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Curiosities and confusion around Teddy Boar Bathing

Alamerona

Junior Guinea Pig
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May 16, 2020
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Location
Leeds, West Yorkshire
Hi TGPF!

I just wanted some opinions when it came to bathing, especially with our Teddy Boar, Bluebear - I see a lot of conflicting opinions around bathing - especially with Teddies - with some for and some against; Bluebear's fur does molt (If that's the right term) slightly, not leaving any baldness or patchiness; it's moreso small strands. I've heard that if some hair is coming out, you should bathe them to help release any trapped or loose hair, but again, the opinions around this are so contrasting that it's hard to tell when and why to bathe our boys. When we clean them (Nail trimming, sac cleaning, penile cleaning) we brush and wipe them down with a pet-safe wetwipe, as well as obviously tending to their fur, bits, ears and nails. We of course don't want them in any sort of discomfort or distress, so wanted to get a set of opinions on the matter first. For reference, Bluebear is approx. 1 year 4m old, and we've never bathed him. Walker is similar, but is < 1 year.

Should we bathe them? What are the signs to look out for that would warrant a bath?
 
There is no need to bathe for moulting. My piggies are all short hair and moult. It’s normal. Wiping them down is, I would say, also not needed. They keep themselves pretty clean without our help. The only time they really need a bath is if they’re really grubby - poo stuck in hair, urine or poo stained, grubby grease gland etc. Even then you could just do a bum bath. Even a grubby grease gland shouldn’t be cleaned too often. Done piggies have a more active gland than others.

In summary, it’s not necessary to bathe due to moulting.
 
I have had three Teddy guinea pigs so far and I totally agree that Teddies only need a bath for the reasons mentioned above. Teddies have got a really tense fur, so they must take a really long time to dry completley.

Some Teddies like my Billie have a problem with getting rid of their loose fur. So from time to time (sometimes every few weeks, sometimes more often) I brush and combe her to get rid of this excess fur. She really hates it. But since the vet can't find a cause, this problem seems to be due to the Teddy fur.
My late Muffin and Tessy don't have this problem, so not every Teddy is affected.
 
No need to bathe just for normal shedding. With curly coats some fur can become caught or tangled, but I would use a slicker brush for that rather than a bath. I really seldom bathe my pigs (I may never have given a pig a full bath?) I did have to do bum baths frequently with an elderly pig who had chronic bladder issues and would have bladder dribbling that irritated her skin. I also had to do baths (same piggie in her younger days) with an antifungal shampoo, as she had fungal skin issues on her belly and that was what the vet prescribed for her. But otherwise, I just leave them be and brush as necessary instead. My pigs never liked getting wet and it was hard to get them really dry, particularly as their bellies are so close to the ground, so I could see it causing more skin issues than it solved!
 
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