Guinea pigs should be washed once a month, more if they get particularly dirty. They are very timid especially around water, so it’s best to be careful and gentle while washing them. It is also very important not to get water on their faces because it can cause stress and make them panic. Here I will explain the best way to bathe your guinea pig.
Guinea pigs will get stressed in large bodies of water, so either use a plastic container which is large enough for them to stand in or a sink. Partially fill the sink/container with warm water. To see if the water is too deep or shallow, put your hand in, flat on the palm. If the water reaches your wrist, it is the correct depth. If it is further up, it is too deep. Make sure the water is not so hot that it will scald, but not so mild that it will go cold quickly.
Slowly place the guinea pig in the bath, making sure their head is not touching the water. Once they have settled, get your shampoo and begin gently rubbing it into the fur on their back and sides. Avoid anyting above the ears. If you are feeling confident, put one hand underneath their front paws (they will most likely let you do this as they’d rather stand on your hand than in the water) and put some shampoo on their belly, making sure to cover the areas most likely to have staining. Once they are covered in suds it is time to move on to the next step.
Take the plastic cup and half fill it with warm water. With one hand in front of the guinea pig for comfort begin slowly pouring the water on their back, starting at their back end and working your way up to the neck. Be careful to not pour water on their face. It will take a few cupfuls of water to clear their fur of soap suds. Also make sure their belly is free of soap, but do not flip them onto their backs to do so as they will panic and can flip their heads backwards in an attempt to roll over and soak themselves. Once the suds are gone you must remove them from the bath immediately so that they do not get cold.
Either get someone else to sit on a chair with a towel flat on their lap or have the towel ready, spread out on the floor. Place the guinea pig in the middle of the towel, with their head near the top of the towel (but not sticking out). Wrap one side of the towel over them, and then the other. Fold the end of the towel under their back end and lift the bundle up, resting their feet on your chest with their head facing you. This keeps the guinea pig warm, feeling sheltered and supported, which makes them less likely to fight even if they are stressed from the bath.
It is important while drying a guinea pig to make sure they are not getting too cold. A good way to find out if they are getting cold is to touch their ears. If their ears are cold it means they are cold. Shaking is also a sign of them being too cold. Another thing to take into account is their comfort. If you scrub too hard you will upset them and lose their trust, and also you are in danger of damaging their skin which can cause infections and rashes. Gently move the towel in circles on their fur until it is dry. Remember to dry their bellies and armpits, but once again do not flip them over to do so. They will complain a bit but it’s for the better. Make sure to have at least one spare dry towel, so that when the first one becomes too wet to use you don’t have to wait for it to dry to continue.
Do not use a hairdrier to dry guinea pigs, unless they are a longfur and the hairdrier is a quieter one. If a hairdrier is used, keep it away from their roots and skin because it can damage the hair and burn the skin.
If the face is dirty, take a wet flannel and dab the dirty fur gently, making sure you don’t touch the eyes.
After a bath it is recommended that you clean the ears with a damp cotton swab. DO NOT stick the cotton swap in the ear, just wipe the outside of the earhole. Putting the swab in their ear can cause serious damage!
Remember to give their fur a good brush after every bath. Especially if they’re a longhair!