If you are thinking about whether to give you guinea pigs a both or may not, then answer is yes you should bath them but not too often (1 or 2 showers every month). Some Guinea Pig Shampoo Alternatives, that I will talk about it in this article will help you to find your answer.
The basic rule of thumb is that for any pet, a regular bath once a month is very necessary. But if you bath them more often, then it may cause a more harmful effect.
Some of the harmful causes related to giving more bath to guinea pigs are that they end up with dry skin and damage their fur.
There are plenty of effective ways that are used to clean and groom Guinea Pig. They generally need to be cleaned once a month. For the first time pet owners, it is the common question that „What is the best and effective way to clean my beautiful pet”.
In this segment, you will be able to learn how to clean your guinea pig effectively. So, let’s get started.
What kind of soap do you use to wash a guinea pig?
If you do decide to bath your small Guinea Pig, then you should either use specialized soap or shampoo. But it is important for you to understand that normal bathing products or shampoo which are designed for humans should never apply to the skin or small pets or Guinea pigs.
It is so because normal soap or shampoo can cause rashes, loss of hair, skin irritations, and dryness. It leaves a greasy or oily residue in their fur.
If you are unable to access small animal soap or shampoo, then baby shampoo will be your better option. This one on Amazon is a best seller with top ratings and sells for about $50 right now.
When you are deciding to bath your guinea pig, then you should always use the soap or shampoo that is free from harmful chemicals. It is so because it can harm the skin of your pet.
Use shampoo for small pet guinea like Squeaky Clean Critter Shampoo manufactured by Kaytee. It is easily available on Amazon.
Squeaky clean critter Shampoo is an enriched formula that will help you in removing all kinds of dirt from the guinea pig surface.
This effective formula de-oxidizes your pet, provide the better condition of skin and coat by leaving furry friends cute smell. This soap shampoo will give better, smooth, silky and shiny fur of your Guinea pig.
How do you make homemade guinea pig shampoo?
You may also make homemade soap of shampoo for guinea pig free from any chemical, I will show you exactly how to do that. For this you need:
- 1/4 cup of apple cider
- 1/2 cup distilled water
- 1/4 cup dish-washing liquid.
Add them thoroughly and put them in an empty and clean plastic bottle.
If you are using baby shampoo, then you should take extra care to avoid ears and eyes of guinea pigs and ensure to rinsed out thoroughly.
Pour 8-drops of essential oils and 2-tablespoons sweet almond oil into the shampoo and shake it well.
Let the shampoo place it overnight so that oil infuses into the soap very well.
While looking at the shampoo bottle, you should first have a look at ingredients like sodium Lauryl Sulphate and Sodium Lauretha sulfate. These ingredients offer an excellent property of cleansing and wetting but so how irritation to cavies skin causing dryness and redness. So, always try to use shampoos that are free from these ingredients.
Try to use the shampoo which is manufactured from natural ingredients. These natural ingredients may be derived from plants that are effective and kinder to guinea pigs’ skin.
Try to use detergents that are derived from sugar and coconut oil along with oil lived as fat restoring or conditioning agent.
Can you use dawn dish soap on guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs don’t need baths regularly, while some pigs go for the year or more than that without baths.
If you want to use dawn dish soap on guinea pigs, then it will be not a good idea. Give them baby shampoo like Johnson shampoo that I use so that their eyes don’t hurt.
Look here I use Johnson shampoo on KIM one of my guinea pig babies:
It would be effective to use the shampoo that has a neutral PH level.
The bad thing about dawn dish soap is that it may hurt the skin and fur of your Guinea badly.
Instead of dish soap, try to use Johnson baby shampoo or any other baby shampoo. It can easily be affordable, and humans can also use it. So, in this way, your money wouldn’t be wasted;-).
Is it safe to use human shampoo on guinea pigs?
Don’t use anything like household cleaning material and dish soap. Guinea pigs usually have a strong sense of smell. So, it will be effective to use unscented soap. I did the same mistake when I bought my first guinea pig in 2011.
If your Guinea pigs need more baths, then care should be taken about shampoo.
You should never use the shampoo that irritates the skin and dry out guinea skin. In case when you bath your pet after every few months, then there will be no harmful effect if you use the shampoo for the small animal. You can also use Johnson & Johnson shampoo.
Some important and Useful Tips:
You should follow the following tips while bathing your small pet:
- Use a shallow pan of mild or warm hot water.
- Lather body of Guinea pigs
- Never get shampoo or water into the ears and eyes of Guinea pigs. Thoroughly rinse the soap or shampoo
- Towel dry Guinea pigs
- Ensure to place a pet is a nice and warm place so that he/she is dry completely.
Verdicts:
Bathing is quite stressful for guinea pigs. If you do decide to bath guinea pigs, then you should find shampoos that are free from any harmful chemicals. They should especially for cavies like Squeaky Clean Critter Shampoo from Amazon.
It is best for you and your guinea pigs to use a mild shampoo that is formulated for kittens. Some owners also use a baby shampoo like Johnson & Johnson to get bath their guinea pigs. So, if you already have a shampoo or a homemade one you can share your experience on a comment that can help others.
If you need any more details about guinea pig shampoo alternatives, then subscribe to my newsletter. I will surely give you wonderful tips about how to makes your Guinea pigs healthy and fit.
Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
