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Going to have to do something I have been avoiding...

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lizzie_71

lizzie_71

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I have had my two boars since November 2006. They are short haired and apart from being brushed by the children occasionally, I have never done anything to their coats.

I have always considered that bathing them would be the height of cruelty as they would absolutely hate it and get very distressed. But both of them have dirty behinds and I am now considering that I might have to do it :{ Charlie in particular looks rather dodgy round the back end (he is cream coloured so it looks worse on him).

I have no idea what to start with this. Hot or cold water? And what about shampoo? Can I use the kids' shampoo on them? Or just something like washing up liquid?

Any hints gratefully received to minimise their distress. I am really dreading this :0
 
hi, you need to use guinea shampoo really as i think person shampoo has bad chemicals in :)the water should be warm but not hot and they will struggel but it is not cruel don't worry:) i find pets at home pink shampoo verry good and they smell great after:) oh, and use a tiny bit of washing up liquid in their grease gland( end of spine where tail would be) just so it doesn't get clogged you can either towel dry them rub briskly, but not too hard or use a cool setting on a hair dryer
 
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whilst some of mine love bathtimes and others not so much.. we enjoy the cuddles after...

Use a special shampoo for piggies, i know some people use baby shampoo, but personally i wouldnt recommend it..and tepid water.. like for a baby, test with elbow..

use a sink, or bowl and wash gently, making sure all the shampoo is washed off. I do my short hair boys every 5/6 months and my long haired every month or so..

to dry, wrap in a towel to take the worst off, and then you can use a hairdryer on a low setting, or keep them warm til completely dry.. do not put outside whilst wet..

the first time is really daunting and scary but apart from me getting as soaked as the piggies, they like to shake like a dog, we are good at it now, and one of my piggies actually swims! lol

good luck and let us know how it goes xx
 
I really don't want to buy anything especially for guinea pigs as I have spent far too much money recently on changing the cage to fleece and I can't justify spending more money. Isn't there some sort of household stuff I could use? Pets At Home is miles away too.
 
the shampoo from pets at home is just under £3 i think so its not to expensive and it will last a while :)
 
I use to have a pig who thought baths was the worst thing in the world. When I bathed him I use to sing loudly through it. Singing distracts me from the fact my pig is panicking and drowns out the squeeking a bit and stops me from becoming distressed too. If you become distressed while handling a distressed pig you're only going to make the whole thing worse by confirming to the pig that something horrible is happening.

The singing wasn't an angry or "I'm going to drown you out" sing, it was normally something I'd heard before doing it or I'd make up a song for the occasions. It was enough to distract me from the unpleasantness of the task but not distracting enough that I'd stop paying attention to what the pigs were doing like watching a dvd might do.

If you want to try, you could try singing this song - make up yer own tune:

Piggies you really are stinky, you've been sitting all day on your bum
Piggies you really are stinky, not moving all day dum-de-dum
So I'll flip you up into a hand stand, and scrub out the grease-gland goo
Because you really are lazy, and can't reach your own bum whoop-de-do
Koda you really are stinky, why do you let the other boys pee on you?
I suppose if you fought back you'd all be stinky, and I'd need to buy more shampoo.
Cashew you really are lazy, hogging one space all day
You don't get up except to eat and drink, and pee and poo where you stay.
Mimic you really are silly, rolling around in the hay
I'm sure you saw Cashew pee in it earlier, why did you do that sil-ay?



Woa, reading over that... yeah. I'm crazy.
 
Your song is hilarious! Thanks for the laugh - it's good to be a little crazy:)p
 
I'll need to make sure to bring my pigs in with me when singing it.

"Simon... this is for you. And all the dirty pigs out there who don't like baths..."

Re the original topic: guinea pigs are bathed regularly with an appropriate-for-peegs shampoo (Gorgeous Guineas or mild, unscented baby shampoo) tend to have healthier skin. With Gorgeous Guineas shampoo you can bathe them once a month, but for non-specialised shapoos (which GG is) then it's recommended that you bathe every three months or so.

Guinea pig skin is very sensitive and prone to difficult to treat aliments such as fungal infections. It is better for you to spend £10 on a shampoo for guinea pigs made especially for their skin that will last you years than to spend money on creams and dips for a pig who has had an adverse reaction to a human shampoo.

http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/
 
Thanks for the hints everyone, especially the song lol. I don't have a
pets at home very near me so I'll have to buy something mail order I guess. I am only going to wash them this once though I expect so it seems like a waste
of money.

I am getting grief from hubby for spending money on pigs, so I will have to hide the shampoo!
 
Hee hee funny song!

As for shampoo I have to say the gorgeous guineas is really very lovely when you have a bit of spare cash. The coats are beautiful and you are sure you wont be irritating their skin with it either.

I also have a pets at home one that I bought first and it's okay - they got clean and smelled nice for quite a while.
 
I put my pigs in the bath - a couple of inches of water in the deep end, and it peters out to hardly anything in the shallow end so they don't get scared. They don't particularly like it, but they toddle about and let me wash them, and its worth it when their coats are better - must be more comfortable for them as well.
I've got Bob Martin shampoo but Gorgeous Guineas is the best. I need some more Just for Boars shampoo - they don't feel I am putting girly smells on them!
 
If a GG shampoo is out of the question and it was a case of desperation, out of everything easily obtainable I think I would use an own brand baby shampoo as they often use less chemicals than the branded ones. I wouldn't go for the "value" product though! When you can afford it though, a GG purchase is a good investment, especially if you get the large bottles, they last for ages and contain no harsh chemicals.

I am with you on dreading doing it - I have 8 boys and they are ALL having a bath tomorrow with a nail trim and general maintenance dealings. I think I shall be singing Teadragon's song to them for my benefit as well as theirs! 8 mucky grease glands. Joy.
 
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Heck, yeah! I'm usually struggling to hold a stressing pig whilst fishing the poo out before it goes down the plughole :{ It's usually the same boys who do it constantly, it's like they store it up to repay me for the ag of bathtime :)) Yet some are good as gold and just sit there (probably in abject misery) and let me do my worst, poor little devils!
 
Ha ha!
Whats best for cleaning their grease glands? Scruffy is always spotlessly clean, little cherub, but Jeremy and Humphrey need a bit of a clean in that area..
 
daleksarah said:
i love that song i want to see you on x factor singing it
Click to expand...

I second that. With all the hype about G-Force it would be very topical. Then all the forum members could come and watch your audition and we could all wear Guinea Pig t-shirts. Yippeee, that would be fab.
 
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Well, Leo and Alan seem to have really overactive grease glands which are a nightmare to shift. When I saw Chrissie at Gorgeous Guineas at the Reading Piggy PM, I asked her what she recommended, as I was using Swarfega or a little bit of Fairy washing up liquid. Regular pig shampoo just simply will not shift it, despite regular, ahem, bum washes. She recommended using the Swarfega as usual, then using a toothbrush (with the Swarfega) after trying to get the worst off with the hands alone. It goes without saying it must be done gently though! Rotate the brush gently in little circles, and if it's really stubborn team it with some shampoo and a drop of warm water. It still is a nightmare, but eventually will shift it :)
 
According to CCT, the crucial thing with shampoo is to make sure to rinse of off thoroughly, whether it is human or guinea pig shampoo. Although I always worry about chilling or overheating my pigs.

My boars used to panic, but they seem to have become resigned to it. Smokey got so fed up with his feet sliding out from under him last time, that when I put him on his back to do underneath, he just lay there, even though he usually hates to be on his back.

I do mine in a plastic crate that I put on the draining board. It is deeper than the sink, which they used to sometimes escape from, and I have broken a hole in the bottom at one end so it rains into the sink.
 
Katie, I know, it takes aaaaages to do it. But the pigs are usually very patient and let me do it :)

Good point ajb - even if it takes forever, it needs to be thoroughly washed out. And make sure they are thoroughly dry before putting back in an outside hutch, especially if you absolutely need to do it in the winter.
 
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