Although guinea pigs do not need frequent bathing, a few times a year can happen, especially when they are too dirty.
But I noticed that my guinea pig vibrates after a bath, so I did some research to find out the reasons for this behavior.
Why do guinea pigs vibrate after a bath?
Guinea pigs vibrate after a bath if they are cold, or if they are scared and stressed. They can vibrate after bathing and if they are sick at that moment.
That’s why in today’s article I will present to you all the reasons why guinea pigs vibrate after bathing, how to prevent vibration, and similar questions related to the topic.
Why do guinea pigs vibrate after a bath?
Guinea pigs vibrate after bathing for various reasons such as fear, stress, and when they are cold, or if they have an illness.
Guinea pigs are very sensitive animals, and it doesn’t take much for them to start vibrating after a bath.
They are not used to rapid temperature changes and therefore may vibrate after bathing. However, unless they are sick, vibrating in the bath shouldn’t worry you too much.
So let’s look at all the reasons in more detail so you know what to do if the same scenario happens to you with your pet.
Guinea pigs vibrate after bathing if they are frightened
Guinea pigs are very sensitive animals, so it doesn’t take much for them to be scared of bathing.
In nature, guinea pigs are mostly prey animals, they are often exposed to attacks by predators, and therefore even the smallest change in the environment is a potential danger for them.
Bathing is one of those changes that can make guinea pigs nervous and start to vibrate after a bath.
Guinea pigs do not need bathing, they generally don’t bathe very often in nature, because they clean themselves and they do it very successfully.
Therefore, they are not used to bathing and it can be stressful for them and they can be scared.
When the guinea pigs are afraid of bathing, they may not only vibrate but also show other signs, mostly they hiss sounds of displeasure with quick vocalizations.
When guinea pigs are scared and anxious about bathing they will also start to:
- they chatter their teeth
- they won’t want to move
- they will be nervous
- they will be congested
- they may even start biting you
It can happen sometimes that guinea pigs are not afraid of bathing, but are afraid of some other reason in the room itself.
For example, if they have other pets like cats in the same room during bath time, then this can be the reason for them to start vibrating.
If there are children near the guinea pig during the bath that will be loud or a lot of noise and loud talking and these can be reasons for vibrating after the bath.
That’s why when you bathe the guinea pig, you should do it in a quiet atmosphere to help him be calm and not afraid.
When guinea pigs are sick they vibrate after bathing
When guinea pigs are sick they will vibrate after bathing. Guinea pigs are quite hardy animals, but when they are sick then the situation changes.
The most common diseases in guinea pigs are respiratory infections, or bacterial infections that threaten their health and the guinea pigs will vibrate after bathing.
Diarrhea is another possible disease that can cause guinea pigs to vibrate after bathing. Diarrhea is a very dangerous disease that if not treated immediately can cause death in your pet.
If the guinea pig has parasites such as lice or fleas they will sense them and start to shake and vibrate.
Mites are very difficult to notice with the naked eye, but if you notice that your pet constantly itches in addition to vibrating, then there are probably mites.
In such situations, you should take your pet to the vet to help him, because bathing will not help.
Guinea pigs vibrate when bathing in different moods
Sometimes when guinea pigs vibrate after bathing, it does not necessarily mean that they are sick, they may do it when their mood changes.
Your pet may vibrate because it is happy while taking a bath, make popcorn, rub its nose on you, and similar signs that indicate that it is nice.
But, your pet may vibrate during the bath and start making noises of protest and wants to tell you that he does not like and does not want to be bathed.
That’s why you need to know your pet better to know if he vibrates with joy or because he doesn’t like the bath.
Guinea pigs vibrate after bathing if they are cold
Usually, guinea pigs vibrate after bathing because they are cold. Guinea pigs are cold when you bathe them because they are not adapted to rapid temperature changes in their environment and therefore vibrate after bathing.
In nature, they usually live in underground tunnels and are protected from cold temperatures.
When a guinea pig is cold after a bath, it makes sounds to let us know that it is not comfortable and starts to vibrate.
That’s why you need to dry your pets as quickly as possible after a bath so that they stop vibrating.
For this purpose, you can use a dry towel or a hair dryer on low mode, which will dry the guinea pig the fastest and it will stop vibrating.
When bathing the guinea pig, pay attention to the temperature in your home, it should be between 65-75 Fahrenheit so that your pet does not catch a cold.
It is best to avoid bathing the guinea pigs, except when it is very dirty, which happens very rarely.
Read more: How to Bathe a Guinea Pigs? Complete Guide
Frequently asked questions
Do guinea pigs feel better after a bath?
Guinea pigs may feel better after a bath than when they dry off. But bathing has another side, which is that frequent bathing removes the natural oils from their skin.
Why is my guinea pig vibrating and licking me?
Guinea pigs vibrate and lick you, which means they like you and so they try to groom you by licking. But sometimes when guinea pigs lick you, it can be because of the salty taste of your skin.
Is it OK if guinea pigs get wet?
It is not good for guinea pigs to be wet for a long time, they come from South America and are not used to being wet. If they are wet for a long time and if they are cold they can get hypothermia and have fatal consequences and die.
Conclusion
The most common reason guinea pigs vibrate after a bath is because they are cold.
Sometimes there can be other reasons for this behavior of guinea pigs, such as fear, illness, or when they simply have no desire and do not want to bathe.
Guinea pigs clean themselves, so for them, bathing is a bit of an unusual activity and they don’t like it when you bathe them.
In any case, there is no need to worry too much when guinea pigs vibrate after bathing, except when they are sick and you need to take them to the vet.
Read more: Do Guinea Pigs Like Sand Baths?
