Guinea Pig Hut

Probably the most quoted, and most disregarded advice given to beginners with respect to their guinea pig's health care is that of cleanliness. But it really is the most important area of husbandry, along with nutrition and stress avoidance, in minimizing the risk of having to deal with problems.

A guinea pig's coat should look shiny and glossy, and feel smooth with no sign of roughness. Although, some older guinea pigs do get rougher coats.

They seldom "need" baths and some are never bathed. They should be bathed every couple of months.You should use shampoo formulated especially for small animals, or baby shampoo, which will help avoid drying their skin. Use a shallow bowl of luke warm water, rinse, and dry thoroughly to avoid chills before returning them to their cage. Make sure you avoid getting water in their ears.

They should be brushed every day. You should use a a soft baby brush, or a metal greyhound comb, which will remove some of the loose hair, and will lessen shedding. Daily brushing is especially important for long haired guinea pigs, but less necessary for the short haired ones.

Note:

There is a video on the videos page called 'How to Bathe Your Guinea Pig'. It is very instructional, and it helped me a lot with learning how to bathe my guinea pig.

Guinea pig's nails should be the same colour as the rest of their skin. They should ne nice and short with no sign of overgrowth.

They need to be clipped every month. Cutting their nails at an early age will help them get used to this necessary task. Paying close attention to the location of the "quick" will help avoid cutting into the living part of the nail. shining a light beneath dark coloured nails may be helpful in locating the quick if it is hard to see. If the nail is accidentally cut too short, a styptic pencil, or corn starch, will help stop the bleeding. You can use human nail clippers for the front nails, and human toenail clippers for the back nails. You can also purchase proper guinea pig nail clippers from your local pet store, which are easier to manuover.

Note:

There is a video on the videos page called 'How to Clip Your Guinea Pig's Nails'. It is very instructional, and it helped me a lot with learning how to clip my guinea pig's nails.

Guinea pig's feet should be light pink. They should be nicely padded with no sign of swealing, irritation, or dirt.

Guinea pig's ears should be the same colour as the rest of their skin. They should be floppy with no sign of dirt. They don't have hair behind their ears, but they do have some inside them.

They need to be cleaned every week. You should either use a cooton bud, or a damp soft cloth wrapped aroung your finger. Gently rub away any dirt, but make sure you don't go to far inside their ear. 

Guinea pig's eyes should be either red or black. They should be clear with no sign of swealing, irritation, or discharge. Black eyed guinea pigs see better than red eyed ones.

They need to be cleaned every month. You should use a damp, soft cloth wrapped around your finger, and gently rub away any dirt or discharge.

A guinea pig's nose should be clear with no sign of swealing, irritation, or discharge.

It needs to be cleaned every month.  You should use a damp, soft cloth wrapped around your finger, and gently rub away any dirt or discharge.

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Guinea pig's teeth should be white with no sign of overgrowth or dirt. They have 20 teeth, but you can only see four big ones at the front, because the other 16 are molars in the back of the mouth. Their teeth never stop growing.

Guinea pig's teeth should be white with no sign of overgrowth or dirt. They have 20 teeth, but you can only see four big ones at the front, because the other 16 are molars in the back of the mouth. Their teeth never stop growing.

They need to be checked monthly. If they look like they are getting too long, then supply them with wood gnaw sticks, hard foods, eg. carrot, or apple tree branches.

A guinea pig's mouth should be impact, and they should have chubby cheeks from the inside. Their gums should be light pink, and their tongue should be long and thin, and sitting nicely inside their mouth.

It needs to be checked every month.