Should I clean guinea pig ears, use otoscope, or wash grease gland?

As long as he isn't shaking his head or scratching at the ear excessively, you can use a cotton swab dipped in mineral oil to gently clean the outer ear. Never insert anything down into the ear canal. Check and clean the ears once weekly. If he begins to scratch or shake, have him examined by your vet to diagnose and treat possible ear infection.

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.

Have it examined by your veterinarian. A swab of the ear can be examined in the clinic to confirm infection as well as the type (bacterial, fungal or mites). Once this is done, the appropriate medication or treatment can be administered or dispensed.

I would assume your sister meant an ear infection inside the ear, but I cannot be sure without seeing it. The best thing to do is take in your pet to your veterinarian-ear infections will require prescription antibiotics to clear up, and can become quite serious and painful for Fluff if it isn't treated soon and properly. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your question about Oreo. Dry skin on the ears of guinea pigs is very common, and you may also see flaking of brown debris from within their ears as well. This flaking is their normal cerumen (ear wax) and it just tends to be brown to black in color, depending on the color of your guinea pig. For the dryness, I am not sure why you are seeing it only on one ear - sometimes if one ear is black (or dark in color) and one is white (or light in color) that it is easier to see the dry skin on one versus the other. To help with the dryness, you can rub a small amount of Aquaphor ointment on the ear. This medication is used for eczema in humans and can help hold in moisture. Apply it very sparingly, and if Oreo is bothered by it at all, I would recommend discontinuing it. Less commonly, guinea pigs can get skin infections of their ears. If you see that the flaky skin becomes crusty, red, swollen, has a smell, or if Oreo is bothered by the ear, I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian. They would be able to evaluate the ear and may take samples of the skin surface to look at under the microscope. If they determine it is an infection, they can prescribe treatments such as antibiotics and pain medications. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck with your new pet!

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.

I am sorry to hear about your guinea pig! I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian. If some of his skin is torn or hanging, it could be painful and a source of infection. I would also want to examine inside his ear and the skin around his ear to see if tehre is a reason why he might have been itching at the ear. I would also recommend check the cage/bowls/etc. for areas that could be sharp/could cause injury.