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Newbie Qs - cleaning

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StarGirl

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Hello

I pick up my first piggies - two young boars - next week from a rescue and was wondering what things I will need to do to keep them clean and healthy.

I know I will need to bath them (around every 3 months?) and keep an eye on their nails to make sure they aren't getting too long. Do I need to dab something on their bottoms to keep flies away, if so what?

Will I need to do extra cleaning around their genital area as they are boars? If someone has a shopping list of the things I will need to have for their hygiene it would be appreciated!

Many thanks
 
StarGirl said:
Hello

I pick up my first piggies - two young boars - next week from a rescue and was wondering what things I will need to do to keep them clean and healthy.

I know I will need to bath them (around every 3 months?) and keep an eye on their nails to make sure they aren't getting too long. Do I need to dab something on their bottoms to keep flies away, if so what?

Will I need to do extra cleaning around their genital area as they are boars? If someone has a shopping list of the things I will need to have for their hygiene it would be appreciated!

Many thanks
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I use Gorgeous Guineas products - they're specifically made for guinea pigs and they have several different products for various uses. I use their shampoos (I have a long haired piggy, and have recently had an issue with static lice), but I think they also do something that can be used to breakdown the waxy deposits that can form around the grease gland (info here: http://www.guinealynx.info/grooming.html). Their site is: http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/ and all the products have a description of what they are ideal for.

Boars can need some additional cleaning - they can get icky boy build-ups around their penis - the best thing to do, is get someone who's experienced with boars (even if it's your vet or vet nurse) to demonstrate how to extrude the penis, as sometimes it may need cleaning - also they can get bits of hay or hair stuck in there - boys eh?!

I do love boars though, despite their extra cleaning - they have so much character!

Don't forget, if you're ever unsure of anything, just ask! There's plenty of people around here who'll be able to help you out, no matter what the query is!
 
I'm not an expert on boars as since I've been old enough to have my own guineas I've always had sows.

Washing guineas is purely based on common sense and whether they actually need it. My sows must be coming up for 2.5-3years now and I've washed them once in that time. With longer haired piggies, they obviously need washing a bit more so it depends on the breed really IMO. If you are to bathe them, gorgeous guineas shampoo is really highly rated on this forum (and other places too). Apparently they do a just for boars shampoo, as well as conditions and something for their grease glands (someone with boars is sure to come along and help me out on that one!).

To prevent against flystrike the best thing to do is to clean the cage regularly. I don't put anything on my guineas or rabbits as I fear it might make me get complacent with the bum checking. Best thing todo is flip them over and have a look at their bums regularly to see if there are any small eggs around the area. If there is, get to a vets quickly! As far as I'm aware flystrike in guineas isn't a massive risk but obviously regular checking is the best way to go.

With regards to clipping nails, it's fairly easy. I first off got the small animal clippers from P@H which are good for guineas but in places like Wilkos they do more sturdy ones which are marketed to cats and dogs but are more like the clippers they use in the vets. If you're nervous about doing it the first time, pop to a local vets and they will do it for you and teach you as well ... at mine it costs £8/animal so with 9 furry ones I can't justify it but for one or two the cost isn't too bad.

With regards to grease glands I have a few ideas of what people do but don't want to misinform you so you're probably best waiting for someone else to come along.

Oh and ... POST PICTURES WHEN THEY ARRIVE! :(|)
 
youthnovels said:
I'm not an expert on boars as since I've been old enough to have my own guineas I've always had sows.

Washing guineas is purely based on common sense and whether they actually need it. My sows must be coming up for 2.5-3years now and I've washed them once in that time. With longer haired piggies, they obviously need washing a bit more so it depends on the breed really IMO. If you are to bathe them, gorgeous guineas shampoo is really highly rated on this forum (and other places too). Apparently they do a just for boars shampoo, as well as conditions and something for their grease glands (someone with boars is sure to come along and help me out on that one!).

To prevent against flystrike the best thing to do is to clean the cage regularly. I don't put anything on my guineas or rabbits as I fear it might make me get complacent with the bum checking. Best thing todo is flip them over and have a look at their bums regularly to see if there are any small eggs around the area. If there is, get to a vets quickly! As far as I'm aware flystrike in guineas isn't a massive risk but obviously regular checking is the best way to go.

With regards to clipping nails, it's fairly easy. I first off got the small animal clippers from P@H which are good for guineas but in places like Wilkos they do more sturdy ones which are marketed to cats and dogs but are more like the clippers they use in the vets. If you're nervous about doing it the first time, pop to a local vets and they will do it for you and teach you as well ... at mine it costs £8/animal so with 9 furry ones I can't justify it but for one or two the cost isn't too bad.

With regards to grease glands I have a few ideas of what people do but don't want to misinform you so you're probably best waiting for someone else to come along.

Oh and ... POST PICTURES WHEN THEY ARRIVE! :(|)
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There's as much risk with guineas as rabbits. They're low to the ground and poo for England! Obviously a healthy pig should have relatively solid, well formed poos so it shouldn't be an issue, but if they end up sitting in it (which they have a habit of doing rolleyes) then it can become a risk. As you say, regular checking and keeping them clean is the way to prevent flystrike :)
 
Amanda1801 said:
There's as much risk with guineas as rabbits. They're low to the ground and poo for England! Obviously a healthy pig should have relatively solid, well formed poos so it shouldn't be an issue, but if they end up sitting in it (which they have a habit of doing rolleyes) then it can become a risk. As you say, regular checking and keeping them clean is the way to prevent flystrike :)
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Just ignore me then! I must have read somewhere that it's a lower risk but to be honest I never thought about it logically! Thanks for correcting me x
 
youthnovels said:
Just ignore me then! I must have read somewhere that it's a lower risk but to be honest I never thought about it logically! Thanks for correcting me x
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to be honest, ANY animal is at risk if they aren't clean - I've seen dogs with flystrike :)>>>
 
Thanks very much for your replies and the product recommendations. So will I need to clean their bums then to prevent fly strike? Would I just wipe with a baby wipe or something? Obviously I will be keeping the hutch well cleaned out, and regularly clearing out poops in between.

The boys are short haired so I guess they won't need as much bathing or grooming as long haired ones. Do they need brushing at all?

I look forward to hearing all about the grease gland! I think....lol :))

I can't wait to be able to take some pics and post them on here! :<>

ETA - I can see from the other link you can/should still brush short haired piggies, so I will see if I can find my son's old baby brush.
 
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StarGirl said:
Thanks very much for your replies and the product recommendations. So will I need to clean their bums then to prevent fly strike? Would I just wipe with a baby wipe or something? Obviously I will be keeping the hutch well cleaned out, and regularly clearing out poops in between.

The boys are short haired so I guess they won't need as much bathing or grooming as long haired ones. Do they need brushing at all?

I look forward to hearing all about the grease gland! I think....lol :))

I can't wait to be able to take some pics and post them on here! :<>
Click to expand...

To be honest the piggies should be able to clean themselves fine, it's if they were to have soft poos which got stuck which would then result in flies being attracted and so on.

You can buy this which I have used once in the past for your own peace of mind, don't know how effective it is though really and I'd be wary of putting it on young boars really.

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/johnsons-fly-strike-protector-57514

My short haired guineas don't need brushing but I like to brush them and from the way they chatter away to me, I presume they quite like it! Once again the small animal brushes from P@H are good for guineas.
 
Hi and welcome! Great that you are doing your research beforehand! I am sure that you will get the hang soon; rely on your common sense!

You will need to check boar bottoms regularly anyway; some have a bad habit of getting stuff stuck in their privates, which can get very yucky over time. Whether you need to wipe or not depends on how clean the boys are; older long- or roughhaired piggies are much more likely to end up with dirty bottoms. Shorthair smooth piggies usually don't need lots of grooming.

I would recommend you to get into the habit of weighing and checking your piggies all over once weekly; that will help you spot health and sanitary problems early on when it is much easier (and cheaper) to do something about. http://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html

We have tips about how to deal with grease glands together with other threats that are aiming to answer many of the most often asked questions by piggy newbies in our reference section. You will hopefully find the information useful, but don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have in our care section. http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=47314
 
Healthy Guinea pigs should not need regular bathing. They can keep themselves clean by themselves.

Some of my boys get thier grease gland cleaned once a month if its bad, but thats it.

If thier enviroment is kept clean, they wont be at risk of fly strike.

The only other time I bathe my pigs, is if lice appear, but that is very rare.
 
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