Guinea pigs are clean animals and whilst they do groom themselves, they also enjoy being brushed and will benefit from you keeping their ears clean and their claws trimmed.
Long haired guinea pigs require significantly more maintenance and coat care than short haired ones.
Bathing your guinea pig:
• Generally guinea pigs don’t need regular bathing. If they do need a bath, use a gentle small animal shampoo.
• If your guinea pig has bad dandruff or looks itchy, take them to a vet as they may have mites.
Brushing your guinea pig:
• Most guinea pigs enjoy being brushed. For short haired guinea pigs use a soft bristled brush . For longer haired guinea pigs you may need a long tooth comb. Be gentle and start at the bottom of the fur. In hot weather you may need to trim some of a long haired guinea pig’s fur.
Clipping your guinea pig’s nails:
• Use a special small animal nail clipper to get a clean, neat cut – scissors can slip and give a ragged edge.
• Hold your guinea pig firmly but gently. Sometimes it can help to have more than one person for this job.
• Make sure you avoid the “quick” – look for the pink inside the nail as it will bleed if you cut into it. If you do cut too far down, make sure you have some styptic powder ready to stop the bleeding – your vet can supply this.
Cleaning your guinea pig’s ears:
• Squirt some ear cleaning drops into your guinea pig’s ear and leave to work for a few minutes. Make sure the drops you use are small animal specific – ask your vet for recommendations.
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