bathing your guinea pig

Question
Hi Jules,
just so you know i am giving my guinea pigs different variations of food and they are eating all of it! especialy lick the juices of the fruits! so thank you for telling me the different thing that guinea pigs eat!
my question is:
i am going to bath my guinea pigs in the summer when it is warmer(so they wont get cold afterwards), but i dont know
1.what type of shampoo to use
2.what to use (e.g how many bowls of water to use,towls)
3.if i need to use any brushes, to clear the dandruff off of them
4.how deep the water is going to be, warm or cool, how long to put them in the water.
if you know the answers to any of  the questions could you help me pelase?
thanks Catherine
xx

Answer
Hi Catherine,

I'm glad to hear that your Guinea Pigs are eating and enjoying their different variations of food.

You can either get a small animal shampoo from the pet store or use baby shampoo. Either one will get them clean and both are mild enough to use on them.

Your going to need about five towels per Guinea Pig or 3 beach towels per Guinea Pig. The first two towels get soaked really quick, and once the others get damp your going to need to change to a dry towel.

Brushing them out after they are dry is a good idea. To clear the dandruff and it is easier to get all the loose hair out after a bath. So shedding is cut down in half after baths.  

Just fill up the bath tub with warm water like a baby's bath water. The water should come up half way up their sides, this the right depth for them. Place a small towel on the bottom of the tub so they don't go slipping around.

They only need to be in the water long enough for you to get them wet, shampoo them and wash the shampoo off them. Use a small plastic cup to pour water over them, watch out for their eyes, ears and nose when pouring water over them. Just get them wet as far as a little pit behind their ears. When shampooing them make sure not to wash the head.

After the bath make sure to dry them, once they are damp and close to dry you can place them outside in the afternoon sun to finish drying and enjoy a little snack of grass.

Remember that some Guinea Pigs love water and will behave themselves in the bath. While other absolutely hate the water and will give you trouble in the tub. I have one that loves the water and is so easy to bathe, while my other one hates it and is a trouble maker in when it comes to bath time.

Take care now and good luck to you,
                      Jules