Brushing your guinea pig is essential not just for his good health - it also provides an excellent opportunity for you to bond with him. Your guinea pig will appreciate the extra attention he gets when you brush him, and he will benefit from having loose hair removed, especially during the times each year when he sheds his coat. Guinea pigs, especially long-haired varieties, shed quite a lot, so brushing helps reduce hairball problems, as well as giving you an excellent opportunity to check his fur and skin for any unusual lumps, cuts or other abnormalities.

The frequency and extent to which you'll need to brush your guinea pig will depend primarily on whether he's a short-haired or long-haired variety. Short-haired guinea pigs don't need to be brushed more than about once a week, while the long-haired variety should be brushed two or three times a week. Of course, the more frequently you brush your guinea pig, no matter what kind he is, the better he'll be for it. When brushing your guinea pig, you should also carefully check him over for the presence of lice, which can be somewhat difficult to see. Lice are brownish-gray in color and shaped like tiny worms; they crawl through the hair, close to the skin.

Tools you'll need:

• Wide-toothed comb
• Brush

If You Have a Short-Haired Guinea Pig

Your short-haired guinea pig should be brushed about once a week with a stiff brush. This will eliminate any loose dirt and will also keep his fur from getting matted.

Brushing techniques for short-haired guinea pigs:

1. Always brush your guinea pig's hair in the direction in which it grows.
2. Start at his head and brush backward toward his neck.
3. Next, do his back, followed by his front legs, then his rear legs.
4. Continue by brushing his belly and finish the job with the underside of his neck.

If You Have a Long-Haired Guinea Pig

You'll need to brush your long-haired guinea pig two or three times a week; the more often, the better.

1. Start by doing an overall "finger brushing" using the tips of your fingers to gently smooth the fur and check for any tangles. Gently work through any tangles with your fingertips to loosen them.
2. Next, using a wide-tooth comb, comb through his fur, gently untangling any mats and being careful not to pull his fur.
3. Always comb your guinea pig in the direction that his fur grows.
4. Start at his head and comb backward toward his neck.
5. Next, comb his back, followed by his front legs, then his rear legs.
6. Continue with his belly and finish the job by combing the underside of your guinea pig's neck.
7. After combing through the fur, switch to your brush and go over the various parts of his body again.
8. You may also want to help your long-haired guinea pig stay well groomed by trimming his fur periodically. This will keep him from stepping on his hair and getting it tangled or dirty.