1st nail trim!

[ThatPurpleB]

Just gave my girls their 1st nail trim! I normally take them to the vet where they scream and try to bite the vet, behaviour very unlike them. They find it very stressful bless them. So I've been trying to suck up the courage to do it myself.

I managed to do it yesterday and it was a great success. No screaming and biting and even limited wiggling. It's as if they understood I was trying to help and it was either me or the vet. I only caught one quick and only very slightly, I had that weird yellow powder to put on it to be safe.

Anyway, I only took a tiny bit off each claw as between them there are 4 black paws and 1 very dark brown paw so cant see the quick. Even with a light I cant see it.

Seen as they sit well for nail clipping I'm going to do the little and often approach. I know every piggie is different but if I only take off a milimeter or 2 each time how often roughly should I be cutting? They're around 2 years old now so was thinking once a month from what I've read. Does this sound OK?

Thanks.

 

[Black piggies]

Just gave my girls their 1st nail trim! I normally take them to the vet where they scream and try to bite the vet, behaviour very unlike them. They find it very stressful bless them. So I've been trying to suck up the courage to do it myself.

I managed to do it yesterday and it was a great success. No screaming and biting and even limited wiggling. It's as if they understood I was trying to help and it was either me or the vet. I only caught one quick and only very slightly, I had that weird yellow powder to put on it to be safe.

Anyway, I only took a tiny bit off each claw as between them there are 4 black paws and 1 very dark brown paw so cant see the quick. Even with a light I cant see it.

Seen as they sit well for nail clipping I'm going to do the little and often approach. I know every piggie is different but if I only take off a milimeter or 2 each time how often roughly should I be cutting? They're around 2 years old now so was thinking once a month from what I've read. Does this sound OK?

Thanks.

That sounds perfect. I'm on my sixth black piggy and can't see the quick with a light. Very little and often is my strategy too!

 

[Merab]

Well done.
I always have a dish of cornflour at hand when I trim nails. Phoebe is a terrible wriggler and almost always ends up getting nicked!
Sounds as if I might need to bring my lot over for you

 

[ThatPurpleB]

Well done.
I always have a dish of cornflour at hand when I trim nails. Phoebe is a terrible wriggler and almost always ends up getting nicked!
Sounds as if I might need to bring my lot over for you

cutting 8 paws of nails is enough! I think I got lucky that food is an effective distraction to our lively pig. The other is so placid I could do anything with her. I've fallen very lucky with my two!

 

[PigglePuggle]

Time to cut really depends on the piggy and the way the nails grow, my black nail crew (Ollie who has gorgeous dark charcoal paws and thick black curly nails with freaky long toes inside) and his lovely chocolate hippo wife Tallulah get nail trims every 10 weeks because I just cant cope with accidentally cutting their precious toes! But if I see a longer one catching or making the foot splay out I do that sooner. My pink nail crew get trims every 6 to 8 weeks generally, but my old ladies with nasty nails usually get something done monthly.
I used to try do 8 pigs/32 paws/112 nails in one day but now I do old ladies one weekend, 3 year old wriggly pink nails crew x4 another weekend, then the darkside paw couple a different weekend. Otherwise my hands are shaking too much lol

 

[Freela]

Dark nails are harder to cut than clear ones... after a long period of time with only white-footed piggies, we now have a piggie who has about 50% black nails and I forgot how challenging it is! Cutting small amounts often is probably the best way to go.

Weirdly, our new pig, Tomie, likes sitting propped up on our laps and we can just trim her nails like that and she barely even notices. Most of my pigs have been quite challenging to cut, so this is a nice surprise!

Here is Tomie sitting in "Come get my nails mom!" position! LOL!