Smelly pigs.

[Nikkip]

I don’t think I can handle the smell of keeping my guinea pigs indoors anymore. I can clean them everyday but my the evening I can smell them. I’ve used so many different types of bedding. Hemp wood shavings, normal wood shavings with newspaper lining, shredded paper, fleece blankets with waterproof backing and the latest is vet fleece. I can still smell them. I’ve just cleaned their cage out today. Scrubbed it, cleaned it with white vinegar spray and put clean fleece in. I’ve also left a used square of fleece so they aren't remarking. I’m burning candles and wax melt to hide the smell but it’s still there. To be fair I have a really sensitive sense of smell so things smell much strong to me than they do to others but I can’t sit in my living room and relax anymore because of it.

Would it be ok for them to have a hutch outside and I could bring them in at night? Atleast then the smell wouldn’t build up as much. I’m at my wits end and it’s really getting me down. I’m embarrassed to have people come to my house.

 

[Siikibam]

What does it smell of exactly? How often do you clean out the entire cage? How about their hay area or any pee pads under hides? And are they boars, sows or mixed?

Depending where you are (please add your location - county/state or country will suffice), you may not be able to put them out if it’s gotten cold now. They’re not hardy to cold weather and need lots to keep them warm. So on that note if it’s not the right weather to put them out then you can’t. Equally you can’t put them outside during the day then bring them in at night if it’s cold. Also bear in mind the constant change in environment can lead to scent marking even more = more smells.

 

[Piggies&buns]

what sex are you piggies?
how big is their cage?
what absorbent layer do you have under the fleece?

if you clean too much then it can make them smell more as they will scent mark more so you could be making it worse.
as siikibam has said, you cannot have them outside during the day and then indoors at night. The temperature fluctuations will be too much and can make them ill.

 

[Fantasimo]

Sorry you are struggling.

I’ve found the best solution with my sometimes smelly boars is a good quality incontinence pad (I have rewashable ones from Amazon) with bath mats in their high pee area and then fleece in the rest of the cage, apart from their kitchen where I have Lino so I can just mop up spills and hay. Or bamboo sheets which are like really thick and absorbant kitchen towels so good for swapping out. Having fleece hides is also good as you can buy extra pee pads for inside and swap these daily. Basically for me it was a case of making sure their high traffic areas had easily swappable pieces in. Also, this then retains their naturally (nice) piggy scent so that they don’t need to mark quite so much

 

[Free Ranger]

Sorry you have this problem... I think all cages can pong a bit of wee but boars are often whiffier than sows. Mine are indoors on Back-to-nature bedding (hay on top) which is very absorbent and you can spot-clean the moist bits. They often wee before they go into the covered area for a sleep - if yours go in the same place each time it will make it easier to target for a spot-clean. Mine are by my back door - I open it for a bit every morning to vent the room anyway but it probably helps with any piggy smells. Do other people mind the smell as much as you do?

Some people do have very sensitive noses... my son can tell when his gran's arrived for a visit as soon as he comes in the front door (she smells of 'flowers' though, not wee). Personally I don't mind a guinea-pong, a horsey smell, even pigs have a certain fruity charm but I find a doggy smell quite oppressive and when they get to the old, "he can't help it" time of life I really struggle! I could never have been a vet!