Should You Bathe Your Guinea Pig?

Wondering, whether your piggy needs a bath, why you should give a bath to your pet, or how to bathe a guinea pig?

Well, you will get all your answers after reading this article. So spare a few minutes and read on to have an idea of what you need to do.

Factors to Consider Before Giving Bath

Your piggy can clean itself, so you don’t need to give them a bath.Because of some ailment, your vet can suggest you bath them. You can also wash them up if their long coat gets soiled. Otherwise, bathing a piggy can only lead to health risks. You need to take some extra care to ensure the guinea pig is not getting stressed or chilled. Not to mention, the quality of bath products are also vital.

The following are the main reason to give a bath to your piggy. If your guinea pig does not fall in any of the mentioned factors, you don’t need to wash them at all.

Coat Length

Long hair and short hair piggy have widely different needs of grooming. Almost every short hair piggy is a great self-groomer. These piggies don’t need to take a bath in their whole life if their cage remains squeaky clean.

On the other hand, long hair guinea pigs need a completely different grooming schedule. Guinea pig species such as the Peruvian guinea pig have a beautiful coat that can grow more than 20 inches. These pets need regular grooming sessions. You also need to bath them with de-tangled and shampoo every three to four months to lean the mats around their butts. Curly haired or fancy long-haired pets, with hair shorter than three inches, don’t need bathings but require regular grooming with brushes.

Health

Guinea pigs can easily get infected from mange mites and rodent lice. So, your little companion requires bathing time if it gets any parasite or fungal infection. Not to mention, your piggy can also catch a dog, cat, and rodent fleas. You can see the fleas on their body, but only a vet can diagnose the mite, lice, and fungal infections.

If your little companion is suffering from any of these problems, your vet will suggest bathing them. They will ask you to use a quality shampoo made specifically for small animals and guide you on bathing your piggy. In this case, you can check the article, “Shampoo for your Guinea Pig” to pick the right shampoo for your favorite pet. Your vet can al so give them oral, topical, or injected medications.

Grooming for Contest

It becomes important to give a bath to your piggy before any event. If you and your guinea pig are participating in any contest, the organizers usually give you grooming recommendations and requirements for the event. Of course, you need to follow them to win the contest.

So, bath your piggy properly and brush their hair, trim nails, and clean your pet’s grease glass before going to the event.

Ready for the Bath Time?

If you have finally decided to wash your piggy, you will require guinea pig shampoo. These animals have sensitive skin, and bathing can dry their body, leading to hot spots and painful itchiness. Animal’s shampoos specifically formulated for small animals such as rabbits and cause less dryness than human or dog shampoo.

Your piggy is also susceptible to respiratory infections. They can develop pneumonia, which makes it essential to take extra care while giving them baths and keep them warm in this process. You can use mild warm water and dry them with a towel after wash. Some pet experts also suggestm using a blow dryer on the lowest level of heat. However, you need to be extra cautious because blow-driers can lead to brutal burns. The safer way is to do the batching process in a warm room.

What Will You Need For Bathing?

• A washcloth
• Towels
• Shampoo for rabbits, guinea pigs, or kittens (not cats)
• A brush
• A blow dryer with a low or gentle setting

How to Bathe a Guinea Pig?

So, how to bathe a guinea pig? Follow the steps below on how to clean your piggy.

• Put a cloth at the bottom of the bucket or sink, which you will need so that piggy doesn’t slip and get injured.
• Slowly pour warm water on your piggy’s back, or you can use a faucet with slow- flowing warm water.
• Make their entire body wet except its face. The Piggy will wash its face on its own.
• Put a small amount of shampoo on their fur. Don’t forget to read the instruction on the bottle.
• Rinse your pet properly and check whether you have washed all the shampoo off the fur.
• Wrap your piggy in the towel. If this towel gets completely wet, use a dry one. Don’t worry if your piggy starts shivering. Keep them wrapped until they stop shivering. When you are towel drying your piggy, brush its hair to avoid tangles.
• Finish the bathing session by blow-drying your pet. Ensure the dryer is on the lowest speed and coolest temperature while brushing your piggy’s fur.

Bottom Line on how to bathe a guinea pig

Now you have got the answer about how to bathe a guinea pig? So, don’t try to give them a bath without any necessary reason. If it becomes important to wash your piggy, follow the steps mentioned above.

Also check our article on Guinea Pig Behavior: What You Need To Know