guinea pig really stinks all the sudden 🤢

Zorro1

Zorro1

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi
The title says it all really. My boar really stinks all the sudden and I don't know why. I have noticed that his urine is leaving a white substance, could that be causing the sudden smell?
The only change in what he eats is I've started to introduce corn into his diet, I hope that's not causing the smell but I thought I'd mention it just in case.
Is this anything to worry about? Tomorrow, I'll wipe his cage down with a vinegar/water solution to help with the stink. Is there anything else I could do to get rid of the odor?
I have seen him grooming himself so I doubt that he's having trouble keeping himself clean.
 
Hi, what exactly does he smell of? Boars do scent mark more than sows so can pong more but if he smells of strong urine or fish, I’d have him vet checked for a uti. My late Erin smelled bad and was leaking urine. She had a bad uti and bladder sludge
 
As above, what does it smell of? Is it stale urine or poo smell? what kind of bedding is he on? Is the smell coming from him (on his body) or in the cage?

Boars are known to scent mark more so do you think it could be that?

They get rid of excess calcium through wee hence looking white. If it’s repeatedly white you have to review what you’re feeding him. As long as it’s not grainy when you touch then it’s okay.

What does he usually eat?
 
The smell isn't coming from his body, but the cage. (Although, I just give him a bath so he could have smelled beforehand, IDK)
The odor smells like scent mark and urine. 🤢
Siikibam said:
What does he usually eat?
Click to expand...
On a daily basis, he eats lettuce or grass, capsicum, cucumber, celery and pellets. Some other foods I give him are carrot, parsley, fennel and occasionally he gets some treats like, corn (which I've just been introducing) and sometimes a blueberry.
 
Then it may just be that his bedding needs changing, or maybe the hay - if it’s a urine smell. The scent marking can smell very 🤢

Are you bathing him regularly?
 
I bathe him around once every 2 months. He actually doesn't smell anymore this morning. Maybe he stank so much yesterday afternoon because he had a bath and (usually when I bath him, I clean his cage thoroughly to make sure he doesn't re-dirty himself) so he wanted to re-scent mark everything because it was too clean and odorless for him?
 
Scent marking after too much cleaning has been done is certain a real possibility.

Bathing every two months should not be necessary at all.
Young/adult piggies should be keeping themselves clean and do not need any regular bathing unless there is a medical need to. Older piggies who perhaps aren’t moving as much may need a bum bath
 
Thanks for you're helpful replies, who would have thought that the cause of the stench was actually me cleaning too much! 😅
If 2 months is too often, how frequently should I be bathing him?
 
Zorro1 said:
Thanks for you're helpful replies, who would have thought that the cause of the stench was actually me cleaning too much! 😅
If 2 months is too often, how frequently should I be bathing him?
Click to expand...

Boars very much like their territory to smell of them (this is why in a newly bonded pair, or if changing cage we onoy recommend changing half the bedding at one time so the other half still smells of them). Over-cleaning definitely does make things more smelly in the long run.

Healthy piggies never need a bath. They will be keeping themselves clean.
The only time they need to be bathed is if there is a medical need to do so (ie after a ringworm infection, or if they are not as mobile and getting urine scald).
Of my two 5 year old piggies and I have only had to bathe one of them once in the 4.5 years I’ve had them.
 
:agr:
I have had piggies who never needed a bath in their entire lives.
Mostly those that did only needed a quick bum bath because of longer hair around their back end or after illness.

I would stop bathing him all together (unless medically necessary).
It isn't something most piggies enjoy and it can actually dry out their skin and cause other issues.
 
My boars are nearly three years old and I’ve never had to bathe them - I read from TGPF info (when I got them)to only change half their bedding etc each time - having done this I’ve never had ‘stinky ‘ boars or smells
Great when you find it’s an easy answer
 
What bedding are you using?

I use a hay tray and stagger the cleaning. So for example, I'll completely clean out the hay tray on Saturday (I'll only replace the hay for the next few days and keep the shavings), on Sunday I'll replace all fleece cozies, then Monday I'll change the fleece. Tuesday I'll completely clean out the hay tray again.

When I used just disposable bedding, throughout the week I'd spot clean and remove any damp shavings and poo areas daily/every other day as well as replace the hay. Once it's fairly depleted, I add more shavings and mix it in.
 
The first layer is a sheet of plastic to stop moisture/pee getting on the floor. On top of that, I have fabric (fleece in the Winter or cotton towels in the Summer) and the third layer is disposable puppy pads. On a daily basis, I change out soiled puppy pads and spot clean the cage of poop twice a day (once in the morning and again the evening). I'll also top up the hay when ever necessary. I "Deep Clean" the cage (wipe down the plastic layer with a vinegar water solution and change out dirty fabric) at least once a week.

I don't have a schedule of what to clean on what day. For example, I just deep clean the cage when I think it's needed (which is usually around once a week). I hope that I'm not cleaning his cage too much where it's making him scent mark and I hope that I'm cleaning enough to prevent his cage getting stinky and too soiled but I try to keep his cage at a good cleanliness level.
 
If all the advice above doesn't help, a vet trip might be worthwhile. One of my pigs started smelling strongly of fish. We never actually figured out what the problem was, but a course of antibiotics fixed it. Our best guess was a urine infection.
 
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