Just for boars

Whilst bathing is part of the monthly routine for both genders there are certain routines that are unique to boars- due to their anatomy.

Bath time is the best time for inspection to ensure all is well in this department, though more regular checks are advisable.

Impaction

A daily check when guinea is held should tell if he has devoloped Impaction. Get used to holding him around the anal area to establish what ‘normal’ feels like. Impaction will present as a hard lump and can be expelled and fed back to guinea. Impaction can be described as a blockage and can happen to young and old, but is more common in older guineas.

All guineas reingest their ‘soft’ pellets so it is important that when expelling these they are not discarded but are fed back to guinea. He will readily eat any soft pellets and naturally select to leave any that are not!

It is important to clear the blockage regularly (at least daily, usually) by gently pushing down on the anus and easing the ‘lump’ out. The lump (if soft pellets) will resemble unformed/badly formed, softer than normal, pellets. Occasionally hard pellets will be ‘bound up’ in the mass too, guinea will not reingest these.

Sometimes muscles will ‘slacken’ with age and normal formed pellets will be excreted more than one at a time, this is normal but see your vet if you are at concerned.

The Perineal Sac

The Perineal Sac is a place that debris/rubbish etc collects and needs cleaning on a regular basis (bath time is good) no matter guineas age or condition. Everything (almost) from hay to Medibed and anything else that a boar might encounter is a candidate for becoming Perineal Debris!

Swarfega is a good medium for washing around the outside of the Perineal Sac, to wash the inside (after removing debris) it can be opened and flushed with warm warm water, hold guinea in a vertical position under the shower tap and the Sac slightly opened so that ‘flushing’ can happen. Make sure that water is neither hot nor cold but warm on when tested on your wrist, the flow should be slow as opposed to fast to prevent tearing folds of skin. For extremely dirty Sacs take your guinea to a guinea pig competent vet for help, this is an extremely delicate area.

Cleaning the Penis.

The Penis is the most delicate cleaning you may have to do regarding guinea pigs. Do not attempt to do this if you are not confident holding your boar. Get someone (eg your vet/rescue) to show you how to do this. Firstly the penis needs extracting by pressing down gently either side of the ‘genital area’ and carefully extract the penis.  There will be a white/grey material called Smegma that should be washed off using warm water and some lather from Gorgeous Guineas  shampoo if needed. Do not apply shampoo directly to the area. This should be done with incredible care,  for guinea pigs that have a build up of debris on the Penis seek advice and help.

Any sores or raw skin that is discovered mean a visit to the vet for advice and possibly antibiotic cream to ensure that infection doesn’t set in.

Frequency of cleaning varies from boar to boar. Get to know how often your boar needs cleaning.  This is a necessary part of keeping boars but should not be undertaken if you are at all unsure of what to do, instead get someone to show you or do it for you- but done it must be.

A Cauliflower Willy might only be better described as a Frilly Willy. Cauliflower Willys come in all ‘shapes’ and ‘sizes’ and are frilly to different degrees. Whilst the genital opening in a ‘normal’ boar is neat and ‘clean’ a Cauliflower Willy consists of folds of skin around the ‘head’ to varying degrees. Cauliflower Willy is more difficult to keep clean (though not difficult) and the Penis is sometimes visible meaning cleanliness is extra specially important.

Grease Glands

Grease glands are not exclusive to boars, though are, for the most part, more active in boars. Regular degreasing should be part of your boars routine. Swarfega is an excallent product to use. Made for removing grease from Human hands it does the job well on guinea’s grease glands too. Wet guinea all over, apply Swarfega to grease gland area (base of what would be where the tail is), over the next three minutes or so you will feel the grease breaking down as you massage the Swarfega into guinea’s coat that surrounds the gland. After approx. 4 minutes rinse the coat and surrounding areas well. This is an important stage of bathing because a dirty grease gland will attract mites and mites mean irritation and a visit to your vet…

Swarfega can be purchased from Halfords stores and similar.

Castrated Boars

Newly castrated boars should not be bathed until wounds are fully healed. A bath the day before surgery will ensure they are clean to be operated on and won’t be needing a bath when their wound may be present.

Even after the wounds from the operation have healed regular inspections of the site should be made. When your boar comes home familiarise yourself with how he should feel so that you will recognise anything alien. Sometimes abscesses can develop in boars months after the operation. These are easily dealt with by a guinea pig competent vet. The first signs of these abscesses are  the  emergence of a hardened area. Abscesses must be seen by a guinea pig competent vet as they contain toxic material that could do a lot of harm if it got into the bloodstream.

Just For Boars Shampoo

Gorgeous Guineas created a shampoo especially with boars in mind. It was originally used on Marbles who had some minor skin trouble while he was being fostered, Just For Boars conditions his skin and cleans his coat leaving him with the woody aroma of Cedarwood and Sandalwood.

Black Roan

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