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Post by almondandjoyrmygps on Apr 11, 2005 23:19:42 GMT
II bath my guinea pigs twice a month (for skin issues) and the bathtub is more then a foot high. I am scared that my boys are hurting themselves by jumping up the sides and falling. This is why i can put them in the sink..they jump out. My one gp has now taught itself to jump onto the side of the tub and get out. i don't know how because it is so tall. any suggestions on how to make them calmer?
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Post by Clover on Apr 12, 2005 6:48:27 GMT
The safest way is to buy a plastic washing up bowl and either place it on the floor that has a carpet or inside an empty bath tub, that way if they do jump out they havn't got far to fall. You do need to hold each piggy while your bathing them, also try using a small bath mat or cut one up so it covers the base of the bowl, so their feet arn't sliding underneath. Don't have the water very deep either, most piggies dislike having baths so its best to do it as quickly as possible.
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Post by Susie on Apr 12, 2005 7:48:09 GMT
Are you bathing them twice a month to TREAT skin problems? Or prevent? If it is to prevent twice a month is too much & can harm the skin as much as bathing too little. Unless you are treating a problem 4-6 weeks is the length of time between baths. As Jackie says.... washing up bowl is great... sides of bath are high & overwhelm piggys... as well as making it difficult for you
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Post by almondandjoyrmygps on Apr 12, 2005 12:18:37 GMT
im treating skin problems. i was told to do it every 2 weeks to kill the eggs of lice right after i killed the living ones. i do hold me guinea pigs when i wash them but they jump i will try the bath towel and bowl thanks
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Post by Annessa (TimsCavyPrincess) on Apr 13, 2005 1:38:49 GMT
[glow=lime,2,300]I always hold and talk to my pigs while I bathe them. I also dont put them under the running water. I cup some in my hand and just act like im petting them, they seem to be calmer. My one pig loves to sit under the running water so I let her. But otherwise they just seem to like me to sorta splash it on them.
Why is it bad to wash them alot? I never see anything on washing pigs, so thats why im asking.[/glow]
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Post by almondandjoyrmygps on Apr 13, 2005 22:00:38 GMT
they usually don't let me pick them up in water
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Post by Clover on Apr 14, 2005 7:56:00 GMT
Why is it bad to wash them alot? I never see anything on washing pigs, so thats why im asking.[/glow] Its because if you bath them too much it can make their skin very dry and irritated, they loose some of their natural oils in their skin. Unless a piggy is actually having bath treatments for a fungal infection, then piggies don't need a bath very often, I find every 3 to 4 months is enough.
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Post by jennawing on Apr 18, 2005 15:35:37 GMT
My Piccy gets dry skin- and the vet prescibed bathing him twice a week with this (very expensive) hydrating shampoo. However, I bathe him about every 2-3 weeks- or when he starts to get flaky- as twice a week seemed kind of extreme to me. He loves his bath and is very good about it. I always bathe him in hte kitchen sink. I've tried in the tub, but I think the open space was what freaked him out. The sink, with me right there, is cozy and safe.
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Post by kitty on Apr 18, 2005 17:19:15 GMT
I'm with Clover-I only bathe if there's a good reason or every 4 months or so just to keep them from getting stinky. But I LIKE the way they naturally smell. I hold them a lot and suggle my nose in their fur-especailly long-haired Bordeaux and she smells good. When I do bathe them I put a small plastic dish tub in the kitchen sink and I can also use the sprayer thingy like a mini shower! Dodo screams like I'm killing her but 'Lano is better.
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Post by almondandjoyrmygps on Apr 18, 2005 21:33:27 GMT
i got a plastic bowl kind of thing and it worked a little better so yeah!!
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Post by Clover on Apr 19, 2005 14:41:26 GMT
Oh very good Amanda I love their natural smell Kitty. I used to have piggies as a child and I remembered the exact same smell when I brought home my Primrose many years later.
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Post by kitty on Apr 19, 2005 17:14:10 GMT
They do smell so sweet and when someone complains to me that they're stinky, I KNOW they are NOT taking good care of them. I love to snoof into their little heads and backs , just like a newborn, and they purrrr!
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Post by Annessa (TimsCavyPrincess) on Apr 19, 2005 17:21:03 GMT
[glow=lime,2,300]You guys remind me of my mom!! haha she loves the smell of guinea pigs! She also loves to smell her goats and horses. Personally I cant stand the smell of them thats why I was wondering about bathing.
My one pig seems to have really dry skin. That soft spot behind their ears isnt soft on her, its really touch and cracking. But the other pig is as soft as velvet![/glow]
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Post by almondandjoyrmygps on Apr 19, 2005 21:32:50 GMT
i like guinea smell too!!
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Post by kitty on Apr 20, 2005 3:12:09 GMT
Well TCP, I have girls so they don't have what I call ( my kids and their guy friends have it too!) "boy funk"! I work at a stable and I LOVE horse smell too. Goats I'm not so sure about!
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Post by Clover on Apr 20, 2005 7:35:04 GMT
I'd have your piggies ears checked over by a vet TimsCavyPrincess, as they shouldn't be dry and cracked.
Oh yes! horsey smell is nice to.
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Post by Susie on May 11, 2005 13:26:39 GMT
Good idea to get the ears checked Tims Cavy Princess... it sounds like a symtom of a fungal condition to me.... this is how one of my friends pigs started. Check out this site which has a list of other symptoms... sound like your pigs? www.gorgeousguineas.co.uk/indentification.html
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Post by skipperdoo on May 11, 2005 15:07:51 GMT
I have to hold on tight to any pigs I bathe so they don't go flying out of the sink! By holding on to them I don't have to worry about them getting injured. However, it sure can be tricky holding them when they are all lathered up with shampoo. Izzy had a problem behind one of her ears for a while ... the problem was ringworm. It's cleared up and so far hasn't returned. Hope it stays away for good. EDIT: Forgot about the lice ... << on Apr 12th, 2005, 07:18am, almondANDjoyRmyGPs wrote:im treating skin problems. i was told to do it every 2 weeks to kill the eggs of lice right after i killed the living ones.>> I ended up with some foster pigs who had lice. I was told by various people who had successfully treated them to give them a bath with a flea shampoo and to administer a drop of Advantage behind each ear after I had bathed and combed them with a flea/nit comb to get rid of the eggs. I had to give a bath two days after the first shampoo on two of the pigs since they had long hair and the live ones weren't killed. They ended up getting a very short hair cut so the treatment would be effective. However, my vet felt that just giving Ivermectin would cure them. I also gave Ivermectin a day later so I'm not sure which treatment resulted in the elimination of the lice. I was so glad they were gone though!
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Post by Janet on May 11, 2005 22:02:12 GMT
My boys have had two baths in 2 1/2 years! I change their Carefresh every other day and scoop daily. Their beloved doctor is an exotic specialist and says if I like the way they smell, don't bathe them. There is nothing better than burrowing my nose into a piggy neck and breathing deep! We do have to go in every 6 weeks for a manicure/pedicure.
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Post by almondandjoyrmygps on May 12, 2005 21:53:24 GMT
thats great their gone skipperdoo... I should try Advantage next time.. i didn't think of that
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