Cleaning perineal sac and grease gland

Question
QUESTION: Hello again!  I just cleaned my boar's grease gland and genital area for the first time, but I think I may have overdone the oil!  I used coconut oil for the grease gland and cleaned it with a toothbrush, but I can still see the oil around that area - is it safe?  I'm worried about him or the other boar ingesting it.  
I used mineral oil for the genital area.  I cleaned it with a Q-tip, but  I didn't rinse it off or anything.  Is that ok?  Thanks!

ANSWER: You did fine. That grease gland is bugger to clean. That stuff is like axle grease and sticks like crazy. I've found that Dawn detergent works pretty good for that. So does Goo Gone, which is a product made for removing grease, crayons, etc.  

I find one the easiest ways to clean out the pouch is to hold the pig right under some running water and let the water run directly into the sac. You will be amazed at what comes out of there. I have a couple of old boars that collect so much I expect to find the car keys in there sometimes!  But giving them a good flushing out works wonders.  

Don't hold them under the water for too long. Remember that the rectal opening is inside that pouch and you're not trying to give the old boy an enema.  Mineral oil does work too. Some of that stuff is pretty smelly to us humans, but apparently the ladies think it's like perfume. Good for them I say.  But I don't care to be exposed to it.

You'll find that the older boars are worse than the younger ones because as they age the testicles get larger, and the pigs get fatter. That result is that the feces has farther to travel to be expelled and it causes a bit of a backup in the pouch. You have to be more aware of the need to watch for impaction.

I think that during the hot summer months it's more of a problem because anatomically the testes descend farther down in an attempt to stay cooler, so there is a greater opportunity for the pouch to get filled.  

Personally I think boars make better pets than sows. They have gentler dispositions and don't have the hormonal 'piggy syndrome' that the girls do. But that comes at a price and the price is more intense kind of grooming and hygiene. Still I love the boars. Especially the older ones. They just get like lazy couch potatoes and are more willing to be lap pets.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks!   I just bathed him last week, so I'd prefer to wait a while if possible.  Here's a picture of his oil-covered booty lol.  Please let me know if you think this could be a health hazard for him or his cage mate.  http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq101/charlenecartwright/Guinea%20Pigs/IMAG00
Do you think I should try cleaning off the mess I made with Dawn (just used in that area since I just bathed him) or Goo Gone, if I can find it?  

Also, since I'm here already, I might as well ask: do neutered boars require the same grooming/cleaning?  My other boar is neutered and I don't really notice his smell like I do with the other one, but if I should be cleaning him down there, I want to make sure I'm doing it!  Thanks again for your continued help!

Answer
You don't have to give him an entire bath just to spot clean the backside. But I'd say you did a pretty amazing job of getting that white hair clean.  There shouldn't be any danger of a health hazard for anyone. If you want to soap up just his bum to get the oil off it won't hurt him a bit.

Since the other boar is neutered there probably isn't as much of a problem with the gland or the sac.  You might want to just check it now and then to be sure. The problem with unneutered pigs is anatomical. Since the other one has been 'anatomically altered' it should minimize the problem.