Guinea Pig Grooming
How to Groom Your Guinea Pig
Brushing
If you have a long haired guinea pig be prepared to brush at least once per day with either a baby brush or a metal greyhound comb. Short haired guinea pigs can get away with being brushed a couple times per week. Brushing removes debris and tangles. Gentle brushing will leave the coat shiny and healthy.
Bathing
Guinea pigs do not like and frankly do not need to be bathed on a regular basis unless they get into something they shouldn’t. Immersing your pet in a bath will cause them stress – enough stress in fact that the immune system can be affected. Other than stress, frequent bathing can be a problem as the skin can become dry and irritated. Go to the pet store and look for shampoo made specifically for small animals.
If you must bathe your guinea pig, please be careful and place them in a shallow bowl of warm water while using constant supervision to prevent accidents. After rinsing, place your guinea pig in a towel and keep warm until dry.
Cleaning ears
Clean your guinea pigs ears at least every other week (checking for problems once per week) with a specialized product like Octiclens or mineral oil. A soft cloth will work fine.
Cleaning the grease gland
The grease gland is located on your guinea pigs rear end. This is a gland that produces grease – related to scent and mating. The grease gland can be a problem for some guinea pigs more than others and if allowed to build up excessively can cause skin problems. A grease removing product like Dawn should work just fine. Just reb the product in, let it sit for a while, and then gently rinse.
Clipping toenails
Any kind of baby nail scissors or nail clippers will do. Be prepared for your guinea pig to actively resist this grooming task. Sometimes its easiest to divide the task between two people – one person holds the guinea pig wrapped in a towel while the other clips the toe nails. Otherwise this is a task your pet will get used to over time.
Be sure that you make an active effort to avoid cutting the “quick” of the nail. The “quick” is the living part of the nail – easily visible on guinea pigs with clear nails (its pink) but hard to see on black nails. If cut, this will cause pain and bleeding. Try to cut as little as possible on a regular basis if you feel you have trouble determining the right spot. If you do end up accidentally cutting the quick, use a product like “Quick Stop” to stop the bleeding.
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