Can You Give Guinea Pigs a Bath

Guinea PigIf you are thinking about giving your guinea pig a bath, you should know that it is ok to bath your guinea pig, but you need to make sure you do it properly.

 

How Often To Bathe?

You should not give your guinea pig a bath more than once per month.  Since guinea pigs are very clean animals, it is not unlikely for a guinea pig to be ok with only 2 baths per year.  If you clean your guinea pigs cage frequently, a bath every six months is ok.  If your guinea pig has a habit of getting dirty, you can rinse them off with just water more frequently.

 

What To Use As Soap?419POT2XTDL[1]

You cannot use soaps, or shampoos that are made for humans.  These shampoos are meant for humans, and so they have different properties.  There are special shampoos that are made for small animals.  You should go to your local pet store and ask them what options they have for guinea pigs.

 

When Not To Bathe?

If your guinea pig is suffering from some form of illness, or if it is in a cool area you should not bathe them.  When a guinea pig is wet or damp they are much more susceptible to catching illnesses, and becoming sick.  If they are healthy, and in a warm environment the risks are minimal, but if their immune system is already under pressure you should not further stress it.

 

How To Bathe?Bath Tub - Low Water

To start giving your guinea pig a bath you should get a small container and shallowly fill it with warm water.  Start by putting your guinea pig into the shallow water, and getting him or her used to it.  Many guinea pigs will not like water, so if you start getting them wet right away, they will squirm.  Trying to give a guinea pig a bath while they are trying to get away is a hard task.  Put it in the water, and try and colm it down.  Once it is fairly calm start by gently cupping some of the water in your hand and pouring it onto the guinea pig. Once it is wet you can put some of the shampoo into your hand and rub it into the fur.  Make sure you follow the direction on the shampoo label, and yo thoroughly rinse off your guinea pig afterwards.

 

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