Swimming

[Misty]

Hi i would like to inform everyone about something that is not good for piggies AT ALL!
Guinea pigs can swim but as they are pets they have no reason to swim. Which means that we should make no reason for them to swim. I have seen a couple of videos of people laughing at a guinea pig swimming. This is not right. I can understand baths and therapy and even put your guinea pig in a bath or sink a couple of inches deep under controlled circumstances like having your hand under it over by it for a minute or two. But these people had them in feet deep pools.

 

[Misty]

Sorry I just don't like it and want to make people aware.

 

[CarnivalPiggy]

Yes, there's a great sticky thread by Wiebke about this in Daily Care, Travel and Climate posted three years ago (Can Guinea Pigs Swim?), and another sticky in the same section a year or so ago after a guinea pig swimming video made the rounds on social media.

All my pigs have never enjoyed 'swimming' (aka bath time, even then they were completely able to stand) there is usually no ledge for the pig to climb on in swimming videos, the pig swims not out of joy but only to keep afloat

 

[gizzy]

Sorry I just don't like it and want to make people aware.

Well said Misty, at best they tolerant being put in water! At worse they are terrified and in danger of heat attack or stroke

 

[VickiA]

You are absolutely right in what you have said. Existing forum members are aware of this, but newer members may not have seen our older posts on the subject, so you are right to point this out.

 

[Freela]

Totally agree. Just because animals 'can' swim doesn't mean that they are enjoying it. Although I have a friend whose pig actually likes the water (for bathtime they fill the tub high enough that he can still touch and he actually popcorns and is very excited in there!) my pigs have all hated water, even though it's only bathtime in a shallow tub with their feet on the ground!