Grooming | |||||||||||||||||||
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 | I brush all my pigs for a few minutes each every day with a soft bristle brush. They are all short haired and I brush them in the direction of their fur growth. Building it in to their daily routine means they like being brushed and I can give them a quick once over for any wounds or dry skin problems developing. It also keeps their coats in lovely condition, helps get rid of all the dead skin cells and means they shed less hairs when they are being handled. I wash their brush regularly to make sure it's always nice and clean. If you notice any areas of dry skin, sore skin or scratch wounds, please take your pig to the vet. It could indicate a parasitic or fungal condition which needs treatment. An itchy pig is an unhappy pig. If any piggy has a problem with their skin or fur, use a separate brush for only them. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Guinea pigs do not need regular bathing and as most piggies do not enjoy it, it's silly to do it unless you need to. At most a regular bathing should be performed every 3 months. Many people feel a pig should not be bathed at all unless they are really dirty or are having some treatment which requires it. Pregnant or nursing pigs should not be bathed at all unless specifically instructed by a vet. | |||||||||||||||||||
 | Make sure you are in control of the pig at all times - if they don't like being bathed, they can suddenly learn to fly! Bathing them in a plastic washing up bowl which you then put in the bath is nice and safe for them. Use warm, not hot water - test the temperature carefully for every rinse and don't totally immerse the pig's body if you can avoid it. It's better to just have a couple of inches of water and use a jug to gently pour the warm water over them. Always support your pig in the water so they feel secure and keep the head dry at all times. | ||||||||||||||||||
 | Use shampoo specifically for small animals - human shampoos contain lots of chemicals that make hair smell nice and look fluffy BUT are not meant to be ingested which is exactly what your pig will do with the residue following a bath. | ||||||||||||||||||
 | Make sure they are fully dry before returning them to their cage (towel drying, putting them in a box near a warm hot water bottle or using a hairdryer on a LOW setting being *very* careful not to burn their delicate skin). Always keep them warm while they are damp. | ||||||||||||||||||
 | Many people with long haired varieties of piggies trim their fur to a level just above the ground. Long hair gets dragged around on the floor in all the droppings and easily gets matted which is uncomfortable for the pig as well as not helping them keep their coat and skin in a good healthy condition. Grooming out matts is also uncomfortable for them so it's much kinder to keep it at a length which is manageable and practical for daily living. | ||||||||||||||||||