Should I clean my male guinea pig's private parts or do they self-clean?

Thank you for your question about the boys - they are so cute! Your question does not have a completely straightforward answer, unfortunately. Every male is different, and some do a better job at cleaning their grease glands than others. I would recommend cleaning it when you see discoloration around the area on your white piggie, and then when you feel like there is build up. You can clean it gently with a warm, wet washcloth. Alternatively, with castration the grease gland will decrease its production. I hope that helps to answer your question, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

There are many guinea pigs that will urinate (pee) and defecate (poop) where they sleep. I didn't see that you mentioned if there was a particular part of the cage that he goes to the bathroom in (such as inside his hide house, or near his hay pile, etc.) - if there is a common area that seems to be the problem, you can try keeping it clean in those areas to try to help Churchill keep himself cleaner. There are also some guinea pigs that don't keep themselves very clean with grooming on their own - as you mentioned, it can be stressful sometimes for them to get bathed, and starting with a wet cloth is a great idea. Make sure it is soft, does not have any threads or holes that will catch his feet or nails, and that the water is warm (but not too hot). Lastly, if you notice any changes in eating or drinking behaviors, or excessive urination or abnormal colors to the urine, I would recommend taking Churchill into a veterinarian, as guinea pigs can get urinary stones that can make them pee frequently and it often ends up on their bellies.

Thanks for reaching out about Fin and Blackie. This is probably on the rump and is a normal gland on guinea pigs. But the lesions can get infected, or can change with higher fat diets. If guinea pigs are overweight, they sometime have difficulty turning around and self cleaning the gland. A warm wet washcloth with a mild detergent such as Dawn dish soap can be used to clean the glands. If you continue to have problems, seek an examination with a veterinarian. Good luck.

Not normally. Normally, their ears will continually keep clean through natural mechanisms. In cases of a deformed ear, or in certain diseases, the ears may need to be cleaned regularly. Otherwise, there would be no need to clean them and it may actually cause ear problems if they are cleaned when they don't need to be. I hope that helps and all is well with Nala and Stella.

Hello, an otoscope would not be very practical, it's too large to get into a guinea pig's ear and you will not be able to manage to check the teeth with it either (most guinea pigs needs to be under anaesthesia to check the teeth). It's not necessary to clean the ears, external ear infections are rare in guinea pigs, they tend to suffer from middle ear infections but those are not related to the external condition of the ears.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I see a darker area with shorter hairs. If this is just above where Moo's tail would be, it is her grease gland. This is a gland that all guinea pigs have and it releases pheromones and oils to lubricate the hair. It is completely normal. Some guinea pigs can develop issues with their gland, requiring cleaning by their owner. You can gently clean the area with water and a mild shampoo (check your pet store for a product called Malaseb) if it gets too greasy. Definitely have the area checked out by a vet if it appears red or has any discharge. Good luck with Moo!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At least on these pictures, they both look like males. Keep in mind that it is not that easy to determine this based on a picture. This will be easier to determine when they get a bit older as well. Have a great day!