Can Guinea Pigs Swim? Is It Safe?

Guinea pigs make excellent pets. These furry potatoes are cute and have unique personalities, but it is crucial to understand how to keep a guinea pig safe. An important aspect of keeping any animal safe is knowing their swimming capabilities before exposing them to water. This leads many guinea pig owners, and potential owners, to wonder if guinea pigs can swim.

Guinea pigs can swim but they prefer not to. Guinea pigs are poor swimmers, and swimming can quickly lead to drowning due to exhaustion as their bodies are not built for swimming. Additionally, exposure to deep water can lead to other problems, including skin issues, pneumonia, stress, fatigue, and ear infections.

There are several videos online and various other accounts of guinea pigs swimming, but is it safe for these animals to swim, and do they enjoy it? There is much to learn about guinea pigs regarding swimming and how they react in water, so let’s explore the behaviors of piggies in and around water to better understand how to care for them.

How Well Can Guinea Pigs Swim?

A commonly asked question among guinea pig owners and those interested in getting piggies is whether or not guinea pigs can swim well. Several videos online show guinea pigs swimming, and some owners may wonder if this is an activity that their guinea pigs should engage in.

The reality is that guinea pigs can swim, but they do not enjoy it and try to avoid it whenever possible. Generally, videos online show people putting their guinea pigs in water so they have to swim in order to get out. This is much different than the guinea pig willingly getting into deep water to swim on their own.

Guinea pigs are capable of swimming, but their body shape and type are not conducive to swimming, and they often struggle to stay afloat and move around in the water.

If you have seen a video of a guinea pig swimming or seen it in person, you may notice the piggy frantically paddling in the water. This is not a sign that the guinea pig is enjoying the swim, but rather they are trying their best to keep their nose and head above the water and get to a place where they can exit the water.

Guinea pigs do not like swimming as a general rule. They do not like being in the water, and forcing a guinea pig to swim can cause injuries and expose them to serious problems such as diseases, infections, and stress.

A guinea pig should not be made to swim under any circumstances. You can wash a guinea pig in shallow water to keep them clean and healthy, but bathing a guinea pig is very different from making them swim.

When bathing a guinea pig, it’s important to keep the water height no higher than the guinea pig’s belly so they can comfortably keep their head above the water. Avoid getting water in their face or ears to reduce the risk of ear infections.

Is It Safe For Guinea Pigs To Swim?

Guinea pigs can swim if they need to, but it is not an activity that they actively engage in, and they would rather avoid being in the water at all if they can. Guinea pigs can stay afloat and move around in the water for short periods, but intentional swimming is not safe for guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs are not good swimmers, and their bodies are not shaped or equipped well for this activity. This means that swimming uses a lot of energy for guinea pigs, and if they swim for too long, they are likely to succumb to exhaustion and drown.

Swimming is also very stressful for guinea pigs. Piggies do not enjoy being in the water, as they evolved as strictly terrestrial animals in the wild. Exposure to large bodies of water is very unsafe and unnatural to them. Swimming usually places guinea pigs in a state of duress that can cause short and long-term harm.

Guinea pigs are also susceptible to temperature fluctuations. Swimming can quickly disrupt the temperature equilibrium of a guinea pig’s body and make the animal susceptible to various illnesses, such as pneumonia.

Swimming is also known to cause ear infections in guinea pigs and potential skin problems. Guinea pigs are relatively fragile animals, and being subjected to activities and environments they are not equipped for can harm their health.

Swimming cannot be considered safe for guinea pigs, and they should never be forced to do it. In addition to their poor swimming abilities, swimming strips their skin of natural oils, causes exhaustion, stress, and can even cause illnesses like pneumonia or ear infections.

For these reasons, it’s best to keep your guinea pigs out of the water unless they need an occasional bath in shallow water. If this is the case, be sure to dry them off thoroughly afterward and avoid getting any water in their face or ears.

Do Guinea Pigs Swim In The Wild?

If guinea pigs have the ability to swim, do they ever swim in the wild? This is a fair question, as guinea pigs are generally capable of swimming, even though they prefer not to.

However, guinea pigs do not swim in the wild if they can avoid it. Wild guinea pigs dwell in underground burrows and typically only go near water to drink when necessary.

The only occasion when guinea pigs may swim in the wild is to avoid predators. If a guinea pig is forced to swim to save themselves from danger, they may take that option. However, this is quite uncommon.

This means guinea pigs will only swim in the wild as a last resort. These animals will not choose to swim and would rather avoid it whenever possible, even in the wild.

Do Guinea Pigs Like Getting Wet?’

Another common question regarding the behavior of guinea pigs in water is whether or not they like getting wet.

Guinea pigs do not like swimming, and it can be harmful to them. Guinea pigs generally feel unsafe in the water, meaning that most guinea pigs do not generally enjoy baths or getting wet. You may come across the odd guinea pig who seems to enjoy it, and most can come to tolerate it over time, but being in the water is very unnatural for guinea pigs.

Every guinea pig is different, and there are a few individuals that like water more than most. These guinea pigs may enjoy being bathed or splashing in shallow water, but they still do not generally enjoy swimming.

However, most guinea pigs do not like getting wet and will do their best to avoid water if they can.

In Conclusion

Guinea pigs can swim for short periods if necessary, but being forced to swim can cause harm to these animals. Guinea pigs avoid swimming in nature unless evading predators and should not be subject to it as pets.

Swimming can be dangerous for guinea pigs, so it’s crucial that you never put them in water that is deeper than their belly. However, there is nothing wrong with washing your guinea pig in shallow water occasionally when needed, and most guinea pigs can learn to tolerate baths with little stress.