Keeping Your Guinea Pig Well-Groomed
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
by Peter Dranitsin
Petes Original Art Inc.
Guinea pigs, like any other rodent could be quite messy when left alone. Especially for those with long fur, a lot of care and grooming will be needed. In the wild, guinea pigs claw and chew almost nonstop. They do not cease to grow teeth. Normally, their teeth are worn by chewing sticks, bones or anything hard. Yes, guinea pigs eat meat. They are omnivorous like us.
Overgrown guinea pig teeth can wound their mouth or anything near it for that matter. This will ruin your pet's appetite. The wounds overgrown teeth create will not heal easily. As long as the teeth keep scratching the wound, it will reopen. This is also most likely to cause infection.
In the case that your cavy grows too long a tooth, have him checked by the vet. Never try to attempt to cut the teeth yourself. Get professional service. Always remember, the vet has both the needed training and all the necessary tools.
As for your guinea pig's claws, cutting them yourself will also be a bad idea. Unlike humans, guinea pigs have tiny blood vessels in their claws near the paws. If your pet's claws are clear, you may be able to see these blood vessels as a pinkish area. Cutting your guinea pig's claws in this area will, of course, cause your pet to bleed. As expected, this will also give your pet a lot of pain and discomfort in walking later. Avoiding this area may be a little tricky since most guinea pigs' claws are opaque.
If your guinea pig's claws are clear, you may go ahead and trim it yourself. The best way to do this is to wrap him in a thick cloth, preferably a towel, leaving only one leg out for trimming. You will need somebody to help you with this. In most cases, giving them a piece of log to play with will help wear the claws and you may not need any cutting at all.
Your guinea pig will need brushing at least thrice a week unless it has long fur. For furry guinea pigs, their fur should be brushed once a day. You can also take this time to check for ticks and mites. When brushing your pet's fur, make sure you get rid of anything that got stuck in the fur like food or excreta.
Also, look out for bald spots and take note of the reasons why your pet is missing fur. Your pet may just have scratched that spot too much but it may also be a telltale sign of fungal infection. Remove knots in your guinea pig's fur. These knots may catch on something, pulling the fur out little by little.
Your guinea pigs only need a bath when there is something in its coat that needs washing. To do this, put your pet in a dish. Add warm water making sure your pet's head is above the water. Do not make the water level go over your pets head. Use shampoo formulated for guinea pigs if you have one although a gentle baby shampoo will be just fine. Brush your cavy gently. Towel him dry.
Grooming guinea pigs are not tedious at all. What's important is that you keep a vigilant eye on your pet's behavior as they can get sick quite often.
Cedric James is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great guinea pig grooming information, visit http://www.guineapigsguides.com.
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