How often should I clean my male guinea pig's grease glands?

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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Guinea pigs should clean and groom themselves, so you do not need to try to clean them! Especially if you have multiple pigs, they may clean each other. I hope this is helpful!

The picture is very difficult to tell. However, Dawn is very safe to use on your guinea pig. The most important part is to make sure to rinse really well. If there is any redness, crusting, or sores then he should be evaluated by a veterinarian soon. Best of luck and I hope he does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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!

Hello, and thank you for your question! Not all rabbits need to have their scent glands cleaned, as a lot of bunnies do a pretty good job by themselves. However, you can check by gently supporting Willow on his back on your lap, and inspecting on either side of his anus. If there is a large buildup of dark wax, you can use a moistened Q-tip to gently scoop out the wax. I would recommend having a vet demonstrate this to you first if you haven't done it before. In general, I would check his glands about once a month, and only clean them if they are full. I hope this helps, and that Willow is doing well!

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.