Guinea pigs are a wonderfully low-maintenance pet and are extremely easy to care for, regardless of what some people might say. There are however, some day-to-day tips on how to care for them.
The Nails
Believe it or not, guinea pig’s nails can grow long which can be painful for them, so they need to be trimmed.
Placing rocks, stones, bricks or other similarly rough-surfaced items in their cages can help wear their nails down, thus preventing you from having to clip them regularly. The best and the least expensive solution are bricks – make sure they are the type that do not have holes.
Guinea pigs nails have blood vessels in them just like other animals. The blood vessels are called the “quick”. When the guinea pig’s nails are clear, it is easy to see the “quick” as it is the pink area you that runs the length from the toe to the bone. The “quick” is nearly impossible to spot in guinea pigs with black nails.
Cut above the pinkish area with clear nails.
To be on the safe side, cut very little of the nail when your guinea pig has black nails. With time and practice, one can have much success cutting longer black nails without hurting your pet.
If you do accidentally cut the quick and it bleeds, find a way to stop it. A product that can stop the bleeding is called “Quick Stop”; it is sold in most pet stores. Use iodine instead if you don’t have “Quick Stop”.
EDIT — Thanks to reader Julia for the following tip:
It is very important you don’t cut into he pinkish area of the nail. Or stay as far away as possible from the pinkish area…or you will injure them , they will bleed and be in pain.
Guinea pigs do not like this process so they will most likely squirm. Having someone help you will make the task much easier. To prevent some of the squirming, wrap your pet in a towel, keeping his feet out. While you hold your guinea pig, have your helper cut his nails.
Helpful tip if you’re doing this alone: have your guinea pig stand on a tennis racket. This will allow for his nails to poke out below (for easier clipping) while your pet feels more secure.
The Teeth
Guinea pigs have two very long teeth called incisors. These teeth are constantly growing and are common in most rodents. Do not allow these teeth to get too long otherwise your guinea pig will not be able to eat. If this happens, you will have to take him to the vet to have them cut.
You can prevent this by giving him hard food eat. Also, keeping things like toilet or towel paper rolls in his cage for him to chew on will help.
Other ideas to help keep your pet’s teeth in check are hay cubes or old stale bread. However, these items need to be inspected on a regular basis.
Check for chipped or broken teeth on your guinea pig as this is not good for him. Contact your local vet if you suspect any teeth are broken or have fallen out.
Brushing
Brush your guinea pig regularly to keep his coat shiny, healthy and clean. Short haired guinea pigs only require brushing a few times per week – long haired guinea pigs require daily brushing.
Using a nice soft baby brush will ensure your guinea pig enjoys the brushing experience. Use a metal-toothed comb for longer haired pets as this will help loosen tangles and lessen shedding.
Bathing
Do not bathe your guinea pig – they hate water. Putting them in water makes them very upset and can quite possibly lower their immune system.
Guinea pigs can go the whole life without ever taking a bath, that suits them just fine. ONLY bathe them if your pet has gotten into something really smelly or dirty or unless your vet has instructed you to do so.
If this is the case, make sure to use a very mild shampoo like baby shampoo or a shampoo made for kittens. Do not use a medicated shampoo unless your vet recommends it.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Very interesting post, especially on the part where guinea pigs don’t need to be bathed at all in their life. It reminds me of my friend Henry Michel.
my guineas pigs are losing hair!what to do im freaking out! can they get lice use one has balld spots the other well shes fine im worried about babygirl.charlies well squeaking like crazyyyyy!
I have never heard of not bathing them. Everything I have read tells you about bathing them and how. I know a lot of people who do. You are the first person I have heard of that said not to. Cats hate water, but we sometimes bathe them. Sometimes they even come to like it.
To whom it may concern,
I think you might want to rethink the sentence below and located under the Trimming Nails heading:
Cut above the pinkish area with clear nails.
This is ambiguous and not descriptive enough especially for a first time Guinea Pig owner…I would think, just by the way it is worded, that one would be cutting off the quick if they did that. I think it would be more appropriate to say:
It is very important you don’t cut into he pinkish area of the nail. Or stay as far away as possible from the pinkish area…or you will injure them , they will bleed and be in pain.
Thank you,
Julia
This helped so much. Thankyou. I’m 16 and have my first G-Pig, Buddy, and the pet store didn’t tell me anything, aside from, I have to clean his cage once a week and no baths. They said nothing about nails, teeth, and brushing. So thank you!!
Thanks for the tips, it’s a big help for me and loveable guinea pig