How to Give Guinea Pig A Bath: Step-by-Step Tutorial Guide

You are concerned about bathing your guinea pigs, but is it necessary? The quick answer is that it happens extremely seldom. Guinea pigs are noted for being highly clean and self-grooming frequently. As a result, bathing them is rarely necessary. Bathe your guinea pig only if absolutely essential. Baths that aren't essential will result in dry fur coats and skin. If your guinea pigs smell horrible all of the time, it's likely that they're unwell. Nevertheless, read on to know how to give your guinea pigs a bath.

How Often Should I Bathe A Guinea Pig?

To reiterate, guinea pigs do not need baths as much as humans do. Unlike the traditional pigs that are known for sleeping and playing in muds, guinea pigs, on the contrary, love to stay clean at every moment of the day. They spend most of their time cleaning and grooming themselves by themselves.

So, giving a straight answer to the question, you should bathe your tiny and cute friend only once or twice a year. But, do not hesitate to wipe slimy, gummy and sticky substances from their furs and skin.

What Do You Need to Bathe A Guinea Pig? What Should You Pay Attention to?

Getting ready to give your guinea pigs a bath? The following are some of the items you'll need to bathe your guinea pig:

• Shampoo for guinea pigs that is gentle on their skin and fur. Use shampoos that aren't meant for humans or other animals.
• Bucket: To give the guinea pig a bath, fill the bucket with water to a depth of about 1 inch (or 2 cm).
• Towels and drying station: You want to ensure the floor is dry, and keep a clean towel at a reachable length to thoroughly pat them dry before finishing with a hairdryer.
• Hairdryer: You should be able to adjust the temperature of the air in your dryer. Please, avoid turning the dryer to the "hot" setting. It is not good for your guinea pigs.

Important things to note:

• Make sure the guinea pig doesn't spend too much time in the water
• Ensure that the temperature of the dryer is not set to "hot."
• Use shampoos that are specially made for guinea pigs only.

Steps to Bathe and Dry A Guinea Pig

Preparations

• Check the weather forecast to determine if the guinea pig will be able to dry off quickly after the bath.
• Baths are pretty stressful for guinea pigs, so be careful to calm them down. A lot of patience is required.
• Fill the sink halfway with warm water, about 1 inch (2-3 cm). Dip the guinea pig's toes in the water initially to get them acclimated to it.
• Human shampoos are not suitable for bathing Guinea pigs. Instead, you're going to need some Guinea Pig Shampoo, which you can get from your vet or dedicated pet stores. 
• You'll need two towels: one large and one small.
• A tiny cup for pouring water is also included.
• Then decide whether you'll bathe your pig in a sink or a bathtub. A bathtub is perhaps a better option because they won't be able to climb out.

Step one: Introducing your guinea pig to the water

Take your Guinea pig to the bathing area at this point. Take it and submerge it in the water. Allow it to acclimate to the new, damp surroundings for a few moments.

Step two: Rinse and lather

Take your cup and carefully pour the liquid over your guinea pig's body. Don't go all the way over the top just yet. Now, pay attention to what the container says, which is most likely to just lather onto your guinea pig. After that, take the cup, lightly showering water on your pet as you thoroughly wash the soap out of the coat with your hand. Whatever you do, make sure your pig's face is free of shampoo and water. Remember to give your guinea pigs some treats occasionally as you are bathing them; it will help calm them down by reducing their nervousness.

Step three:Dry your guinea pig after taking a bath

Take your guinea pig out of the basin and properly dry it, making sure it is not soaked. After that, wipe their face and around their neck with a moist towel. Then comb or brush them before returning them to their cage. Please, make sure their cage is clean if you do not want all that effort and stress to go for nothing. A dirty cage will have you bathing your friend more often than you should. And remember, a frequent bath is not recommended for guinea pigs, and that's to not mention how unhealthy a dirty cage is.

With these, you are done bathing your furry friend, guinea pig. So it is not a complicated process after all.

How to Keep Your Guinea Pig Clean?

Guinea pigs will most likely get their dirt from their cage; therefore, it is important to buy or construct a huge cage. With more space, they can freely move around and also dedicate spaces for dirt, and it is generally better for their health in any case. In addition, many piggy owners agree that moving their guinea pigs to a new large home usually heightens their positive behavior and general enjoyment.

The size of the cage you should construct or buy totally depends on how many guinea pigs you have. 5-10 guinea pigs need a bigger cage than 1-4 guinea pigs.

Another thing to do to keep your guinea pigs clean is litter training them. If you teach them how to keep one side of the cage for eliminating and another side for resting and sleeping, they will be much cleaner than when they litter the whole cage and still sleep in that same cage. So, with all these said, keeping your guinea pigs clean is synonymous with keeping their cage clean.

FAQs

Conclusion

Guinea pigs are self-grooming animals and, as such, do not need frequent bathing throughout the year. But if you need to bathe your guinea pig, it is quite an easy task so far you follow the instructions and steps strictly. It is usually better to keep their cages clean every time because that is their major source of dirt. Lastly, always ensure to use only recommended shampoos designed for guinea pigs.