Grooming Guinea Pigs
In this instructional Basic Care guide, we will show you how to groom your Guinea Pigs, step by step, to make them lovely and clean and shiny, whilst at the same time checking for skin infections, including ticks and fly strike.
Grooming your Guinea Pigs should be a weekly activity, and the more thorough you are, the better. If you wanted, why not give your Guinea Pigs a wash before you groom them, to keep them extra clean? Click here for our guide. |
Overview & IntroductionAs we have covered in our handling and our taming guides, the more you handle your Guinea Pig, the better the bond between you, and the more tame they will become. Guinea Pigs also love the attention they get when someone grooms them. Grooming also helps your Guinea Pigs to feel and look their best, which they do care about!
But grooming isn't all about building a bond with your Guinea Pigs and giving them a 'relaxing massage', it is more importantly about cleaning your Guinea Pig, stopping hair from becoming tangled and matted, and ensuring that no skin infections are present. If Guinea Pigs don't get their weekly grooming fix, they may begin to feel uncomfortable, and will try to do themselves, but will be unable to. Short haired Guinea Pigs require weekly brushing, and long haired Guinea Pigs need to be groomed at least twice a week, because muck and dirt can get caught in their trailing hair, and it can get tangled. Grooming basicsRemoving grime:
First, you should use the comb to comb out any bits of dandruff and dirt from their coats. You should make sure that all the visible bits of dirt are combed out completely. Checking for mites, ticks and lice:
This is arguably the most important step of grooming any animal. To check, you should gently comb against the fur (so that the fur sticks up). You should do this gently because it can sometimes hurt the Guinea Pig. Examine the skin that becomes visible as you lift the fur with the comb. Check it is free from any scabs, holes, mites, little wriggly white things and that the skin is smooth. If it isn't click here to visit our healthcare guide that will tell you what to do next. Making them look their best:
Guinea Pigs LOVE to look and feel their best, believe it or not. Make sure that you groom them so no patches of fur are sticking up, and so that the fur is all smooth. The Guinea Pig will be able to feel if any fur is sticking up or feels messy, and will be agitated and annoyed. Guinea Pigs also love the attention that they receive from grooming, and it is a great way to show affection for your lovely cavy. Nail clipping:
You must ensure that they toenails do not grow too long, as they can provide discomfort. If your Guinea Pigs frequently come in contact with hard surfaces, such as stone slabs, this can help wear away the claws, but if not, you should clip them with standard nail clippers. Ensure that you do not cut the pink bit, as that is their skin. Only cut the actual nail itself. |
Essential Guinea Pig grooming products:You need at least one brush and one comb, but some good sets offer a vast range of different brushes and combs.
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Grooming Long haired Guinea PigsLong haired Guinea Pigs need extra grooming due to the extra hair. Follow all the Grooming Basic steps above, and then follow these:
De-Tangling:
Due to the long hair, Long Haired Guinea Pigs hair tends to get tangled and matted. If you don't de tangle it, they can feel uncomfortable, and will become agitated and annoyed. To de tangle Guinea Pig hair, you should get a comb with two sides; a narrow-toothed side and a wide-toothed side. We recommend checking out this one (click here) (or choose from many more de-tangling combs under our grooming section in this department of our shop. Use the wide toothed side to gently comb out all the tangles (ensure you don't hurt the Guinea Pig by pulling out any hair). When the coat is tangle free, swap to the fine toothed side, and flatten out the hair. Repeat every few days. Getting out the extra dirt:
Because the coat is so long, it tends to attract bits of dirt, and poo, and they get stuck in the coat. To get these bits out, use a grooming comb (narrow toothed is fine) to gently comb out all the bits of muck. WarningsGrooming can be a great time for you to inspect the skin. If you do notice anything unusual, such as a parasite, tick, fungus, dandruff or anything else that could be a cause for concern, read out our healthcare guide on Hair Loss and Skin Infections
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Grooming Short haired Guinea PigsShort haired Guinea Pigs don't need as much grooming as long haired Guinea Pigs do. Follow all the Grooming Basic steps above, and then follow these:
Finer Grooming: (Getting between the hairs)
Because the hair is short, sometimes the teeth of the comb doesn't quite glide through the hair, but it scrapes over the top. To overcome this, you should invest in a slicker brush (Check out this perfect Mini Slicker Brush for Small Animals - Click Here -) This brush will glide through the hair, instead of over, and will do the job much better than a standard grooming comb. Related PagesWashing / Bathing Guinea Pigs
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