Ideas to help piggy smell?

[Kats.username]

I’m sure many of you have had this similar question before, so I’d appreciate as many ideas as possible!

I take good care of my guinea pigs and I clean the cage every week like I’m supposed to.
It smells fine the day of, but they start getting smelly by the next day.
Any advice on ways to ventilate the smell or get rid of it better?

 

[Pearl and Zip]

An air filter?

 

[VickiA]

Are they boars or sows? How many do you have and What size of cage? What sort of bedding are you using? Sorry to ask so many questions but all can dictate the answers to be given.

 

[Kats.username]

Are they boars or sows? How many do you have and What size of cage? What sort of bedding are you using? Sorry to ask so many questions but all can dictate the answers to be given.

They’re boars.
I have two. I actually built them a cage out of a 60” wide bookshelf, so both cages are about 24 x 60.
They don’t live together because They’ve had problems bonding since they were little. They’re too aggressive towards each other.
Right now they’re on fleece, but I’ll probably be going back to Kaytee bedding here shortly.

 

[VickiA]

I don’t find that fleece smells tbh especially if it’s being changed so frequently. . What do you have underneath the fleece by way of an absorbent layer? Could that be the issue or has wee seeped into the wood? Is the fleece being washed on a hot enough wash to kill the bacteria?
Is it not the bedding but the boars themselves? Boars are big scent markers. When I’ve fostered boars I’ve found them to be whiffy when there’s a change. The more I cleaned the worse it got. My cleaning was prompting them to re- scent mark. So I have left some bedding in the cage unchanged so it still has their scent and that has helped keep them from scent marking with some vigour. Or does someone perhaps have a urine infection? Just throwing lots of thoughts out there.

 

[Kindness]

Is it the cage that smells or the boars? Boars can have their scent glands cleaned and a cage with fleece will only ever stink if it does not dry! This is usually because 1. It's the wrong type of fleece or 2. You have something under it which stays wet and can't dry causing the awful stink. Hope that helps.

 

[cowolter]

Mine only really smell the day or so before I clean their cage. And I've been experimenting with different bedding, and have found that the Carefresh Natural is the best at controlling the odor. But I haven't noticed a skunky smell, mostly just a strong urine smell on the day before and on cleaning day.