Skinny Pigs: A Beginner's Guide

What Are Skinny Pigs?

Skinny Pigs are a breed of guinea pig that are almost completely hairless, most have hair on their nose/face and their feet/legs but some have a very thin layer of hair on their back. Despite being hairless, they're pretty much the same as normal guinea pigs apart from a few minor things.

Temperature

Firstly, skinnys generally eat more than haired guinea pigs in order to maintain their body temperature. To the touch, skinny pigs feel very warm because of the lack of fur to insulate them.

Peppa sitting on her 'Snuggle safe' heat pad

Skinny pigs must be housed inside! If kept outside they can die of the cold in a matter of hours.
As a general rule for skinnys living inside, if you're wearing a t-shirt and its too cold for you, it's too cold for them and they will need a blanket or some kind of pet-safe heat pad to keep them warm.

Skincare

Skinnys do need to be bathed as they get dirty just like any other guinea pig breed, however, over bathing them can dry out their skin and cause it to crack. Bathing skinny pigs is easy, you need warm water and a guinea pig shampoo is optional, I use a non-irritant small animal shampoo in shallow warm water and clean my skinny using cotton wool pads to avoid splashing water over her face and ears.
 It's a very good idea to keep your skinny moisturised and many owners choose to use coconut oil to do this. Some people use baby lotion but this can be dangerous as guinea pigs groom themselves and the chemicals used in baby lotion may be potentially damaging to them if consumed. Personally, I find a small amount of olive oil, applied once a week, works really well in keeping my skinny's skin looking healthy and well moisturised.
Along with bathing, you will need to check their skin daily for any signs of injury or irritation as they have no fur to protect themselves and everyday injuries can occur easily, such as being scratched by their feeding hay etc. It's also important that if you're using sawdust as a bedding for your skinny, you make sure it is dust extracted because if not, it can irritate their skin.


Skinny Pig bath time

Social life


Skinnys, like most guinea pigs, can be very loving creatures and they're easily tamed with everyday handling and treats. Like any other guinea pig, they are incredibly social animals and love the company of other piggies, aswell as humans. They are good family pets but I wouldn't recommend them for small children due to the extra care they require.

Breeding
Breeding skinny pigs is not recommended for breeding novices. Breeding guinea pigs is fairly high-risk and unless you have experience, breeding skinnys is probably not a good idea.
Skinnys come in many different colours, just like haired guinea pigs!!

Lastly, it's important to note that not all hairless guinea pigs are "skinny pigs". The 2 breeds of hairless guinea pig are the Skinny Pig and the Baldwin guinea pig.  Baldwin guinea pigs are completely hairless but are born with hair which will fall out not long after birth, whereas skinnys may gain a small amount of hair around their face as they develop.