cleaning a piggy?

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organicsab

i have been told that you shouldnt bathe a guinea pig. i had a piggy for 6 years and thats what i've always done, i hold them under running lukewarm water, but not their heads and use guinea pig shampoo, not often, just every now and then. but today someone told me i shouldnt be doing that, i should be using baby wipes to keep them clean, is this true?
 
i dont think so .i bath mine sometimes it desnt harm them the way you do it.just need to make sure they are kept warm and dried properly afterwards
 
i wouldnt use baby wipes. my girls i never bathed. however one of them was poorly at the end of life so did then but just her bottom and she was over 6 years old. my boys i havent doen and they are over 2 years but will do but only when they need it.
 
Baby wipes contain chemicals so I wouldn't use them. Baths are ok but only every now and again. Once every 6 months for smooths every 3 months for long haired. It all depends on the pig. :)
 
Bathing keeps the skin in good condition, which is turn keeps the coat healthy. Once every 2-3 months is the most pigs should be bathed. I never used to bathe my lot routinely, but have found that since washing them regularly every 2-3 months they have been looking much cleaner and healthier. The only time I am reluctant to bathe them is in winter - even though they are indoor piggies! The right shampoo is important too.
 
well thanks everyone. i asked on yahoo answers and everyone said dont bath them cuz they'll get sick, and i've been doing it for 6 years to my piggy who just passed away yesterday and he's never been sick. i have one piggy now and he hates baths, he wiggles like crazy, so i try and be as quick as possible
 
Guinea pigs can be bathed if they really need it and are dirty etc but you don't have to bath them like every week.
I think using baby wipes isn't right but you can get special small animal wipes from pet stores.
 
Yahoo Answers have an unreliable mix of members, most of them with much less experience and specific knowledge than places like this have. You get the odd one with credible advice but most are not so 'trained' on the particular topic. People on a guinea pig forum know guinea pigs, so it's a good thing you found this place and asked for a second opinion.
 
I bathe mine but it's only about every 5 months or more. They don't really like it so I don't like to stress them out with it. So I'll only really do it if they're bottom is getting a bit dirty.
 
we bath ours because one pees on the other one and she really starts to smell! There is nothing wrong with washing a gp every 3 to 5 months esp if they start to smell!
 
i've just done mine again a month after the first time but was for aggression reasons so won't be continuing doing once a month just when they smell!
 
Well i dont bathe him all the time, just when he needs it, he's a texel so his coat gets messy more often than any other piggy i've had, but he sure does look great after a haircut and bath!
 
I think long-haired piggies do need more baths than short-haired. I have to admit that I have never used wet wipes.

I usually bath mine about now as the weather is getting warmer and then again later in the summer. I use Lice 'n' Easy shampoo from Gorgeous Guineas just as a precaution because hay mites can come in via the hay.

Always make sure that the water is nice and warm and take extra care to make sure that they are thoroughly dried afterwards, preferably keeping them indoors overnight. I blow-dry mine with a hair drier but obviously not on a hot setting.

Not many piggies like being bathed. But I feel good when they are nice and clean and I reckon they probably do as well.
 
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