Any risks to being bitten?

[Black piggies]

I got my boar a year ago and when I put him on my lap he went mad, biting chunks out of me, I think he'd had a bad time before we got him. In the past year he's become pattable and a lot happier, but I've never picked him up. The vet has to wrap him in a towel to do his nails unlike the other pigs. I feel I have to bite the bullet and try to do his nails myself but I expect to get attacked again! Are there any health issues with being bitten?

 

[sport_billy]

As with anything that breaks your skin there is a small risk of infection

Please have a read of this link here on way to pick piggies up to take stress out of it for them and you. He is biting because he is scared How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

I would advise letting the vet do his nails still as they can obviously do it quicker than you. But if you do want to try maybe o it as a two person job, someone holds piggy and distracts with food while someone clips carefully

We used to have a 'big bitey pig' called Vimto - I used to get actual snaps off Vimto and she would draw blood too
She was just a very scared piggie and felt vulnerable on laps, she didn't appear frightened on my lap as didnt freeze (but obviously was) but she was confident enough with me not just to freeze and it was here way of saying 'please put me home i don't like this' by biting me hard. We worked at it and would take her out for 30 seconds then pop here home, we did this 3 times a week for around a month then slowly increased it up to 5 mins via 30 second increments . Each lap session she'd have a sprig of coriander. It took us 6-8 months before she stopped biting and she would happily chill on laps for a while but not for too long We would never let anyone else have Vimto on there lap in case she wanted to taste the forbidden flesh once more

 

[Black piggies]

As with anything that breaks your skin there is a small risk of infection

Please have a read of this link here on way to pick piggies up to take stress out of it for them and you. He is biting because he is scared How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

I would advise letting the vet do his nails still as they can obviously do it quicker than you. But if you do want to try maybe o it as a two person job, someone holds piggy and distracts with food while someone clips carefully

We used to have a 'big bitey pig' called Vimto - I used to get actual snaps off Vimto and she would draw blood too
She was just a very scared piggie and felt vulnerable on laps, she didn't appear frightened on my lap as didnt freeze (but obviously was) but she was confident enough with me not just to freeze and it was here way of saying 'please put me home i don't like this' by biting me hard. We worked at it and would take her out for 30 seconds then pop here home, we did this 3 times a week for around a month then slowly increased it up to 5 mins via 30 second increments . Each lap session she'd have a sprig of coriander. It took us 6-8 months before she stopped biting and she would happily chill on laps for a while but not for too long We would never let anyone else have Vimto on there lap in case she wanted to taste the forbidden flesh once more

That sounds good, I think my boar might need the Vimto treatment! All my pigs are black and every vet I've taken them to has cut through the quick of their nail, so I'd rather be doing it. I also feel I need to be able to handle the boar incase he needs eye drops etc. The patting is fine and coaxing him into boxes to go to the vet etc.
Thanks.