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Why do boys smell?

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chelle

Hi everyone,

My 2 pigs are kept indoors and have paper bedding. The problem is they really smell, i clean them out every 2-3 days and they now have a bath every 2 weeks!
If i had them castrated would that solve the problem do you think? I really don't want to make them live outside but the way things are going i feel that will be our only option.
when i only had one pig he didn't smell at all, but my new ones really pong!
 
Washing them every 2 weeks is a bit much I think. both of mine live in my bedroom and they don't smell. In the summer when the weather is hot I suppose it smells a bit more. So maybe it could be because it's a bit warm in the room there in?
 
Are you cleaning their grease gland? This is the spot on their rump where their tail might be and it is covered with a waxy solution. This does have a smell but other than that I find they dont smell! I have 5 boys all in my house, 2 of them in my living room at the moment... and notice no odour frm the pigs. Any animal will smell if it is not cleaned out but you say you do this every 2-3 days. Do you remove damp bedding and poops each day? What bedding do you use? I agree baths every 2 weeks might be a bit much and not good for their skin 4-6 weeks is the recommended time. You can also get lovely smelling shampoo from www.gorgeousguineas.com designed for guineas and I find that keeps their coats smelling lovely for longer.
 
Is it the bedding that smells or the piggy? If its bedding only thing to do is clean it out with a pet disinfectant. The trouble with boys is that they get quite fruity! When this happens they stink! They are trying to attract a woman with their scent. I've got a boy on his own so he's not too bad but if he runs round his cage getting hot and bothered he gives off a bit of a pong which then thankfully goes away. Rather than baths so often, you could try a bit of the animal dry shampoo but not too often as it will dry the skin. Re castration, you would have to ask the vet but from what I can remember it wont help this as they still get the urge and the scent gland is still there. The only thing it will stop is babies. Hope this helps.
 
I am new to guineas and have 2 boars and TBH they don't really smell at all, i no this is not very constructive tho :D
 
when my Freddy lived inside I didn't notice any smell at all - I found him quite clean actually apart from the one corner of his cage that he used as his toilet area - once I got him a loo in that corner it was even better.

Sounds silly, but could it have anything to do with what they're eating? I'm expecting someone to blast this idea ;) but people smell different with if they eat strong scented food or asparagus - could it be the same with gp's? :-\

I don't think you're supposed to bath them too much though - rids their hair of oils and dries out their skin....
 
When they get excited with each other they give off a little smell as mentioned before but never anything obnoxious! I have three in my studio room where I sleep and eat and live and they're all fine. You sure its not a urine infection in one of them that smells.....now that smells...
 
I agree with Linda - it is quite likely that is is the hutch that smells rather then the guineas. I fully clean and disinfect every other day - on the inbetween day I scoop out the damp hay and craps and re-lay the bedding.
 
The person I got my 2 himi's off of was feeding them crappy, coloured dry food. The only veg they received where the leaves of cauliflower every day. Their poops & pees stunk to high heaven. After a few weeks on good veggies & plain pellets the smell got so much better. I do have to add that they were females instead of males.

I have two boars as well, they only smell when they are marking territory. Other than that I think they smell fine.
 
I have 4 boars in one room and they hardly make any smell. Sometimes when they are feeling a little fruity and give off a smell, but it doesn't last.

Maybe it is what you are feeding them? :)
 
I always thought it was biologically impossible for guinea pigs to smell because they have no sweat gland.
It's more likely that their housing smells, so make sure you clean it out regulary, but please don't bathe them every two weeks. That's a bit much - too much bathing can be bad for guinea pigs skin.
 
kellyandpiggies said:
I have 4 boars in one room and they hardly make any smell. Sometimes when they are feeling a little fruity and give off a smell, but it doesn't last.

Maybe it is what you are feeding them? :)
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totally agree when they get fruity thats when the smell occurs but it soon disappears, my boys always smell more then my girls despite being cleaned out the same day, think its maybe hormone smells they give off hoping to attract a female pooo glad I'm not a female piggy, :D
 
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