Help! Handling/Nails/Health Check

[Guineananny]

Hello,
We have two 14 week old sows who we’ve had for 4 weeks. They’re both happy to eat, wander round when we’re there and when sweeping the cage daily. They will also take food from us and tolerate a quick stroking in the cage. We use a cuddle sack to transfer them from the cage to playpen during complete cage cleans.
However handling (to health check etc) is impossible they do not stay still! They just struggle to get away! They don’t stay in the sack/tube long enough to weigh them either (just thought should use a box!) They literally cannot wait to get out of any sack, tube, blanket as soon as their feet hit solid ground. My question is how on Earth do we trim their nails or look at them closely enough for health checks when they are literally trying to escape and wriggle free the entire time? We’re always very careful about making sure that if they were to blind jump we’re near the floor etc…
Whenever I watch videos the piggies all just seem to sit still on the scales, stand in the tube, snuggle inside the sack or on the lap or in peoples’ hands once they’ve been ‘captured’ but not ours!
Any advice would be greatly received.
Thank you

 

[Siikibam]

When trimming nails, you can wrap them up like a burrito and leave out the paw you’re cutting the nails of. With regards to weighing, I used to have to hover my hand over the top of what they were sat in. I would use something with quite deep sides if possible. Hopefully that would cut down on the fidgeting.

You have to be careful about the videos. The piggy is sometimes in fear mode - they hope if they stay still the ‘predator’ will leave them alone. Be grateful that your girls are comfortable enough to let you know that they don’t like being held

I’ll tag @Piggies&buns whose boys don’t like being handled. But she has managed to get them somewhat used to enough handling for health checks and nail trims. I’m sure she will be able to give you some more pointers.

 

[Guineananny]

When trimming nails, you can wrap them up like a burrito and leave out the paw you’re cutting the nails of. With regards to weighing, I used to have to hover my hand over the top of what they were sat in. I would use something with quite deep sides if possible. Hopefully that would cut down on the fidgeting.

You have to be careful about the videos. The piggy is sometimes in fear mode - they hope if they stay still the ‘predator’ will leave them alone. Be grateful that your girls are comfortable enough to let you know that they don’t like being held

I’ll tag @Piggies&buns whose boys don’t like being handled. But she has managed to get them somewhat used to enough handling for health checks and nail trims. I’m sure she will be able to give you some more pointers.

Thank you so much!

 

[Piggies&buns]

My boys don’t like being handled. It used to be so hard and I’d never complete what I had set out to do so if would take me several short attempts. 4 years down the line they really have mellowed and are much more tolerant of my antics than they used to be!
Popcorn‘s tolerance is still much less than Dexter’s, and he will struggle to get away, Dex has sort of resigned himself to the fact that it’s going to happen whether he likes it or not that he sits still enough for me to do whatever it is I need to do, but even he has his limits!

My boys associate their box with going in the run on the lawn so they tend to walk in voluntarily now, I then pick them up from the box. I used to have to herd them into the box.
I actually don’t wrap either of mine for nail trims as I just found the towel got in the way and I can work more quickly but carefully by me sitting in the floor with outstretched legs. I put piggy on my legs and using my left forearm stop them from being able to run out sideways, using my left hand to hold the foot I’m clipping and my right hand to clip (I hope that makes sense!) (my right forearm also kind of stopping them from running out the other side).
To do their back feet, I lift the front of their body up in my left hand leaving their bottoms on my leg and then clip the back feet while they are still supported by my leg.
It can be easier to only ever aim to get one foot done at each session and then if they sit still long enough for two, three or all four then it’s a bonus!

For weight checks, i use a high sided container on the scales and then hover my hand over the top of piggy, but they tend to sit pretty still for their weight checks now (I think they’ve realised it’s less hassle than the nail clips!)

Dexter is long haired so needs regular hair trims - despite everything I’ve said above, hair cutting is almost always a disaster! He absolutely hates it no matter what I do! I usually manage to get about half of him done in one sitting which means he does look silly for a few hours until he has settled enough for me to attend the other side!

 

[Ruth1]

I also am dreading the fast approaching day when my two girls need their nails trimmed so I’m reading the advice with interest. Mine may sit a bit more still than yours, by the sound of it, but they do wriggle and look for an escape route. I have , however, discovered that a loaf tin used for baking - nicely fits a piggy for weighing purposes

 

[Engel]

Your piggies are still very new to everything and it does take time for them to relax while you are doing health checks/nails/weighing/hair cuts.

Today I did all 8 of mine and spent 5-10 minutes on each of them to get everything that needed doing, done. They've done this so many times now that I'm often given a paw or they turn around when I've done all the nails on one side so I can do the other side.

It takes time to get them used to the different sounds and sensations so go slowly and when ever possible offer a head of romaine or a pepper, really helps doing nails for the first few times (or any time they're not cooperating). The burrito method also works. If it is easier, get someone else to hold the piggy while you cut nails, they can be real wriggly when they want to.

I would also stick to shorter sessions and not try to do things all in one go. Take into account the individual and the fact no two piggies are the same. I have 4 pigs that are related and they all act differently. One sits nicely and gives me her feet, one will wander off given the chance, one will turn around after doing his nails and the other will headbutt me any chance she gets because I'm doing something she doesn't want to do.

If all else fails, you can pop them to the vets and a nurse can do the nails. You can take advantage of the scales there too.