Pig Notes

A Better Bottle Brush

Do you find yourself wishing that your bottle brush cleaned your guinea pigs' water bottle just a little bit better?

Our finned friends in Fish Land may have an option you'd like better -- a filter brush. I came across this option purely by accident years ago, when my pet supply store didn't have a critter bottle brush in stock. I bought the brush as a temporary solution and wound up liking it so much that I've stuck with. The one shown here (which is what I have) is the Aquatic Gardens Flexible Twin Head Brush, which retails online for about $3.99.

What I like about the brush is that the bristles don't mash down within the first few uses and, even if they get a little flat, they can be restored simply by running your fingers over them in the opposite direction. The flexible wire coil in between the brush ends makes it easy to twist a brush end around so that you can really scrub at the top and side surfaces of the water bottle, and even in that hard-to-reach spot just inside the bottle's opening.

The brush heads are small enough that you can run them down both ends of the drinking spout for 8-ounce and 16-ounce bottles. They are, however, just a little tight when you try to pull them back out...but I've never had one get stuck.

The brush heads clean quickly under warm or cold running water, and dry quickly as well. Because the brush is 19" long, it can be a little trickier to store than the standard critter bottle brush but its cleaning ability far outweighs this.

You'll be amazed at how much cleaner your critter water bottles can be!

Another Option For Easy Cage Cleaning

Not so long ago, we discussed a number of good cage cleaning products. Judging from our traffic stats, it's proven to be our second most popular post of the last year. Realizing how interested everyone is in this topic, we wanted to add one more that was inadvertently left out of the first roundup.

Critter Fresh is another good enzyme-based cage cleaner and deodorizer that does its job without harsh ingredients and without leaving behind strong fragrances. It can be purchased in 8- and 16-ounce bottles. While it would be nice if this product was sold in spray bottles, it's a nitpicky point and certainly not enough to dissuade future purchases.

Easily found online, it's a product you'll have better luck finding at independent bricks-and-mortar pet supply stores than at the big chains.

Odor Control For Critter Cages

Ah...mid-summer. The temperature climb high -- and stay there. The air conditioners get turned on -- and stay on. We and our critters drink more and more water to keep our skin from feeling dried out and itchy, keep our mouths and throats from feeling parched.

And so we drink...and drink...and drink. And, well, what goes in must come out. As our critters drink more, even the most diligently maintained cages can develop a faint odor. Having good cleaning supplies when you're changing bedding is one way to keep ahead of the situation. Having a good odor control product under the bedding is another, especially if you have multiple critters.

Ammo-Litter, from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, is one such odor control product. Fragrance-free, chemical-free, and non-toxic, Ammo-Litter's granules absorb ammonia smells before they have a chance to become airborne. Sprinkle one cup (more or less, depending on the number of critters you have and how big they are) over the cage bottom before putting down a layer of whatever bedding material you use. No matter how much your critters scamper around, the granules stay under the bedding, doing their job.

(I have seen a number of other deodorizing products, but am leery [and so is my vet] of products that are sprayed or sprinkled on top of bedding. Nature's Miracle Litter Treatment can be dusted on the cage floor under the bedding, but it has a scent of its own that I wasn't wild about.) 

I've had no trouble finding Ammo-Litter at independent pet supply stores (like Pet Super-bowl in Stratford, CT), but have yet to see it at any of the big chains. It is easily found through online retailers, and the number of pet sites carrying it has grown in the last few months.

Easy Cage Cleaning

Okay, I admit it...our critters' cages can be effectively cleaned with a vinegar-and-water solution. But I hate the smell of vinegar, both when it's first been used and a day or two later when my nose still picks up on the faint residual smell.

If you can stand the smell, vinegar-and-water solutions are the perfect budget-conscious cleaning option. If you don't have a hyper-sensitive sense of smell, the vinegar odor dissipates quickly enough to suit people whose noses are not so easily offended.

For the rest of us, there are other options. For me, when I have time to drag the cage off to the tub, baby shampoo, hot water, and a scrubby sponge (for good measure) is as clean as clean gets. When I don't have time, but want to make sure I've given the cage a good wipe-down, I've found a couple of favorites:

Nature's Miracle has been putting out a quality enzyme liquid cleaner for several years now. They've recently added Deodorizing Cage Wipes to their product line. Moist enough to grab at dust and particles without leaving the cage surface dripping wet, these wipes also feature a side that's slightly scrubby (not as good as my scrubby sponge, but it will do). If you use a bedding that leaves a lot of dust behind it might take a couple of these wipes to pick everything up, but a dispenser should last you a couple of months. It's readily available in most pet supply stores and online retailers.

Super Pet makes its Clean Cage products in a spray and a wipe. Like the Nature's Miracle products, these products have a mild scent, but it's neither overbearing nor unpleasant (and dissipates faster than vinegar). Both easily found online, sometimes even being sold as "kits," the spray seems to be more prevalent on store shelves than the wipes.

What have you found that works?

Why Water Bottles Need Frequent Cleaning

In my first posting on this topic, Tammy asked why our critters' water needs to be changed daily, and why water bottles need to be cleaned so frequently.

They're good questions, and I'll answer both below.

• Every time a guinea pig (or any small animal) drinks from its water bottle, some food debris gets into the drinking spout. If you have a guinea pig who drinks a lot, if you have several guinea pigs sharing a water bottle, or if you have guinea pigs who habitually drink before they finish a mouthful of food, you're bound to find debris in the drinking spout. The more debris that gets in the spout, the more that gets up into the water bottle. The more debris that gets in the spout, the greater the risk that the metal ball inside it will get jammed and prohibit water flow.
• Bacteria builds up in the drinking spout just from normal use, and the bacteria that forms in the food debris just adds to it. The bacteria also gets pushed up inside the water bottle. Eventually, the bacteria gets in your guinea pig when it drinks.
• If you live in an area with hard water, deposits from the water build up in the drinking spout and the water bottle. Those deposits will give even fresh water an unpleasant taste, thereby causing your critter to drink less (or perhaps not at all). Over time, the hard water deposits in the drinking spout will cause the metal ball to get jammed and prohibit water flow. (If you live in area with hard water, we recommend giving your animals bottled water.)

While soaking the components of your water bottle in very hot water will remove some junk, I've found that nothing replaces a good scrubbing-down with brushes and cotton swabs.

Cleaning Water Bottles

How often do you need to clean water bottles?

This question was posed by Ellen (one of this blog’s readers) before the holidays, and it’s a good one. Cindy tells adopters to thoroughly clean water bottles every other day, and it was my rule of thumb for years before I met her. It’s also a rule of thumb I’ve modified a bit for those who have guinea pigs who get more food debris (I call it “backwash”) than normal into their water bottles.

Daily

1. Empty what water is left from the day before.
2. Quickly rinse out the bottle with warm water.
3. Wipe the outside of the drinking spout under running warm water.
4. Fill the bottle with fresh water.

Every other day

1. Empty what water is left from the day before.
2. Thoroughly clean the inside of the bottle with hot water and a bottle brush. (Don’t use soap because it leaves a residue that will affect the taste of water and cause your guinea pigs to drink less, or not at all. Hot water and a good brush will do the job.)
3. Take out the colored plastic ball that serves as a water level indicator and rinse in hot water, lightly rubbing it to remove any buildup.
4. Remove the rubber ring inside the bottle cap and rinse in hot water, lightly rubbing it to remove any buildup.
5. Clean the inside of the cap with hot water and cotton swabs. (Swabs get in the tight spaces better than even the smallest bottle brushes.) Run a clean swab down the top of the drinking spout.
6. Turn the cap around and run a clean swab down the other end of the drinking spout. If this is the first time you’ve ever cleaned the spout, or if you’ve been cleaning it with a small brush, use several swabs. Once you get into a routine, you’ll likely only need to use one each time.
7. Rinse the entire cap again in hot water.
8. Put the rubber ring back into the cap.
9. Fill the bottle with fresh water, and put the cap securely back on.
10. Make sure the metal ball in the drinking spout is working properly by either giving the bottle a couple of shakes or tapping your finger at the end of the spout until water comes out.

Following this routine will keep your critters’ water and water bottle crystal clear.

Cleaning Cages

How often do you clean your guinea pig cage?

In recent weeks, we've had quite a few opportunities to teach new owners, or correct existing ones, on how often to clean their guinea pigs' cage. In too many cases, the cages weren't being cleaned nearly enough for the number of pigs that were in them. So we offer the following...

1 guinea pig in the cage

• Daily spot cleaning to remove very messy/wet spots and fill in with new bedding.
• Minimum 1 full cage cleaning a week (dump out all the bedding, clean/wash the cage, fill cage with new bedding).

2 guinea pigs in the cage

• Daily spot cleaning to remove very messy/wet spots and fill in with new bedding.
• Minimum 2 full cage cleanings a week (dump out all the bedding, clean/wash the cage, fill cage with new bedding).

3+ guinea pigs in the cage

• Daily spot cleaning to remove very messy/wet spots and fill in with new bedding.
• Minimum 2 to 3 full cage cleanings a week (dump out all the bedding, clean/wash the cage, fill cage with new bedding)

Know, however, that there are several factors that will require you to increase the frequency of the full cage cleanings. To begin with, if you're treating your guinea pigs for mites or lice, you'll want to increase the frequency of full cage cleanings for the duration of the treatment. 

Pigs who routinely drink a lot of water will, naturally, pee a lot. Pigs who eat a lot will, naturally, poop a lot. In these cases, you'll inevitably find during the week that there will be a day where there's so many messy/wet spots that you'd just be ahead to dump out all the bedding and put all new bedding in instead of simply spot cleaning.

Your guinea pigs' cage may be messier certain times of the year than others, depending upon how much they're drinking. Warmer weather (cool enough still for fans, not warm enough yet for air conditioning), prolonged periods in air conditioning (such as during heat waves), and indoor heating during the winter months will all lead to your guinea pigs feeling a bit "dry" and needing to drink more than usual. It's not uncommon for owners to have to go through a little extra bedding in July and August and/or January and February than they do any other time in the year.

The above guidelines will likely increase the amount of bedding you buy and use every week. Understandably your initial inclination -- especially if you're a CareFresh user -- may be to choke over what you'll spend a week. But even if you total up the increase for the whole year, it will still be cheaper than the costs that will ensue...

• vet visits
• medication
• driving time and gas
• time to administer treatments
• the stress on your pig
• the anxiety that comes from worrying about your sick pig

...if they develop skin infections, respiratory infections, or other bacterial infections as a result of being in poorly maintained cages.

If you think the bedding you're currently using isn't working as hard for you and your pigs as you think it should, check out our list for some options.