Sink Bath

Pebby in the sink

Trixie in the sink

     "Can I give my guinea pigs a bath?" is a common question asked by most new guinea pig owners.  If you think it's not okay to give a guinea pig a bath, you're wrong. But, if you think it is okay, you're also wrong. There's a certain way to give a guinea pig a bath, and often, it's not necessary. The situation varies from person to person. Learn more, in this post. 

    Often, people are mislead by social media and YouTube posts about people giving guinea pigs a bath in the bathtub or forcing them to swim. Never, ever, put a guinea pig in a body of water. Guinea pigs can swim, but only in live-saving situations in the wild. If you put a guinea pig in a pool, it will surely drown. Don't EVER put guinea pigs in water that is deeper than up to their feet. 

    Do you need to give your guinea pig a bath? Baths shouldn't be a regular/daily thing for guinea pigs as it for humans. Giving a guinea pig a bath once every month or two is fine, but it shouldn't be a regular thing. If your guinea pig isn't dirty, there's no point in making them take a bath. Did you know that guinea pigs clean themselves? You may have noticed your guinea pig doing that. It's just not natural for guinea pigs to be taking baths. 

    If you have decided it's time for your guinea pig to get a bath, the best way is to do a sink bath. Use a sink that has a small drain that you don't use often. Put your guinea pig in the sink and fill the water up to their feet. It shouldn't be higher than that! Make sure the water is warm, but not too hot or too cold. Let your guinea pig sit in the sink for a few minutes. They might walk around. They may sit still.

    After the few minutes, if you have a guinea pig dry shampoo you can wipe your guinea pig down with that. Or, you can put a small bit of water on their fur. Only a tiny bit, though! Dry your guinea pig off with a small towel or paper towel and set them back in the cage. Repeat the steps for your second piggie. 

    (You can also follow the same steps in a bucket)

    Today, we gave our guinea pigs a sink bath. It was quick! And now they are nice and clean :)

    Thanks for reading! I hope this post was helpful. See you next time on Trishas Guinea Pig Adventures!