Guinea pig nail ripped off... any advice please

[Fmdonlan1988]

My guinea pigs are due for a nail trim this week as they are quite long. As I was cleaning out their cage and one of my guinea pigs must of caught its nail and it has ripped off and bleeding. He is currently sat in his hide not very happy. Unfortunately these guinea pigs do not like being handled and are very skiddish. How can I help him?

 

[Merab]

First of all - don’t panic.
My Jemimah did that to herself the very first time she came out to play.
We had tiny bloody paw prints on the rug and my tee shirt was ruined!
Her attitude - what’s the fuss!
My attitude- I’ve just aged 10 years!
It should heal by itself but if you catch him, use cornflour to dip his paw in to stop the bleeding.

The nail may grow back a bit crooked but may be fine.
If you are still worried about his paw tomorrow then go to the vet.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Fmdonlan1988]

Hi
Thanks for the reply!
Yes the panic that ran through me when I saw the blood did age me lol.
He's currently resting in his hide at the min so can't see how his paw is. He was licking it. Going to leave him to rest for a few hours and will have a look at feeding time. Hopefully he will be fine.

 

[Freela]

Nails bleed like crazy and can be very alarming... the good news is that they generally stop on their own and very, very seldom cause any problem. If you're able to catch him, you can apply gentle pressure and perhaps dip the toe in flour or use a styptic pencil to stop the bleeding faster.

One of my pigs ripped a nail off at the foot years ago... it looked like there had been a massacre and scared the crap out of me! It healed up fine, she was none the worse for wear.

 

[Merab]

How’s the paw today?
Have you recovered from the shock?

 

[Fmdonlan1988]

Thanks for your reply. His paw is a lot better. Hes running around, eating fine and not hiding away. It scared the life out of me with the amount of blood.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for your reply. His paw is a lot better. Hes running around, eating fine and not hiding away. It scared the life out of me with the amount of blood.

Hi

This kind of accident is not all that rare. Just make sure that you disinfect the toe once the bleeding has stopped; home made saline solution is perfectly fine. You can find the recipe in our first aid kit:
First Aid Kit: Easily available non-medication support products for an emergency

You need to see a vet as an emergency if the bleeding doesn't stop within 10-15 minutes, there continues to be a trickle of fresh blood or if you notice signs of an infection in the coming days (redness swelling and heat beyond what you are seeing now). Keep in mind that a toe without nail always looks thicker, especially after the rip.

Brace yourself that the nail is bound to grow back thicker or deformed, or that is may not grow back at all. It won't impede your piggy's mobility.

All the best!