To bath or not to bath?

Viennese Furbabies

Viennese Furbabies

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I read Saskia's article about bathing piggies this morning and I'm just curious about your opinions on this subject on the forum.

I have kapt piggies for the last 30 years plus and I only ever give them a bath if needed because a vet told me so as part of a treatment. Or bum baths of course.
I fully understand the need after taking in a neglected piggy or that it's necessary for long-haired piggies (which I've never kept) but the short-haired ones?
Mine never feel greasy or dirty. I try to keep their cage as clean as possible but I don't bath them.
Do you?
 
I don’t.
My long haired only ever needed one bum bath in his whole life (and it was his fault - I watched him sit himself right in a puddle of pee!).
I’ve never bathed any of the others. I currently have a short haired and a teddy
 
Nope. I don’t bath them for no reason either. I have done but I can’t remember why as it was so long ago.
 
Viennese Furbabies said:
I read Saskia's article about bathing piggies this morning and I'm just curious about your opinions on this subject on the forum.

I have kapt piggies for the last 30 years plus and I only ever give them a bath if needed because a vet told me so as part of a treatment. Or bum baths of course.
I fully understand the need after taking in a neglected piggy or that it's necessary for long-haired piggies (which I've never kept) but the short-haired ones?
Mine never feel greasy or dirty. I try to keep their cage as clean as possible but I don't bath them.
Do you?
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Perhaps in a large rescue it is a way of avoiding ringworm and lice when you have lots of piggies coming and going 🥰 The warm weather makes it much easier to get them dry.
 
I only bathed Bobby’s bum when he had a uti and was leaking
Geoff has never had a bath and the rescue ( where Freddy came from) said never ever bathe skinny pigs
 
Only medically except Spike who used to get very greasy hair that clumped together. This was about every six months.
 
I’ve never bathed a piggy.
I used to give Priscilla an occasional bum bath as she had long fur and was very good at getting it matted and tangled.

I think @Truffolo has a good point in saying it might be because Saskia runs a rescue.
It would be interesting to know about UK and European rescues practice
 
I wonder if it might be a North American versus European incl. UK thing? When I had my first guineas as an adult in 1997-98, guinea bath recommendations were more common from the vet, in Germany. I remember after mites e.g. with warm water, olive oil and some other kitchen cupboard ingredient, supposedly to help the skin recover, I had guinea shampoo at some point too, also at vet recommendation, I remember being warned to not let it get near their eyes.

Suddenly that all seemed to change: no baths! Except maybe a bum bath when in dire need. But certainly not skin care after mites.

I've just checked my guinea manual, written by a German rescue and self-published by them too. They give a lot of warnings about baths including how stressful they are for guineas, plus give recommendations about what to do instead, e.g. cut off clumps of matted hair, but then give directions in case it is necessary.
 
I have contact to my local rescue and although I've never helped out during a mass inflow of guineas, it's not my impression that they all get bathed. They tend to mention checking for parasites and wounds, checking female/male, and immediate medical care as required but never have I seen a picture of a guinea being bathed, or heard it mentioned in person.

I'm sure Saskia is very knowledgeable and does a great job, but I have the impression she does some stuff for the camera...
 
Mrs Tiggy Winkle said:
I have contact to my local rescue and although I've never helped out during a mass inflow of guineas, it's not my impression that they all get bathed. They tend to mention checking for parasites and wounds, checking female/male, and immediate medical care as required but never have I seen a picture of a guinea being bathed, or heard it mentioned in person.

I'm sure Saskia is very knowledgeable and does a great job, but I have the impression she does some stuff for the camera...
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I like Saskia, I think she has helped countless guinea pigs, and she has certainly helped me to understand my piggies much better. She is good with media and uses it to help guinea pigs as a quick accessible way to have an impact. If bathing works for her rescue, I am fine with that. I would struggle to dry my piggies where I live except on very hot days, but other people might have different circumstances. I like the scent of my piggies' fur oils so I'm not eager to bath them, but if they had ringworm I might bath them if a treatment worked well that way or as a support ive treatment.
 
I agree with @Truffolo that Saskia does a world of good to so many guinea pigs and obviously without a lot of vet support.
She believes in bathing but maybe it's really a bit of a cultural difference. I was just curious if I was the only one not bathing.

I also think that bathing is very stressful to guinea pigs and only to be done if necessary.
On the other hand there is a "school of thinking" (mostly in Gernany I think) that says that you shouldn't handle piggies at all, just watch and let them be. I don't agree with this line of thinking either because I believe that piggies should be used to being touched and held and hand fed etc. So you can help them better when they need medical treatment.
 
Truffolo said:
I like Saskia, I think she has helped countless guinea pigs, and she has certainly helped me to understand my piggies much better. She is good with media and uses it to help guinea pigs as a quick accessible way to have an impact. If bathing works for her rescue, I am fine with that.
Click to expand...
Of course Saskia helps a huge number of guineas, and I've learnt from her too. And through filming rescue and intake, including all the handling of the guineas, she gains publicity for the plight of many guineas as well as hopefully getting more and more people to adopt guineas from her rather buying from pet shops or backyard breeders.

Plus presumably being in the media will help the donations roll in, which all rescues desperately need. And Saskia has to balance that with what's best for the guinea in that moment. Sometimes I think without the camera rolling, the piggy would be through faster, would be less stressful.

Possibly as mentioned upthread the hotter climate makes a difference versus the UK and possibly large parts of the rest of northern and central Europe.

@Viennese Furbabies
You're right, there are ideas in Germany about not handling guineas except for their TÜV (weekly check) or when they need medical care or syringe feeding. That's often mentioned in conjunction with explaining that guineas aren't good pets for children for all the reasons we know and that guineas are more a pet to be observed than anything.

Different countries, different ideas.
 
It is a different situation for Saskia and the LA rescue
It’s heartbreaking to see piggies left in boxes by their gate
Often in very poor health
So I think it probably is because of the big intake of rescued ill piggies
Saskia also gives a monthly mite treatment ( invermectin) to all her piggies ……i think because so many piggies arrive infested
 
I don't agree about not handling piggies. My pigs were very nervous initially and are still not entirely comfortable about being picked up, but absolutely love being stroked from head to tail. They have learned to enjoy being petted since coming to me and we have a good bond because of it. Piggies have do much going on in their little furry heads, not to tame them would be to miss out on a lot. However my piggies are boars and live divided, so they need attention and socialisation from me. A piggy community with boys and girls or a girl community could probably manage without much interaction with humans, but it is still worth interacting with them. Done carefully it doesn't traumatise them. They are adaptable, social little creatures. If I hadn't started taming, my piggies would be spooky and grumpy and not as much fun as they are. Now Truffle purrs away and Polo talks quietly to me and shoves his head against my fingers and grooms me. They are so charming 🥰
 
Roselina said:
It is a different situation for Saskia and the LA rescue
It’s heartbreaking to see piggies left in boxes by their gate
Often in very poor health
So I think it probably is because of the big intake of rescued ill piggies
Saskia also gives a monthly mite treatment ( invermectin) to all her piggies ……i think because so many piggies arrive infested
Click to expand...
I really enjoy the Los Angeles Guinea Pig Forum. Saskia is a very outgoing, knowledgeable person and I find her show fascinating. She really knows what she is doing ❤
 
Truffolo said:
I really enjoy the Los Angeles Guinea Pig Forum. Saskia is a very outgoing, knowledgeable person and I find her show fascinating. She really knows what she is doing ❤
Click to expand...


Yes I’ve learnt so much and gained confidence with a lot of things
( especially impaction!)
 
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