Bathing Guinea Pig

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By Bosun Sogeke

Normally, guinea pigs are clean, and if you do not clean their cages regularly, they will possess that aroma that is lovely and familiar. What would help is bathing your pet and keeping their skin and hair healthy. Some people bath their guinea pigs every 3 or sometimes 4 months. This will be the recommended time bathing guinea pig, unless the furry friends are undergoing a skin condition treatment for lice or they have just become very messy for some weird reason. Keep in mind that bathing guinea pig frequently can lead to dry skin and also cause skin irritation.

For the preparation you will need a few things, and these are:

•	3 towels
•	Medium size bowl
•	Flannel plastic jug
•	Animal shampoo
•	Soft brush
•	Swarfega (used for the grease gland on boars)

If it is cold, make sure that it is quite warm in the room so the guinea pig doesn’t get cold.

Before bathing guinea pig, add water to the plastic bowl. Make this about two inches deep and check the temperature of the water with your elbow and make sure that the water is not too warm or too cold before bathing guinea pig. A few people use the counter top in the kitchen and fill the sink with water and use that when they have to rinse down the guinea pig. Place the flannel in the bowl and this should help the guinea pig not slip around but feel rather secure while you start bathing guinea pig. It is advisable that you have everything that you will need within arm’s reach. Don’t leave a guinea pig unattended for one second.

When applying water before bathing guinea pig, use a plastic container with a spout. The one that came with your steam iron should work out perfectly. If you need to change the water in the basin make sure that you have a responsible person keeping their eyes on the guinea pig or their hands near its body while you turn away for a few seconds. Whatever you do, do not leave you pet unattended, especially on high surfaces.

There are different kinds of shampoo you could use when bathing guinea pig and you probably will hear about new products that prevent parasitic and fungal infestations. However, if you have to treat your little friend for any condition, you need an ordinary shampoo to penetrate the dirt and grease first before using the new shampoo to treat the infestations and other conditions.

Bathing guinea pig boars, you have to pay more attention to the grease gland and this is located near the tail area. Boars are the ones that usually have a grease gland, but a few sows have them too. It feels almost like a sticky coin. Adding a little Swarfega to the grease gland before bathing guinea pig boar will do the trick removing the grease. Allow the Swarfega to stay on the gland for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Mechanics use the product to clean their hands. The same product is ideal for cleaning the grease gland on boars.

If your guinea pig is suffering from mange mites, you need to visit the veterinarian immediately. In this case, a treatment of Ivomectin is given. A guinea pig having mange mites can cause severe pain and can also cause sores, and this is the result of intense biting and itching. Any fungal shampoo or parasite shampoo will not be successful when trying to rid the mites. You can ask the veterinarian to give the Ivomectin orally to the little friend, and this will save it from going through injections that could be painful. This is a rare condition, but the truth is that wherever you find guinea pigs you will find mange mites. If you have a litter of guinea pigs and only one of them is infected by the infestation it is best to treat all of them.

There are things to look out for before bathing guinea pig, and precautions should be taken when the little friend contracts a parasitic and fungal infestation. As time goes by, you will become used to tending to the needs and wants of these little furry creatures.

For more information or to learn more on Guinea Pig, please visit my
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June 24 2008 10:28 pm | Exotic Pet and Pet Care

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