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Grooming

Brushing

       Long haired guinea pigs need to be brushed every day in order to maintain the health of their long coats. Short haired guinea pigs need to be brushed at least twice a week because their hair isn't as long and luscious. The hair should also be inspected at least once a week during a health check to make sure that there are no lice, ticks, or mites and  no skin sores or bumps. Make sure you don't brush the hair in the wrong direction. Brush in the direction the hair is going. This may be a bit difficult if you have an Abssynian because their hair grows in rosettes. Also make sure you have a brush that won't hurt the skin. Go to the bottom of the page for pictures of brushes.

Nails

     Guinea pigs' nails are constantly growing. Therefore, you need to make sure the nails don't bother your guinea pig because they're so long. This means cutting your piggy's nails when they appear too long. To cut your guinea pig's nails, you'll need a pair of guinea pig safe nail trimmers. You can find pictures of these at the bottom of the page. You also need to make sure you are trimming the nails correctly. You might want to have your vet do them the first time so that you can learn how to cut nails properly.  If you accidentaly cut the blood supply, or quick, you can wet the tip of a  a styptic pencil and press it against the nail until the bleeding stops.

Bathing

     Guinea pigs seldom need baths. However, hair does get dirty, therefore I recommend giving you pig a bath every three months. But if your guinea pig is dirty, they do need a bath. For a bath, you need the right shampoo. DO NOT use human or baby shampoo on your guinea pigs, as it is too strong. Instead, some good shampoos are Kaytee Squeaky Clean Critter Shampoo and Gorgeous Guineas. Bathe your guinea pig in either the sink, tub, or a bin. I use bins from the hospital that have never been used.

 

      To give your pet a bath, put about an inch or two of lukewarm water in the tub. Slowly and gently lower your guinea pig into the tub with a firm grip on them so they don't jump out of your hands. Use a cup to pour small amounts of water on their backs, making sure not to get water into their eyes, ears, or nose. Take a small amount of shampoo and rub it into your guinea pigs back, forming lather. Then, take your pig out of the water and let the shampoo sink into the fur for NO MORE THAN TWO MINUTES. Then, gently lower them into the tub again and use the cup to rinse off the lather. Wrap your pig up in a towel and set up a play area for them outside of the cage until they are fully dried so that the bedding in the cage doesn't get wet. For a video on bathing long hairs, click here.

Grease Glands

     Guinea pigs' grease glands are located where their tails would be if they had tails. Grease glands produce the grease that guinea pigs use for scent-marking. Some guinea pigs have very active grease glands that need to be cleaned. Malaseb, Cetaphil, and Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed Coconut Oil all do the trick. Shampoo the gland with the product and let it sit for about ten minutes. Then rinse the remainder of the product out. Pictures of the listed products are at the bottom of  this page.

Hair Trimming

     Long haired guinea pigs can do with hair trims in the summer or when their hair is too long or too matted. Barber's scissors or dog haircutting scissors should be used for this, as well as a comb. 

Grooming Kits

      Grooming kits contain the things that are used for grooming, such as brushes, nail trimmers, and haircutting scissors. These are the things in a basic grooming kit:

  • A set of assorted brushes: to brush your pet's hair

  • Nail trimmers: to trim the pet's nails

  • Hair trimming scissors: to trim long haired piggies' hair

  • Coconut oil/Malaseb/Cetaphil: to clean grease glands

Optional grooming supplies:

  • Guinea pig face wipes: for wiping your pet's face if they get something on it

  • Cotton Balls & Swabs: to apply topical creams 

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