Guinea pigs are delightful little fluffballs with an affection for cuddles and a very much personality, but do guinea pigs shed that lovely hair?
By and large, they can survive 9 years, however, their life expectancy is connected to their eating routine and everyday environments.
In contrast to other domestic pets, similar to rabbits, dogs, or cats, guinea pigs require very little grooming.
Subsequently, they make fantastic companions for people who live alone, seniors, or families with small kids.
In the event that you will get a guinea pig, you should know already what sort of hair situation you are getting into.
Do Guinea pigs shed?
Guinea pigs are viewed as light to medium shedder.
However, they do shed a great deal if they are experiencing a parasite or contagious contamination.
The long hair breed will in general shed more than the short-haired variety.
Week by week brushing can help in holding the shedding to the minimum level.
At this point, you are very much aware that guinea pig sheds some of the time.
But it shouldn’t stop you from having them as a pet.
Guinea pigs are excellent pets and can be a part of your family regardless of the shedding.
There are loads of things we can do to keep our guinea pig healthy and prevent extreme shedding, thus keeping our life without hair.
Why Do Guinea Pigs Shed?
As referenced above, guinea pigs are normally expected to shed.
In any case, as you definitely know, guinea pigs can be casualties of parasites, fungus, and other medical issues that may create this impact.
In this segment, we’ll investigate the absolute most regular medical issues that produce shedding in guinea pigs.
You can likewise utilize a grooming glove to remove hair from your lounge chair and bed alongside your guinea pigs.
You can look at it in our inside and out purchasers manage on grooming unit for guinea pigs.
Guinea Pigs are occasional shedders
They will, in general, shed unnecessarily during spring and late-spring when they lose their colder time of year coat.
You will see that long hair guinea pigs are bound to shed during this time when contrasted with short hair breeds.
It is a characteristic trait to shed during this season, as it helps to shed the spare fur so that they can remain cool during the summer.
How to stop guinea pig from shedding?
By finding the cause of shedding and dealing with it, excess shedding can be reduced.
It is improbable for us to stop the shedding behavior of guinea pigs.
Despite the fact that we can surely take a few measures to hold it under control.
Deciding the reason for shedding is a crucial step in the process of reducing the shedding of your guinea pig.
Guinea pigs are common shedders, and you can expect from them that they should shed their cold time of year coat during spring and early summers.
Aside from that in the event that you notice any strange shedding action, at that point you should investigate it.
Now and again different ailments can be the reason for shedding.
It very well might be a nutrient C insufficiency or a lack of protein, maybe a contagious disease, or even parasites and bacterial infections.
Getting the main reason behind shedding is vital for taking the correct measures to fix it.
On the off chance that you are uncertain about what’s going on, it is ideal to take some expert clinical guidance and take an appointment with a vet for your guinea pig.
Therefore, here are some tips that can help you in making your guinea pig shedding to a minimum.
10 Tips for Keeping Your Home Hair-Free
1] Trimming The Hair
Got a guinea that has a weird looking haircut?
Now and again, our little piggies require a trim, depending upon their condition.
It applies to everyone, in the case that you have long-haired guineas, they’ll need regular hair cuts.
With these little guys, their coats drag around and make tangles, and trimming hair assists with tackling many issues.
Likewise, their long hair leaves them prone to urinary tract infections, so pet guardians should keep the hair here perfectly managed to forestall such events.
Managing hair is a truly basic errand, as long as you have the proper tools.
So, you must buy a proper hair managing tool for your guinea pig in order to keep its shedding under control.
2] Cleaning Grease Gland
At the base of your guinea’s spine, directly underneath the surface, is a little, dime-sized organ.
This organ, known as an oil organ, secretes a slick substance utilized for scenting and marking purposes.
Now and again, because of secretions, that area of your piggie’s body can get aggravated.
Accumulated secretion development can prompt disease and result in a visit to the vet.
In spite of the fact that many guineas never have secretion problems, presumably on the grounds that females are less inclined to this issue, you must figure out how to treat this condition.
Truly, it’s a convenient solution, that just includes a straightforward wash and a rinse.
Depending upon the measure of oil your guinea secretes, you may have to utilize more pet cleansers around there.
On the off chance that the issue remains, counsel your vet for a product recommendation.
3] Cleaning Ears
Those small, little ears should be looked at week after week for wax development, yet additionally to watch that there aren’t any ear bugs or bacterial diseases.
This may not directly cause shedding but is an important thing to look after in your guinea pig’s overall hygiene.
If those ears smell somewhat absurd or look somewhat dry then it is not good.
Assuming this is the case, you’ll need to book an appointment with the vet.
Sadly, these signs highlight ear parasites or a potential ear infection.
- To start, use a Q-tip dipped in mineral oil to clean the outer area of each ear
- Avoid damaging the inner ear by keeping your cleaning shallow
- Also, clean the base of the ear
- Repeat these steps, if necessary, in order to remove any visible dirt and wax
Is there a wax development in those peppy ears?
At that point, contact your vet and schedule an appointment for ear cleaning.
They have the proper apparatuses to conduct a good assessment of your guinea pig ear, and they can sort out why there’s such a lot of wax.
4] Clean The Cage Regularly
It is necessary to keep your guinea pig’s cage clean consistently!
This will decide the health of your guinea pig in addition to its life expectancy.
Guinea pigs don’t get immunizations like other pet animals, and each piece of dust in your cage can cause (genuine) inconveniences.
Therefore, a guinea pig can build up a portion of the conditions we’ve referenced above these conditions can be very serious.
To appropriately clean it, try not to utilize solid synthetic cleaners.
Instead, use water in blend with a gentle or infant cleanser.
On the other hand, you can utilize a combination of vinegar and water.
At the point when you finish the cleaning, ensure that the enclosure is totally dry prior to returning your pig inside.
5] Get Rid Of The Stress In Your Pig’s Life
Stress is a quiet killer.
As a human, you should realize that.
Numerous individuals suffer and sometimes even die by implication from pressure, as this condition can be a reason for a considerably more genuine medical issue.
As rodents, they were never made to chase the prey however to be the prey instead.
This impulse is preserved even today, which is the reason your guinea pig needs to have a sense of security and shelter.
The reason for pressure can be even the most normal things.
For instance, other guinea pigs can bully the more fragile pig, which should tell to you that these two pigs aren’t acceptable together.
You would then be able to part them and make the pig’s life simpler.
Another example is a loud spot, where a ton of things occur during the day.
Guinea pigs love quiet and they would happily appreciate living without any commotions than your kitchen or living room where you stare at the TV and talk with your family.
Give it a peaceful room and the stress will vanish.
6] Improve Their Diet
In the event that your guinea pig isn’t healthy, odds are that either its cage isn’t perfect or its eating regimen isn’t appropriate.
With regards to the diet, we can’t say it’s excessively convoluted.
Focus on hay since this is the primary food of your guinea pig.
Around 80% of its diet needs to be hay and the other 20% can be vegetables and a little bit of organic product.
Interestingly, guinea pigs likewise need a bit of protein too, around 15% of the diet.
For that reason, we suggest Timothy-based pellets.
A 1/8 cup each day ought to be sufficient for an adult guinea pig.
A few fruits and vegetables should be sidestepped, as they can truly hurt your guinea pig.
7] Brush Your Guinea Pig Regularly
The best way to lessen the shedding to a minimum is to brush the pig routinely.
We suggest brushing in at least once each week yet even two times each week is great.
This will help your guinea pig dispose of its old hair and make a spot for the new one.
The primary mistake frequently see is that owners will in general brush the guinea pig too roughly.
You needn’t bother with Hulk’s strength to brush the pig.
Go tenderly and never scratch the brush over too roughly or over patches of skin.
Guinea pigs are exceptionally sensitive as is their skin, which can be quite easily damaged.
Talking, about the brush.
The brush ought to be very soft.
We suggest utilizing an infant brush or a greyhound comb.
These will effectively eliminate free hair, in this manner keeping your guinea pig’s hair strong and shiny.
This will also apply to guinea pigs with longer hair, with the distinction in brushing being that you need to brush it longer, to abstain from tangling.
8] Baths Are Essential for Guinea Pigs
Many people will tell you that guinea pigs ought not to be washed, yet it is not true for every guinea pig, the bath is a fundamental part of life, to keep their hair and skin clean.
Heat the water to a lukewarm temperature and just fill it to chest height.
Place your guinea pig in such a way that it can put its feet in the lower part of the tub.
Most guinea pigs may get scared and try to escape from the water, yet it’s a necessary step to get your guinea pig to shed less, so getting them used to have a positive experience in gently taking care of and additional attention often help.
Use non-perfumed items for washing – a mild infant cleanser or cleanser is suggested.
After the shower, wrap your guinea pig in a towel and wait for its fur to get dry.
Hairdryers can be scary for guinea pigs and radiators can cause heat stress in them, so in the case that you have a method for drying the hair without a lot of heat or noise, use that.
Otherwise, air drying in a cold climate is fine.
Brush or comb the hair and give your pet a loveable cuddle and food award to quiet them down thereafter.
9] Check for parasites
Bugs, lice, and different parasites can take up home with your guinea pig, making them itch and excessively shed.
On the off chance that you check under their hide and see little dark bugs, your pet probably has a parasite pervasion.
In the event that you see wounds that the guinea pig is tingling at, however no bugs, your guinea pig presumably has got mites, which are minuscule and burrow under the skin.
They are the most widely found guinea pig parasite.
On the off chance that you presume your guinea pig has a parasitic disease, it needs treatment.
Numerous parasitic diseases can be treated with effective ivermectin at home.
You can purchase pour-on ivermectin on Amazon (don’t get the paste).
You will likewise require a 1 cc syringe (1cc = 1mL).
Guinea pigs are dosed about at 0.5 mg/kilogram of their body weight.
This is a dose outline for the normal 0.5% ivermectin pour-on arrangement.
Nevertheless, your answer isn’t really this fixation, so check the package cautiously!
Likewise, when deciding the portion, ensure your scale is exact (gauge something with a realized load to check).
On the off chance that you can’t decide the portion or don’t feel sure dosing your guinea pig(s), don’t do it without any professional’s help.
Ivermectin excesses can be deadly.
Additionally, possibly use ivermectin if your guinea pig gauges in excess of 340 grams (around 12 oz)
On the off chance that you have various guinea pigs, regardless of whether they live independently, they all should be treated for parasitic diseases.
10] Give them vitamin C supplements
Vitamin C lack in guinea pigs can prompt unnecessary shedding and balding.
In spite of the fact that guinea pig pellets are braced with Vitamin C, the Vitamin C in these can degrade over the long run.
The most ideal approach to guarantee that your pet isn’t losing hair because of Vitamin inadequacy is to feed them fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in Vitamin C.
Bell pepper is an incredible source of the Vitamin C for your guinea pigs, as is strawberry (as a treat – a lot of fruit based product is harmful to guinea pigs!)
Try not to put Vitamin C drops in the water!
They will make the water taste weird and often cause your guinea pig to not drink this.
In addition, the Vitamin C breaks up in under 60 minutes, so your guinea pig isn’t in any case, getting a lot.
Final Thoughts
The best tip that can be offered to you to keep your home free from the hair of your pet guinea pig is to put your money into a decent vacuum.
We wish there was a magical remedy for this problem, however, the best thought we could offer is to have a solid vacuum that can clean away the awful hair from all over.
It might feel a lot of work in keeping your home without hair, but a decent vacuum helps in eliminating all the little hairs from your living room region as you move it around your home.
Another incredible tip is keeping your guinea pigs in a particular spot of your home only.
Perhaps a devoted room where their enclosure is situated just as they can get sufficient floor time around.
Doing so particularly during spring and early summers helps in holding that frightful hair back from spreading all through our home.
Guinea pigs are very lovable animals and such small flaws must not stop you from having one.
