Maintaining your guinea pig's appearance is not as much of a headache as compared to other pets. Some dog and cat owners reportedly spend hundreds of dollars a month keeping their pets in the latest pet-fashions, on trips to the groomer and on 'beauty products' for maintenance at home. You'll never hear these stories from guinea pig owners. But guinea pigs still need to be cleaned and maintained nevertheless.

Taking care of the physical aspect of your guinea pigs is more than just for vanity's sake. They are actually essential for their well-being and health. Please be guided by the following tips on maintaining your guinea pigs' appearance.

First, always make sure that you give your little friends manicures and pedicures. Even if they are 'ladies', trust me, they will not benefit from having long nails. It will only give them a lot of discomfort. That is why you will commonly see cages filled with objects having rough surfaces on which they can scratch their nails with. They act like nail files, keeping the size of their nails at a manageable length.

The quick is a blood vessel in guinea pig-speak. They are very vulnerable to injury and bleeding because they are located near the nail bed. Carefully trim your guinea pigs' nails above these vessels, especially if they have opaque nails.

Even if you are extremely careful, you might be unable to avoid the bloodbath if your pet has black nails. So keep iodine handy. Get someone to assist you as well. You can take turns with someone holding your pet still while the other cuts the nails. You can also place your pet on top of a tennis racket so that his movements will be suppressed by the strings.

Guinea pigs don't need toothbrushes or toothpaste. But their teeth have to be controlled in size, or else they will not be able to shut their mouths properly. Look out for cracks, chips and missing teeth in his mouth as well, and send him to the vet right away should you see anything wrong.

Brush your guinea pig's mane gently with a natural-bristled brush. Only use metal brushes for long-haired guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs will actually be prone to more sicknesses if you keep giving them baths, so avoid this until you can't stand seeing or smelling them like that. Be gentle when bathing them and avoid harsh ingredients in shampoos and liquid soaps.

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Written by Cary Nelson using tags: guinea pig grooming, Pets