• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

just made his nail bleed...

Status
Not open for further replies.
I've always done my piggies nails - but rather than a good cut i just tend to take the little pointy bits off the end - and i do it every week or so.

The piggies get used to it, cos it happens so often - and i get lots of practice - and because i am not going near the wick i haven't ever made one bleed.

Maybe this would be a way of building up confidence?

There may be reasons why you shouldn't do this - but if so i'm sure someone will tell me ! :) :)

Rach x
 
I've heard doing little and often can help the quick to recede so it sounds like a good idea :)
 
this is what i do with my rabbits nails because they're dark and i don't want to catch the quick. i took just a bit more than that on ches's nails because i could see the quick. i'll be ok next time. i'll just do less than i think just to be extra cautious!

i need to get some smaller nail clippers too. the vet had some well good ones when i went. i'll look for some of them. :)
 
Just to cause even more anxiety, stress, fear and worry on this thread!
I am more aware of the risk of fracture of the toe bone when nail clipping.
 
A gps phalanges (toe-bones) are not very big ie they are neither thick nor strong.
Sometimes the nails on an adult are thicker than the bone.
There is a risk that if the pig moves and twists it's foot as you are cuting the nail, the bone could fracture.
It happened to a pig of mine some years ago. The bone healed and the pig was not adversely affected, either short or long term. Yes, I was the one cutting the nail.
The risk can almost be eliminated by how the nail is cut.
I use nail cutters ie they look like a pair of pliers. If you try to cut the nail with the cutters approaching from the side of the nail, the nail will be crushed before it is cut through. It is better to cut the nail either by approaching it from the top or from the underneath. it is easier demonstrated than by the written word.
It has only happened once in thousands of nail clipping sessions so it is a very rare side-effect, but worth mentioning nonetheless.
 
You are going to have us all completely neurotic! This is like reading the side effects of paracetamol or something, anything from belly ache to near death can occur. Give over!
(ps, just so this is taken with the spirit intended, I am laughing as I write this he he) xx
 
Fear not, I am almost as thick skinned as a guinea pig.
It would not be in anyone's interest not to disclose the risk.
I thought it may cause some of you to have an attack of the vapours or else to swoon, which is why I was careful to emphasise how UNLIKELY it is to happen. Far better chance of winning the lottery.
 
Two of ine had their nails trimmed today but I decided afterwards to go buy the clippers and will start doing it myself. Will just take off the bits at end to start with until I get more confident doing it ;)
 
Even with the best will in the world, sometimes this can happen. Not your fault ... it can happen when the piggy moves all of a sudden when you have the clippers in the right position, and then hey presto they are in the wrong position as you cut.

I have done this a couple of times and yeap, I felt really bad and thought that they were going to bleed to death. Cutting nails isn't the easiest of things to do when you have a pig that hates having his or her feet touched.

Pop some antiseptic spray on it.
 
No need to put anything on a bleeding nail. However if it eases the owner's conscience............
It was with some trepidation I trimmed the nails on the sows this afternoon, just in case my conscience made me reveal some disaster that may have happened. Fortunately, there were no bleeding nails, fractured bones or squeaks and shouts.
How were the sows? They were fine.
 
My piggies had their nails cut today, I got my mum and dad to come round, dad held them and my mum cut them, dad got two nips from Paris, he he he lol :))
 
I find that the front feet give the biggest problems, both to the pig and the person cutting the nails. The front toes are tiny and it can be difficult to get the clippers in place and, worse than that, the pig's mouth, or rather teeth, are somewhat close to your fingers!
 
Well I did some of my pigs' nails today. Wilbur, my old man, has gnarled nails that are horrible to cut! I would advise anyone who is nervous about cutting their guinea's nails just to go for it, practice makes perfect after all. The very worst I've ever had happen is a nail bleed (in which case I put on a little tea tree cream) or a nasty bite! :)p
 
"Wilbur, my old man, has gnarled nails that are horrible to cut!"
I thought to start with that was your OH until I read your post more carefully.
 
Wilbur's nails are much nicer than my boyfriend's, that's for sure, though I love them both to bits :)p:)p
 
Just this once I will say nothing, although to say nothing I did have to say something.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top