Nails

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Charlierose

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I’ve noticed my pigs nails and it seems like they’re a little long. I’ve never trimmed them before and I’m in need of advise. How to do it and how to notice when they’re too long for them. Also is normal nail clippers okay to use as that’s all I have
 

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If you are unsure then it’s best to have a vet nurse clip nails And/or show you how to do it so you can do it yourself going forward.
You need to make sure you avoid cutting the quick as it will cause the nail to bleed. Clipping black nails is harder as you cannot see the quick easily but shining a torch up through the nail can help you see the quick.

Clipping can be made easier with two people - one to hold piggy and one to cut but you may not get all nails done in one sitting

The guide below may help
Guide to Cutting Guinea Pig Nails
 
Hello there. We use a store purchased clipper. You can use human nail clippers too as the guinea pig rescue of LA does. Nails should be clipped about every month or so. When they curl you definitely need to clip them.

Last night my girlfriend and I clipped our boys nails.
She held cappy (dominant one first) and then I clipped his nails. We used her iphone flashlight to shine on the nails. She held him with her hand under his chest area with his paws hanging over her hand. He was frozen solid and good while I clipped.

Mocha on the other hand squirmed and fidgeted the whole time. She could not hold him the same way. She grabbed my winter hat (beanie) and covered his head so he could not see me clipping.

All in all this process took us about 5 mins for cap and 15 for moke.

P.S. our boys have white, brown and black nails. You really have to watch the darker nails and if you feel scared or nervous I would recommend a professional. Even pros hit the quick if the pig squirms.

Good luck!
 
dhill_cb7 said:
Hello there. We use a store purchased clipper. You can use human nail clippers too as the guinea pig rescue of LA does. Nails should be clipped about every month or so. When they curl you definitely need to clip them.

Last night my girlfriend and I clipped our boys nails.
She held cappy (dominant one first) and then I clipped his nails. We used her iphone flashlight to shine on the nails. She held him with her hand under his chest area with his paws hanging over her hand. He was frozen solid and good while I clipped.

Mocha on the other hand squirmed and fidgeted the whole time. She could not hold him the same way. She grabbed my winter hat (beanie) and covered his head so he could not see me clipping.

All in all this process took us about 5 mins for cap and 15 for moke.

P.S. our boys have white, brown and black nails. You really have to watch the darker nails and if you feel scared or nervous I would recommend a professional. Even pros hit the quick if the pig squirms.

Good luck!
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Thank you! I only have one at the moment and he’s pretty chill so I’m sure it’ll be okay. I read that if I use a torch It’ll be better to see the red line so I'm gunna try that
 
I bought pet clippers as my husband wasn’t too happy about me using our nail cutters 😂 what you can do is to try and just trim off the tip. But if you’re not confident there is no harm in taking piggy to the vet and watching as they do it.

As an aside, do you have any plans to get him a friend? Piggies are very social (with their own kind) and shouldn’t be kept alone.
 
Siikibam said:
I bought pet clippers as my husband wasn’t too happy about me using our nail cutters 😂 what you can do is to try and just trim off the tip. But if you’re not confident there is no harm in taking piggy to the vet and watching as they do it.

As an aside, do you have any plans to get him a friend? Piggies are very social (with their own kind) and shouldn’t be kept alone.
Click to expand...
He did have a friend but I lost him not to long ago and with my current living situation there’s no way I can get a new one just yet
 
Charlierose said:
He did have a friend but I lost him not to long ago and with my current living situation there’s no way I can get a new one just yet
Click to expand...

What you can do when holding the light against the dark nails doesn't work (you need two people to manage a wiggly piggy, clippers AND a torch or another bright source of light) is:
- see a willing local vet nurse with guinea pig experience against a small fee
- look for the signs where the nail is no longer live - it starts twisting and curling and there are little irregular marks in the nail. Cut the nail towards the end of the dead bit but do not cut into the smooth bit as you could hit the quick.
- If in any doubt, always leave the nail a bit longer rather than shorter.
- When doing it at home, you do not have to do all nails in one go if your piggy is too wiggly.
 
Dark nails are tricky even when you have had lots of practice. Desensitizing your pig really helps. So get him used to you touching his feet and moving it. The I let them smell the clippers and allow them to get used to the noise it makes (without cutting nails). Then start taking the ends off. Take smaller pieces off rather than big chunks. I would suggest getting some cornflour or styptic powder which stops the bleeding if you cut the quick. However don't worry if you do accidentally catch the quick. It happens to the best of us. ☺️
 
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