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Top 5 

Tips To Keep Your Guinea's Skin In Good Condition   

 

1)              Bedding    

 

The kind of bedding that you choose for your

guineas can affect their skin.   Wood

shavings / sawdust arenot  recommended, especially any that are scented.  Whilst shavings are great for absorbing urine, they can also absorb the

natural oils from your guinea’s skin, leaving them more prone to skin

problems.  Dust / oils in the wood can

also lead to respiratory disease that can be fatal.  So what else can you use? 

 

Dengie MediBed     - short chopped, medicated straw 

designed for horses, loved by guineas, and economical 

to use (large 25kg bales).  Visit Dengie's website 

for a list of stockists:    http://www.dengie.com        Use over a thick layer of newspaper.       Russel 

Bedding    is similar, and available from pet shops 

in smaller pillow packs.  Use over a thick layer of newspaper. 

Do NOT use straw designed for rabbits (long, thick strands) 

as this can cause eye poke injuries to piggies.  

   

Hay         -    

nice fresh meadow hay can be used as bedding, but doesn't 

absorb urine as well as MediBed or Megazorb.  Large 

bales of hay from your local farm / riding school cost 

between £3 and £5 and are very economical.  Use 

over a thick layer of newspaper.  

   

Vet Bed       - hygienic, easy to wash, and ideal for 

use after operations, or for sick guineas who can't 

move around much.  Vet Bed wicks away urine and 

keeps your piggy dry and comfortable.  Available 

from    http://www.bronteglen.co.uk     

 Use 

over a thick layer of newspaper.  

  

Megazorb     -  

is another  horse bedding made from virgin wood pulp. It is 

produced by high temperature drying that removes the moisture from the wood pulp and kills off moulds, 

spores and bacteria.  Use over a thick layer of newspaper.      http://www.northerncropdriers.co.uk   

  

2.               Cleaning    

 

Cages need

to be cleaned and thoroughly disinfected at least twice a week  , especially

when it is very hot or very cold.    When

the weather is hot, bacteria, fungi and viruses can grow very fast, and in cold

weather, damp bedding can freeze.  Recommended

cleaning products include: 

Pet Virkon 

Conficlean 2 

Formula H 

These are

available from  SPH Supplies   .    (01869 323995) 

All of these

products are far more effective than the usual "pet shop sprays" and

work against a wide variety of bacteria, fungi and viruses.    If you order anything from SPH Supplies,

please mention Reading

Guinea Pig Rescue and they will receive a small donation.  

  

3.               Environment    

 

If your

guinea is kept outside in a cage during the winter without any protection from

the cold (not recommended), damp bedding can freeze.   We recommend that as a minimum, guineas are

kept in a shed / outbuilding and protected from the elements.  Keeping them indoors or in a heated shed is

even better.  Guinea pigs are originally

from Peru

where the climate is warm and dry.  Here

in the UK

they can suffer from skin / respiratory problems in particular, mainly due to

the climate which is always humid.   

 

4.               Inspection    

 

Regular inspection of your guinea’s hair, skin, ears,

nose, mouth, and an awareness of what “normal” scratching is will help you to

catch any skin problems sooner rather than later.   Look for any signs of redness, dry / flaky

skin, hair coming out in clumps with dead skin on the end, cuts, bites, open

sores etc.  If you find anything

suspicious, take action straight away – skin problems can kill guineas if left

untreated. 

 

5.               Shampooing    

 

We recommend

that you shampoo your guineas every 4 - 6 weeks with one of the range of

Gorgeous Guineas shampoos.   This can help

to prevent skin problems from occurring in the first place.  Unless your guinea has a skin problem, they

do not need shampooing more often.  Too

much shampooing can cause their skin to become dry and irritated.  Gorgeous Guineas have a range of

shampoos for piggies of all ages, all hair types, and for common skin problems

such as Lice and Fungal infections, so why not start pampurring your piggy? 

 

If 

you have a guinea with skin problems, find 

out more about    identifying skin problems and how to 

help your guinea    .   

   

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2008 Gorgeous Guineas. All rights reserved.