You might have heard that guinea pigs like cleaning themselves. But here’s an interesting question – can guinea pigs shower?
Yes, guinea pigs can shower but only rarely. They need rare showers because they are clean animals by their very nature.
Moreover, guinea pigs don’t like getting wet. In fact, bathing them often can make them fall sick.
Therefore, make sure you bathe your cavy only when its fur gets dirty or smelly.
In case your pet is hairless, you can avoid bathing it completely.
Knowing that your guinea pig can shower isn’t enough. You should also try finding answers to questions like- “when should you bathe your guinea pigs?”
Let’s find out the answer to this question in the next section!
Table of Contents
When Should You Bathe Your Guinea Pigs?
You should usually bathe your guinea pigs twice a month. They are given a shower when their fur gets dirty or when they start smelling bad.
However, there might be other situations when you should bathe your pets.
If You Have a Long-Haired Guinea Pig
Depending on its breed, there might be a need to bathe your pet once a month.
For example, long-haired guinea pigs need a shower once a month compared to breeds with short hair.
If Your Pet Has Skin Infections
It’s recommended to keep your pet clean if it suffers from any kind of skin infection.
Bathing your guinea pigs in case of skin infections can prevent the infection from spreading.
It also helps in curing the infection caused by germs and dirt.
Note:
Always consult a doctor if you decide to bathe your pet in case of skin infections.
If Your Pet Plays A Lot Outdoors
You should consider bathing your pet if it plays a lot outdoors.
Playing outdoors means that it will get dirty often.
It will also bring it in contact with germs and other harmful bacteria that need to be washed away.
When There Is A Presence Of Fleas And Ticks
There is a need to bathe your guinea pig if you notice fleas and ticks on their body.
In such cases, consider using mild flea and tick shampoo while bathing your pet.
You can also visit a doctor and ask for his recommendation regarding the same.
Now that you know when you should bathe your pet, you should also be cautious about when not to. Let’s see!
RECOMMENDED READING: Can Guinea Pigs Use Dog Shampoo?
When Should You Avoid Bathing Guinea Pigs?
When They Are Sick
Obviously, you should not bathe your pet when it is sick. It might have a bad impact on its health.
In Cold Climates
You should avoid bathing your pet if you live in a cold climate.
It might make it catch cough and cold, or fall sick often.
Also, the chances of your pet playing outdoors are also pretty low if you live in a chilly environment. It means that your pet will get less dirty, and hence, requires no bathing.
You can also consult a doctor for the precautions you should take while bathing your pet if you live in a cold climate.
Let’s now learn how you can bathe your furry pet for the first time!
How To Bathe Your Guinea Pigs For The First Time?
Before you decide to give your pet a clean bath, make sure you have these 5 things.
- Guinea pig shampoo
- Bathtub/bowl/bucket
- Towel
- Hairdryer
- Guinea pig brush
- Washcloth
- Treats
# 1: Guinea Pig Shampoo
Buy safe and chemical-free guinea pig shampoo.
Avoid using human shampoo or shampoos for cats, dogs, or other animals.
# 2: Bathtub/Bowl/Bucket
You will also need a guinea pig bathtub for washing your pet.
A large container, bucket, or bowl will also do the job.
# 3: Towel
Make sure you have a soft animal towel to dry your pet’s skin.
# 4: Hair Dryer
You will also need a blow dryer to dry your pet’s skin.
Ensure that the hair dryer has a cool blow dry air setting.
# 5: Guinea Pig Brush
You will also need to buy a guinea pig brush.
It will be used for untangling your pet’s hair.
# 6: Washcloth
In addition to other supplies, you will need to spread a washcloth on the bottom of your pet’s bathtub.
It will make the baseless slippery and comfortable for it.
# 7: Treats
Always make sure to have your pet’s favorite treats handy.
As mentioned earlier, guinea pigs don’t like getting wet.
Hence, you need to distract them by keeping small snack breaks between their bath sessions.
Once you have all the supplies, you can follow our step-by-step guide to bathe your guinea pig.
Step-by-Step Guide To Bathe Your Guinea Pig
Step 1: Pre-Bath Prep
Before giving a bath to your pet, you need to do some pre-bath prep.
In that, you need to check your pet’s mood.
See if your pet is calm and in a good mood to take a shower. If not, try making it comfortable.
Your pet needs to trust you before it gets ready for a cleanup!
Step 2: Prepare The Bathtub
The next step is to prepare the bathtub. You need to take a spacious bathtub that is comfortable for your pet.
Next, you need to cover the base of your bathtub or container with a washcloth.
After that, fill the bathtub with half an inch of lukewarm water.
Step 3: Time To Put Your Pet In The Tub
Now, gently put your pet in the tub and make it comfortable.
Then use a water faucet or a container to pour water on your pet gently.
Key Tip:
Make sure water doesn’t enter your pet’s eyes and ears.
Step 4: Shampoo Time
Now take a small amount of guinea pig shampoo, apply it to your pet’s fur, and gently massage it to form suds.
Step 5: Rinse The Shampoo
Again pour water gently on your pet.
Make sure you remove all the shampoo.
Step 6: Dry Your Pet Using Towel
Now dry your pet using a soft towel. Do not rub your pet too hard with the towel.
Step 7: Brush Hair
Take your pet’s brush and untangle its hair gently.
If this action makes your pet angry, you can treat it with its favorite snack.
Step 8: Use Hair Dryer
Now it’s the time for blow-drying your pet’s fur.
Always use a cool blow dry air setting to avoid any damage.
That’s all! Your pet is all clean and shiny.
What Is The Best Way To Bathe Your Guinea Pigs?
The best way to bathe your guinea pigs is to use a small container to pour water on your pet.
It will keep your pet calm.
On the other hand, using a water faucet might make your pet angry as there is a constant water supply.
Nonetheless, bathing your pet with water alone has its pros and cons.
Pros Of Bathing Your Pet With Just Water:
- It’s more natural compared to using artificial products like shampoos.
- Water doesn’t extract essential oils from the skin.
- It is a less costly way of cleaning your pet.
Cons Of Bathing Your Pet With Just Water:
- Water alone might not help if your pet develops any kind of skin infection.
- It might not work if your pet plays outdoors too often.
Related Questions:
Can I Bathe My Guinea Pigs With Just Water?
Yes, you can bathe your guinea pig with just water.
Bathing it with water alone is healthy for their skin as it doesn’t strip it off healthy oils.
In fact, bathing your pets with water is a natural way of cleaning them without using any artificial products.
Can You Shower Baby Guinea Pigs?
No, there’s no need to shower a baby guinea pig.
A baby guinea pig is hairless. As a result, it doesn’t have a fur coat that can get dirty.
Moreover, a baby guinea pig doesn’t also play outdoors. Hence, there are no chances of it getting germs or dirt.
A baby guinea pig is hairless and doesn’t require cleaning.
Can You Bathe A Guinea Pigs With Baby Shampoo?
No, we recommend using a guinea pig shampoo to bathe your guinea pig.
Using human shampoos (even if it is for babies) can harm your pet.
No matter how mild is human shampoo, it contains some harmful chemicals.
The chemicals present in human shampoos can cause skin and eye irritation in guinea pigs.
Furthermore, they can also make their skin dry as it is sensitive and has a different PH compared to humans.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we learned that a guinea pig could shower rarely.
Since a guinea pig is good at grooming itself, it needs rare baths.
You should bathe your pet once or twice a month depending on its breed and other situations like dirty fur, skin infections, tick and flea infestation, etc.
Moreover, we have also looked at some important steps to bathe your guinea pigs.
Do follow these steps the next time you plan to bathe your pet.
Also, please share this article with your near and dear ones if you find it useful!
