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My guinea pig won't stop scratching. Could its bedding be the problem?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Unknown - Small Animal | Male

Can bedding make a guinea pig itch?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Elva Ma DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 2nd, 2018

Hello, and thank you for your question. It is possible for bedding to cause itchiness if the pet is allergic to the material, or if the bag of litter carried parasites such as mites. I would suggest using a paper-based bedding such as Care Fresh: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/carefresh-natural-pet-bedding It may also be a good idea to swap out the bag of bedding altogether for a new one, and thoroughly disinfect the cage with soap and water in case of parasites. Of course, the itchiness could also be unrelated to the bedding, so if the itchiness does not improve after making these changes, I would recommend visiting your veterinarian for a further workup. They may perform a skin scraping and provide medication if they suspect a bacterial infection. I hope this helps, and that Robert feels better soon!

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