How Often to Bath a Clean Guinea Pig?

Status
Not open for further replies.
louise_stocker

louise_stocker

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
615
Reaction score
7
Points
325
Location
Fife, Scotland
Hi
Sorry if I've put this in the wrong place but I wasn't sure what area of the care section to use.

I just wondered how often any of you bath your pigs if they are clean?

Mine are very clean, obviously I would bath them straight away if they were damp in any way, but I just wondered if they would be happier to get freshened up a little. I know they get a bit stressed when being bathed though so not sure what's for the best?

They do scratch a fair bit but there is no signs of any skin conditions at all and their coats are very healthy. I just wondered whether having a bath might stop them scratching and make them feel a bit fresher.

I have one abyssinian and one merino. The merino, Peggy, scratches the most. I give her regular trims and brushes but she gets a little sweaty when its warm and thought a bath might be nice.

Many thanks, Louise
 
I bathe mine every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on their bums. Do you think your pigs might have dry skin? It's strange for them to itch so much and not have a problem.
 
They probably have a quick scratch every 5-10 minutes or so - just turning round and scratching their sides with their nose or scratching their sides with their back feet. It's not frantic or anything - all my guinea have done it for years so not sure what's normal. I kind of assumed they just had an itch or were putting their hair right. They're perfectly healthy otherwise and can sleep for ages without scratching. Their coats are lovely and skin looks fine.

I'll give them both a bath at the weekend and see if it makes a difference. They're obviously a little greasy - just in so much as if you stroke them for ages you're hands feel a tiny bit sticky but again I thought this was fairly normal.

Would like to know if other people's pigs have a little scratch every so often?

Thanks again, Louise x
 
4-6 weeks is too often to be bathing a piggy. they should only really be bathed a few times a year.

instead of bathing you could try a damp cloth. bathing them takes the natural oils out of their skin.

what bedding to you use?
 
Hi

Thanks for all the feedback. We've got towels with fleece on top and then a litter tray with cat litter wood pellets (from P@H, says suitable for guinea pigs). The litter trays probably takes up about a fifth of the size of the cage. All their hay, water and food is in the litter tray but to be honest they only really go in there to eat and spend most of their time lying on fleece.

We've changed to fleece from woodshavings about 2 months ago before I came on this forum and learnt all about C&C cages and fleecy bedding!

I've not bathed them since changing from woodshavings so there may still be some dust in their hair but they do seem to be scratching less than they did.

Thanks again, Louise
 
I have never bathed my piggies as didn't think you needed to and they don't smell. Sam is 2 years old and Dillon 1. If they were dirty I would.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top