerable amount of waste production. If you’re new to guinea pig care, you might wonder if and when your pets will require a bath. So, let’s discuss do guinea pigs need a bath? If yes, then how often do you need to wash them?
Guinea pigs don’t need regular baths as they self-groom. However, in specific situations, such as medical issues or excessive dirtiness, bathing may be necessary. Use a small animal shampoo and avoid getting water in their eyes and ears.
Do Guinea Pigs Need Baths Frequently?
No, guinea pigs do not need baths very often. Guinea pigs must only be bathed when necessary. They are, on the whole, quite clean creatures. This indicates that they should only have baths when they are really unclean or stinky or have experienced a health problem (like a fungal infection). An excessive amount of bathing can cause the piggy’s skin to be dry and uncomfortable for the animal.
If they’re clean, they don’t require bathing. Some guinea pigs may require a bath sooner than others, and some will require additional baths than others throughout their lifetime. It is common knowledge that breeds of guinea pigs with long hair will require additional grooming than those with short hair.
Guinea pigs are very good at keeping themselves clean, so they usually don’t need a bath. However, if you find that your beloved guinea pigs are becoming a little bit musty or wet, you are free to give them a number of baths each year without posing any issues.
It is essential to keep your beautiful pets out of the water as little as possible so that their skin may maintain its shine and remain healthy. In addition, it is imperative to take the advice of a veterinarian on bathing guinea pigs.
Why Shouldn’t Guinea Pigs Be Bathed?
There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t bath your pet guinea pigs very frequently, including the following:
1. Guinea pigs clean themselves
Your guinea pigs, particularly the small-haired ones, are quite good at grooming themselves. Therefore, they don’t require bathtubs very frequently. So you can let them care for their own coat most of the time.
2. Guinea pigs can get cold/stress
Most of these little creatures don’t enjoy the water for bathing. Your domestic guinea pig is more likely to get sick and develop colds if it finds bathing to be a stressful experience and if it experiences significant chilling after bathing, particularly during the chilly days.
If you want to remove pee or feces from their fur, it is probably preferable to clean them with a moist cloth or odorless baby wipes instead of bathing them.
Fact: Never bath Guinea pigs when they are sleeping.
3. Bathing eliminates their skin oils.
Your guinea pigs’ coats will lose their natural oils if you use human shampoo, which is not recommended. This will have the opposite effect of what they want, as it will cause their skin to become dry.
It’s possible it would trigger an allergic response. Because it may take a few days to a few weeks for this layer of oil to rebuild, it will put them at risk of acquiring even more fungal or bacterial infections on their skin.
Do Guinea Pigs Like Baths?
Some guinea pigs don’t like baths, but others don’t seem to mind too much. It’s important to remember that your guinea pig doesn’t need baths because they can clean themselves. If you do decide to wash your guinea pig, you should only do it when it is essential, and you should try to complete the process as fast as possible to decrease the discomfort your pet feels.
What Does It Take to Bathe My Guinea Pig?
You will need the following items to give the guinea pig a clean bath:
- A small plastic tub filled with lukewarm water to a depth of two to three inches.
- A gentle, unscented small animal shampoo.
- A fluffy bath towel
- A comb or a brush to use
- A pair of clippers
How Do You Bathe a Guinea Pig?
Before you bathe your guinea pig, there are several things that you need to keep in mind.
1. Check Water Temperature
You should use lukewarm water, which is just slightly warmer than room temperature. It’s essential to keep your pet warm throughout the bath to prevent hypothermia, but the water temperature should also be below body temperature to avoid burns. Before you bring your pet into the water, you should check the temperature of the water to ensure that it is safe and pleasant for your pet at that temperature.
2. Use Careful Handling
You are surely aware that guinea pigs are highly nervous creatures, and when confronted with a stressful circumstance, their natural reaction is to flee the area. Bathing may be stressful, so it’s essential to have a strong grasp on your pig during the process.
You should always have one hand on your guinea pig to ensure safety. When you bathe your guinea pig, always maintain one hand on it for support, and under no circumstances should you turn it over on its back. This is risky and can very quickly cause a spinal injury in a guinea pig if it tries to turn or get out of the situation.
3. Put Guinea Pig Right Into The Water
You should probably start by dipping the feet into the warm water so that they can become adjusted to the temperature. You may give it a treat while you lower it into the tub. This will keep it from focusing on what you are doing.
When standing up, you want to ensure that your pet’s nose is not submerged in the water. Allow it to acclimate to the water for 2-5 minutes. Pour water across its back in a slow, gentle motion.
4. Shampoo Your Guinea Pig
After ensuring the places you wish to wash are thoroughly soaked, you may apply shampoo.
Use only a slight amount of shampoo, but make sure there is enough to reach all the places that need to be cleaned—applying shampoo to the fur and attempting to be as thorough as possible with it.
5. Rinse The Guinea Pig With Water
After giving your guinea pig a good shampooing, place it back in the original container and give it two or three rinses to remove the shampoo. Change the old water every time you rinse until the shampoo is gone.
6. Slowly Put the Towel
To dry your pet’s fur, cover it in a dry towel, and pat it. Do not be worried if you notice your pet beginning to shiver, but continue to towel dry them until the shaking stops.
7. Using a Hairdryer
You can truly dry off your guinea pig with a hairdryer! Although some guinea pigs will have a higher tolerance for this than others, quite a few will benefit from it.
Conclusion
Guinea pigs need baths only once or twice a year. They do not require bathing regularly at all. Bathing guinea pigs should only be done when it’s essential. They are often pretty squeaky-clean animals. This suggests that they should only get baths if they are dirty or smelly or have encountered a health concern. The guinea pig’s skin might become dry and painful for the animal if it is bathed too frequently.