Bathing (including cleaning grease glands)

[Claire W]

1 A Safe Full Bath - Step by Step
- When and how often should you bathe your guinea pigs?
- What items do you require for bathing your guinea pig?
- Recommended shampoos
- Getting started
- Bathing your guinea pig
- Drying your guinea pigs
2 Bum Baths (Partial Baths and Washes)
- What is a 'bum bath' and when should it be used?
- Caked on poos
- Bum hair care tips
- Boar care tips
- Care tips for older and less mobile guinea pigs (inc. urine scald and bumblefoot)
3 Cleaning the Grease Gland


1 A Safe Full Bath - Step by Step

When and how often should you bathe your guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs do not need regular and definitely not frequent baths; perhaps a couple of times a year at the most although some guinea pigs, especially boars, can be dirtier than others so may need bathing more often. Longer or rough-haired breeds may also need bathing more often but bathing too often can cause the skin to dry out and strip the coat of its natural oils.

For any medicated baths and dips please follow the advice on the bottle. A dip is a bath which needs the preparation drying onto skin without a rinse-off or with needing to wait for a specific amount of time to allow the dip to be absorbed into the skin.

In most cases a gentle quick ‘bum bath’ (see chapter 2) with baby-warm water is sufficient to keep soiled genitalia, paws and back ends clean. This especially for messy boars and guinea pigs with mobility issues that can no longer clean themselves and need daily cleaning.

In long-haired guinea pigs please keep any hairs around the genitalia, the legs and lower back cut short in order to minimise soiling and matting. Do a quick haircut before bathing if necessary. A haircut is also the only effective way to remove yellow urine stains from white coats; shampoos won't do the trick.
Please see the pictures and videos in our hair cutting guide for help: The Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting

Please do NOT bathe any guinea pigs that are suffering from respiratory illnesses or undiagnosed skin problems before they have been seen by a vet.

When bathing your guinea pigs, please choose a warm day especially for outdoor guinea pigs unless you are bathing for a medical reason such as fungal or parasitic issues. Do not put any outdoors guinea pigs back unless their coats are fully dried. Make sure that your bathroom and the guinea pig room is heated while your guinea pigs are being bathed and are drying.

Swimming and deep baths are a big NO for guinea pigs.
Can And Should Guinea Pigs Swim?

What items do you require for bathing your guinea pig?
• A clean empty bathtub or shower floor
• A clean washing up bowl
• Clean dry towels
• A jug or shower head
• Small animal friendly shampoo or special medicated shampoo or dip
• Disposable gloved (a must if your guinea pig has transmittable ringworm)
• Hairdryer (optional) or microwaveable snugglesafepads (optional)

Recommended shampoos
Please note that we do not recommend treating any skin problems on spec without a vet diagnosis.

The following places offer specially formulated organic shampoos for guinea pigs that are free of any noxious ingredients and suitable for a guinea pig skin ph:
UK with worldwide shipping: Gorgeous Guineas - Aromatherapy skincare products for guinea pigs
US wide shipping: Wee Companions Small Animal Adoption, Inc. - Animal Accessories

If you can't get hold of either, a mild baby shampoo will do as long as you do not use it very frequently, in which case it can cause skin problems in the longer term (dry skin, cracks through which bugs cn get into).

For any medicated shampoos please see your vet for an assessment.
Medical products are listed in our Ringworm Guide: Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures

Getting started
It is advisable to have the bathing area set up and ready to bathe your guinea pig before you bring them in to avoid unnecessary stress. It is safest to use a washing up bowl filled with just enough warm water to cover the guinea pigs legs that just touches their belly (roughly 2inches / 5 cm) and placed inside the bathtub or shower to avoid any nasty accidents should your guinea pig decide to jump.
Place a dry towel inside the bathtub or shower and on the bottom of the bowl if you wish to prevent your guinea pig from slipping.


Please do NOT use a kitchen or bathroom sink. The risk of severe injuries from blind jumps by a panicked guinea pig is too great. The floor of a bathtub or shower with a towel for grip allows safe jumps but as it is a confined area, will prevent your guinea pigs from running away and hiding in a cranny. It can also be easily cleaned afterwards.


Bathing your guinea pigs
Fill the bowl with 1-2 inches of baby warm water (test with your elbow). The water should not touch the belly of a guinea pig at this stage.

Gently place your guinea pig in to the bowl of water keeping your hands close to the guinea pig. If your guinea pig is a jumper, it is advisable to face the guinea pig away from you to prevent it from jumping in to your arms although some guinea pigs prefer to be able to see you so see what your guinea pig prefers. Place a firm grip on the back of your guinea pig but do not apply too much pressure.


Wet the guinea pig all over, using your hands, a jug or the shower head and taking care not to pour any water directly on the head, face, eyes or ears.


Squeeze a strip of shampoo along the guinea pig’s spineor into your hand, gently lathering the guinea pigs fur again avoiding the face, eyes and ears.
Leave the face and ears be, and only ever use lather and soft moist rag anywhere near the face or ears. The active ingredient in medicated shampoos or dips will be spread onto the head by the piggy cleaning itself during the recommended wait.


Gently but with a firm hold lift your guinea pig out.


Place the guinea pig on the towel in the bathtub or shower while you refill the washing-up bowl with freshwater unless you prefer to have two washing up bowls of water on the go.
Leave any shampoo or medicated dip to work in for the recommended time. Dips are usually left to dry without rinsing.
In the meantime repeat the process with any companions.


Once all piggies shampooed, place the first guinea pig bac in to the rinsed and freshly refilled bowl and rinse carefully with clean and baby warm water as before, using your hands, jug or showerhead but avoiding splashing any water on the head and ears. Always check the water temperature!



Remove your guinea pig from the water and wrap in a dry towel to dry.
Use a moist but not dripping clean rag to gently remove any lather from the face if any has got onto it.



Drying your guinea pigs
Allow the guinea pigs to rest for a couple of minutes whilst being wrapped in the towel and allow the towel to absorb as much of the water as possible. Then transfer your guinea pig to a new dry towel and gently massage the fur until no more water can be absorbed and until the guinea pig feels damp, but not soaking.


A hairdryer on the lowest setting and from at least a foot distance can be used to fully dry the guinea pig (if the guinea pig allows it) but if not, the guinea pig is nowable to be put back in to their clean cage or play pen to groom themselves and dry off fully. If your house is relatively cool, use a half-heated snugglesafe and make a fleece nest in your carrier to allow your guinea pigs to dry off warmly. A shivering guinea pig is a cold guinea pig!

Please do NOT put guinea pigs outside / in to their outdoor hutch until they are completely dry.

 

[Claire W]

2 Bum Baths (Partial Baths)

- What is a 'bum bath' and when should it be used?
A bum bath is a gentle wash with baby warm water for a more regularly soiled bum area. It is much less stressful on a guinea pig compared to a full bath. Guinea pigs who like water and bathing are very rare.

The skin microbiome is part of the immune defence. By just using water instead of shampoo, you are disturbing it less and there is less of a risk of dry skin problems in guinea pig that are bathed too often.

The guinea pigs most in need of a judicial bum bath are boars and guinea pigs with mobility issues that cannot clean themselves anymore and spend a lot of time sitting in the same spot. Guinea pigs who urinate a lot (urinary tract infections and kidney problem etc.) may also profit from more regular care. Diarrhea and soft poos can also cause problems when they cake onto the skin and dry.
Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

- How to give a bum bath
Please follow the tips for bathing in setting up a bum bath but leave the water out of the basin and just give the bum area a quick soak with plain water that is about the same temperature as recommended for a baby (neither hot nor cold) or a gentle wash with a damp rag for an ill or frail piggy.
Make sure that you also check for signs of urine scald (soreness and loss of hair around the genitalia, belly and the foot soles.

- Caked on poos
When poos, especially very soft poos and diarrhea dry up, they become very hard. They can cake onto hairs and skin really tightly.

If they are stuck to hairs, try to cut them off as gently as possible with a pair of scissors. Make sure that the scissors cannot stab into the skin or legs in sudden movements. It is ideally a two person job with one holding the guinea pig and the other performing the operation.

Poos stuck to the skin need softening with water and then careful and gentle scraping off. It may take several rounds of soaking and scraping. With poos stuck under the soles, you may want to stand the piggy in a basin with very shallow baby warm water (5-10mm).

- Bum hair care tips
Keeping the hairs around the genitals, the bum area and the back legs cut short will reduce the soiling and matting risk quite considerably. This applies to all longer haired guinea pigs but matting can also affect short-haired guinea pig with mobility issues (including arthritis) or frequent urination.
In summer/hot weather, a short haircut and daily checks can help with preventing/checking on potential fly strike in the frail.
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Here is our illustrated hair cutting guide with pictures and videos, including how to tidy up the area between the legs and round the genitals: An Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting

- Boar care tips
Keeping the genitalia and bum in boars checked may take more than the once weekly body check, weigh-in and grroming session. The worst boars, especially during teenage may need a twice weekly check of their 'down below'.
Here is our boar guide with all the issues that need looking out for and how to deal with them:

Thread 'Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths'

Mar 15, 2016

1 How do boar genitalia look like?
- Babies, boars with descended testicles and neutered boars (pictures)
- Nipples
- Sexing Guide link
2 Bums
- What is normal
- How to keep clean
- Impaction
3 Bits and Pieces (Penis and semen fluid)
- What is normal
- Removing smegma and dirt from the penis
- Penis prongs...

• MerryPip
• Replies: 4
• Forum: Grooming Care & Health Monitoring

• 

- Care tips for older and less mobile guinea pigs (inc. urine scald and bumblefoot)
A daily check of the undercarriage for very ill piggies, piggies with mobility issues (back leg paralysis, arthritis) and the frail is recommended. If needed give a gentle wash with a damp but not wet rag before you treat for any urine scald soreness. Flamazine cream from your vet or leucillin (available online) are best.
Also check the foot soles, both weight bearing front and back feet. The more often the thick hard skin on the soles is moistened and softened, the easier it is for bugs to get into the skin and cause bumblefoot infection (pododermatitis). It can be a bit a balance act. Treat as little as possible but do so whenever needed and see a vet very promptly when you notice changes to the structure of the skin. Flamazine or leucillin may be able to head the problem off. It does however also depend on the state of the blood circulation, which can be an additional contributing factor to bumblefoot in the elderly and the frail.

Thread 'Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility'

Jun 13, 2019

Introduction
1 Why can guinea pigs stop moving around?
- Animal attacks, severe illness or pain
- Back leg paralysis with list of potential causes
- Post-op, sudden illness or acute pining after bereavement
2 Adapting the living space
- Bedding and cosies
- Everything within reach
- Warmth and stable conditions
3 Weight monitoring and feeding support
- Weighing...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Guides

• 

Using vetbed (special highly absorbent fleece) cut into pads that can be replaced daily or more often can go a long way to minimise urine scald and bumblefoot problems.

Please also check daily for signs of fly strike (flesh eating maggots) in guinea pigs that cannot clean themselves anymore during the warm months of the year. Bluebottle flies can smell ideal 'customers' from a long distance (over a mile) and they can come indoors.
Here is information on fly strike: Fly Strike

More practical care advice for looking after older or ill piggies:
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection


3 Cleaning the Grease Gland

The grease gland is located at the back of the guinea pig where a tail would be. It is harder to find on some guinea pigs than others but can usually be found by the greasy circle you can feel.


It isn’t always necessary, but when bathing a guinea pig it is always a good idea to give their grease gland a little extra clean.

The best product to use for this is coconut oil. Boars are more prone to an overactive grease gland although it can happen in some sows too.
In extreme cases, the grease gland can become infected, in which case you need to see a vet.
Swarfega can be used but it no longer recommended because it badly dries out the surrounding skin.

Just gently clean the grease gland with a little plain warm water. Then apply the coconut oil. After about a minute of massaging, the grease should come off. Lift the oily mess gently off with some tissue or a cotton pad; then either bathe your guinea pig or give it a quick bum bath. Sometimes leaving the coconut oil overnight can help with more hardened gunk.

Please see a vet if the grease gland is swollen and sore looking (infection). You should also see a vet if any crusts don't come off or if you notice any growths on the grease gland.

Please also be aware that too frequent cleaning of the grease gland can overstimulate it and result in a vicious circle.
Boars are more commonly affected by overactive grease glands but occasionally sows can get an issue as well.