hi, i have two male guinea pigs who i've had for about 7 months now. In summer time when it was warm they'd spend ages in their run outside playing, but now it's winter they can't go outside, and i 've been holding them and handling them more often. I noticed this problem when i got my piggies, but tried to ignore it (especially not to bring it up with my sister, as she didn't want guinea pigs in the first place! : (but they've begun to really smell. It's nothing to do with how hygienic their cage is as i change every week at least. I know they rub their behind on the floor to make a scent and mark their territory in new environments, but i've had them fairly long, and i can't ignore the smell anymore! It stinks, and i'm being put off holding them which is something i don't want to put off, as it's not fair on them. Is their something i can do? when i do hold them, i use a towel to protect my clothes from the smell, but it's very disgusting and i feel bad for not getting them out for as long as i should because of the smell. Poo is another issue! I had the pigs out this morning, and the poor things were literally out for only 5 minutes because with in that time they had made all these horrible smells over the towel and my jumper, and then they start pooing, and it's very off putting and hard for me to look after them, and let them enjoy themselves. what can i do about this? thanks in advance.
Hi Sophie,
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com I have a had a guinea pig before, but mine never did what yours are doing. My only suggestion is to take them to the vet. Sorry not a very interesting comment.
Hope I helped,
Sophie.
Have you had a good look at the feet and nails, they prone to a condition called bumblefoot and that can stink, if so takethem to vets
Take them to vets to make sure that they are ok
I don't know much about it, but I would try to change there bedding about every 3 days, and you may want to try and wash them with Dawn Dish Soap, it has to be the Dawn original (the blue one). I wash my rats and guinea pigs with it, and change there cage every 3-4 days and when I clean their cage I use odor control to clean the bottom before placing new bedding in the cage, you may also have a problem with them both being males, unsure but most male animals mark there area.and when I left mine out to run I lay down newspaper and or an old blanket that can be cleaned or thrown out after wards.
This is a common complaint in male guinea -pigs (boars) and is caused by anal "impaction". When you pick him up, rest your hand gently under his rump so that his testicles are against your skin. In a normal boar, this should feel soft. The pouch is normally coated in a white powdery substance which would smell "foul" if you made an effort to smell it. However, when impacted, this smell would be more pungent, and would be obvious in the vicinity of your boar. The appearance would be darker and you might be able to spot pieces of feces, hair and even shavings.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
You can take a cotton bud soaked in warm water and very gently moisten the lump in a circular motion. Do not pull at the lump as this may hurt the boar. You can also use mineral oil instead of warm water which may work better in severe cases. The lump should gradually loosen and fall out, after which you should wash him with small warm, mildly soapy, water.
To prevent recurrence, you should check your guinea-pig once a week, particularly if you start smelling him again. It is more likely to recur in older boars, where the muscles surrounding the anal cavity are weaker. If there are any signs of impaction starting again, gently cleanse with a cotton bud soaked in warm water.
I would Strongly recommend bringing them to the vet as i could be wrong and the issue may be more serious .. rodents when infected with parasites can become very smelly ... forr peace of mind see a vet ...
plus as there both male and young i would recommend getting them neutered as male guinea pigs will begin to fight and hurt one another as the get older .. only boars from the same litter will live happily together .. just watch out for signs of fighting ie scratches cuts loss of hair
