My Guinea Pig Stinks...

[ashhtonn7]

Hello everyone,

Here in the past week or so, I've noticed that my piggies have a real nasty smell to them. I was wondering if this is normal? Can I give them a bath? What can I do to make them not smell so putrid?

 

[ILoveGilbertTheGuineaPig]

Do you have male pigs? I find that boars tend to smell more because of their grease gland. Or on the other hand, is it their bedding that is smelling?

Here's a guide on bathing: Bathing (including cleaning grease glands)

 

[ashhtonn7]

Do you have male pigs? I find that boars tend to smell more because of their grease gland. Or on the other hand, is it their bedding that is smelling?

Here's a guide on bathing: Bathing (including cleaning grease glands)

They're both males

 

[ILoveGilbertTheGuineaPig]

They're both males

You could try a bath - just make sure not to do it too frequently! But that boar smell probably won't ever go away completely!

 

[Rivervixen]

Is it the piggies themselves or their cage?

 

[Betsy]

Is it the piggies themselves or their cage?

A bit more background is needed please.
How large is the cage? What sort of bedding are they on? Do you poop pick every day? How often do you clean out the cage? What piggy safe disinfectant do you use?

 

[I have two gpigs]

I suggest let them be. Please don't give them a bath. Giving them bathes can kill them because it wipes the grease off their fur. This is very dangerous. Also Could you add more information? Like how often do you clean the cage? How big is it? What kind of bedding are you using?

 

[Betsy]

Giving a guinea pig a bath DOES NOT kill them.

 

[I have two gpigs]

Nono I mean over time if you take it too frequently.

 

[Betsy]

Giving a guinea pig a bath DOES NOT kill them.

Here is the guide on how to bath guinea pigs safely
Bathing (including cleaning grease glands)

 

[Siikibam]

Nono I mean over time if you take it too frequently.

It won't kill them over time either. Some members on here have to regularly bum bath their piggies and they're fine up to now. Please be careful about not replying with things that will scare the original poster.

@ashhtonn7 what exactly do they smell like? Wet hay can smell if not changed regularly. If you tell us more details as Betsy asked above, we can perhaps help. And as mentioned above, boars scent mark a lot. So it may be that which is smelling - it's unpleasant!

 

[ashhtonn7]

You could try a bath - just make sure not to do it too frequently! But that boar smell probably won't ever go away completely!

Haha ok thanks!

 

[ashhtonn7]

Is it the piggies themselves or their cage?

It's more of them than their cage

 

[ashhtonn7]

A bit more background is needed please.
How large is the cage? What sort of bedding are they on? Do you poop pick every day? How often do you clean out the cage? What piggy safe disinfectant do you use?

The cage is a 2x5 C&C cage, They are on fleece bedding, I pick up the poop everyday, I change the fleece every 3 days, and I don't use a disinfectant

 

[ashhtonn7]

Nono I mean over time if you take it too frequently.

I won't give them a bath frequently, the article on here that I read said that boars can get a bath 1 to 2 times a year

 

[ashhtonn7]

It won't kill them over time either. Some members on here have to regularly bum bath their piggies and they're fine up to now. Please be careful about not replying with things that will scare the original poster.

@ashhtonn7 what exactly do they smell like? Wet hay can smell if not changed regularly. If you tell us more details as Betsy asked above, we can perhaps help. And as mentioned above, boars scent mark a lot. So it may be that which is smelling - it's unpleasant!

It kind of smells like pee? Maybe a little bit of hay. I smell it on them, not in the cage

 

[ashhtonn7]

It won't kill them over time either. Some members on here have to regularly bum bath their piggies and they're fine up to now. Please be careful about not replying with things that will scare the original poster.

@ashhtonn7 what exactly do they smell like? Wet hay can smell if not changed regularly. If you tell us more details as Betsy asked above, we can perhaps help. And as mentioned above, boars scent mark a lot. So it may be that which is smelling - it's unpleasant!

This is what their cage looks like

 

[Siikibam]

Is there something under the fleece to absorb the urine? Is the fleece wicking - any urine is absorbed through and doesn’t sit on the surface? If they smell of pee I wonder if they’re sitting/lying in their own urine. Is it stale and strong smelling?

As an aside, pellets should be kept to a tablespoon per day each.

 

[ashhtonn7]

Is there something under the fleece to absorb the urine? Is the fleece wicking - any urine is absorbed through and doesn’t sit on the surface? If they smell of pee I wonder if they’re sitting/lying in their own urine. Is it stale and strong smelling?

As an aside, pellets should be kept to a tablespoon per day each.

I have puppy pads under the fleece. Whenever i clean the poop out of their cage it usually feels a little damp in some places, but it might be from where they peed recently. The only place where its really soaked is under the water bottle, but it might be leaking...

 

[ashhtonn7]

Is there something under the fleece to absorb the urine? Is the fleece wicking - any urine is absorbed through and doesn’t sit on the surface? If they smell of pee I wonder if they’re sitting/lying in their own urine. Is it stale and strong smelling?

As an aside, pellets should be kept to a tablespoon per day each.

Okay, ill only give them 1 tablespoon of pellets per day. How much lettuce should I give them too? I know that they should always have hay