Occasionally, guinea pigs should be groomed and less frequently, bathed. Their nails can become overgrown quickly, which can make walking difficult or even painful. When I do this, I prefer to bathe them first to soften their nails a bit and make it quick and easy. They don't enjoy being groomed, at least mine don't, but it makes me feel better knowing that I am taking good care of them.
I wish I would have taken a pic of the guineas while they were in the tub, but I didn't think of it at the time. I put 2 towels down in the tub, so they don't slip around. Guinea pigs can swim if they have to, but they really don't enjoy being in the water. I fill the tub just a couple of inches with luke warm water with a little baby shampoo. I don't have the water any higher than their chest height. I have 4 guinea pigs, so I prefer to bathe them all at once in the bathtub.
Then, I give each one a light cleaning. We use wood chips to line the bottom of the cage and cover it with a layer of hay. We try to keep up cleaning the cage, so they don't get too dirty.
I take them out one at a time to dry them in a towel and trim their nails. I don't think any of them enjoy this, but some complain less than others. My younger 2 guineas' nails don't grow as quickly as my older sister guineas' nails do. I don't know if this is hereditary or because of their age differences. The younger 2 are not related that I know of. Once, Cleo, the leader of my herd of guinea pigs, nails grew a little too long and she snagged one on something or it broke off. Either way, it didn't look like a pleasant experience.
Nails can be very difficult to trim, especially black nails. It is very hard to tell where the nail begins and their fingers end. Trimming too little will make more work for later, especially if they grow quickly. Cutting them too short could hurt your poor little pets. Their white nails are easy to distinguish where the nail begins, as the fingernail is clear in the light.
I also examine their mouths while I have them bundled up and drying off, which they like even less. Their teeth grow continuously, so they need to constantly gnaw on hay to keep them healthy and injury/disease free.
While they are freshly groomed, this is a good time to brush their hair, if needed. All of mine have short-to-medium length of fur, so they need little grooming assistance. I do have 2 that rarely need assistance with grooming their hair by removing things stuck in it. I have seen some guinea pigs that would need extensive grooming. I don't think I'd ever seek out a long-haired guinea pig, but I'd take one in if I had to.
I try to do this while my hubby is changing their bedding from their cage. I put them temporarily into a smaller cage. Sometimes, I bring in my kids' swimming pool and line it with towels while they dry off and their home is being cleaned, so they have more room to run around.
Taking good care of any pet is part of being a good pet owner/parent. I'd like to think that at the end of grooming my guineas and their cage is all cleaned, the noisy little creatures are saying "thank you" as they wheek and walk around their freshly cleaned cage all groomed up.
Thanks for reading!
- Vanessa
No comments:
Post a Comment