should i bathe piggies?

[@the3piggies]

hi all! i’m a bit confused on wether or not i should bathe my piggies. some sources have said once a month in the summer and twice a month in the winter, some say twice a year, some say not unless they are incredibly dirty. i’d like some advice from people who know a lot about piggies. i got my piggies 2 months ago and i gave one of them a bath a few minutes ago, but i read that it might not have been the best idea. i’m definitely bathing my other two to make
sure they don’t get into fights but i want to know when to bathe them next. they’re shorthaired.
thanks!

 

[Piggies&buns]

The only time they need a bath is for a medical need. Please don’t do it as a matter of routine. Bathing isn’t good for their skin. Healthy piggies are perfectly able to keep themselves clean.

Please also do not bathe the two you don’t want to fight. Buddy bathing is very outdated advice and is no longer recommended. If two piggies don’t have character compatibility and don’t like each other then they will fight whether you bath them or not.

 

[@the3piggies]

The only time they need a bath is for a medical need. Please don’t do it as a matter of routine. Bathing isn’t good for their skin. Healthy piggies are perfectly able to keep themselves clean.

Please also do not bathe the two you don’t want to fight. Buddy bathing is very outdated advice and is no longer recommended. If two piggies don’t have character compatibility and don’t like each other then they will fight whether you bath them or not.

got it thanks. i didn’t see this and bathed them already. the only thing was i didn’t want them to fight because of the scent difference. moving forward, i won’t bathe them unless very necessary. thank you!

 

[Freela]

They really don't need routine baths unless something has gotten them absolutely filthy. I don't think there's any proof that it will make pigs more likely to get along either, although I have read that idea a few times. It comes down more to character than any unfamiliar scent. Hope this helps a bit! Just make sure to dry the pig you did bathe thoroughly... it can be hard to get them dry all the way through. I had one pig with bladder issues who used to leak and get urine scald in her old age and I had to give her bum baths regularly for the last year or so... getting her dry was the hardest part!

 

[artcasper]

Mine get a bath once a year when it is summer time.... daisy is going to need one when she is feeling better as she is covered in critical care...

 

[Free Ranger]

There is also the chance of them inhaling splashes of water and risking a respiratory infection... some piggies can be very prone to these.

 

[Swissgreys]

In all of my years of owning piggies most of them have rarely (and sometimes never) needed a bath.
Ruby is five and has quite long hair around her bottom so gets the occasional wipe clean with a damp flannel, and maybe just a bum bath if she seems particularly smelly, but that has only started as she got older and less able to keep herself clean. As a youngster she managed very well.

 

[Free Ranger]

My Louise currently has very long locks because I'm waiting till it warms up more to clipper her - but I did have to trim the 'bikini' area as she was trailing wee around again. She laid very still so she was pretty easy to trim, but I didn't realise quite how dramatic it would look against the longer locks. Daughter asked why I'd given the guinea-pig a Brazilian?!