maisiesguineapigs
Junior Guinea Pig
One of my Guinea pigs has one thick long nail looks like two nails together I tried cutting it but my guineapig squeak
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Thick nails
- Thread starter maisiesguineapigs
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Siikibam
Forum Donator 2022/23
Did you get the quick? Sometimes they don’t like their nails being cut so can be a little dramatic. Their nails do get thicker as they grow older as well. Is it possible to post a photo
Free Ranger
Forum Donator 2023/24
How old is piggy? Older ones can have much thicker nails. Arthritis can sometimes cause the feet to puff up and the nails to grow curly.
Which nail is it? Sometimes the front ones seem normal but the back ones can look like huge talons!
Has there been an injury in the past? Anything which might have affected blood flow to that toe can affect the nail.
And - rarely - some piggies can actually have two toes fused together which leads to a double nail. Does that foot look the same as the foot on the other side?
A photo would definitely help give an indication about whether the nail is normal or needs a vet to look at it.
If you cut into the quick it is very painful for them and it can bleed so we must try to avoid that. Rather than cutting directly at the point where you think the nail 'should' be try just taking a very little at a time from the tip and work your way back. It's different for every pig. It's easier if the nails are light - George in the photo has black nails which are a nightmare! I trim carefully from the tips but if his toe twists a bit he will squeak to tell me he's worried. Sometimes you can do them all at once but sometimes I'll just do the longest couple of nails on one day and leave the rest for another day.
Which nail is it? Sometimes the front ones seem normal but the back ones can look like huge talons!
Has there been an injury in the past? Anything which might have affected blood flow to that toe can affect the nail.
And - rarely - some piggies can actually have two toes fused together which leads to a double nail. Does that foot look the same as the foot on the other side?
A photo would definitely help give an indication about whether the nail is normal or needs a vet to look at it.
If you cut into the quick it is very painful for them and it can bleed so we must try to avoid that. Rather than cutting directly at the point where you think the nail 'should' be try just taking a very little at a time from the tip and work your way back. It's different for every pig. It's easier if the nails are light - George in the photo has black nails which are a nightmare! I trim carefully from the tips but if his toe twists a bit he will squeak to tell me he's worried. Sometimes you can do them all at once but sometimes I'll just do the longest couple of nails on one day and leave the rest for another day.
Claire W
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My Edward has a thick nail that grew like that after he ripped his nail and lost it down to the quick. The vet nurse cuts it as I take my piggies to the nails to have their nails cut
maisiesguineapigs
Junior Guinea Pig
One of my Guinea pigs has one thick long nail looks like two nails together I tried cutting it but my guineapig squeak
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Claire W
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Yes that’s exactly how my Edwards nail looks
My Peggy has a nail like that too. She is fine about my cutting it. I just have to be careful as it seems hollow inside and can sometimes break when I clip it.
You could try taking him to the local vet and asking the vet nurse to do it the first time. This should help you in the future if you see someone else do it first.
maisiesguineapigs
Junior Guinea Pig
Oh wow what is it? Is it easy to cut?
Freela
Senior Guinea Pig
I wonder if he's had a nail-bed injury in the past that caused the nail to grow back abnormally. One of my pigs had a similar nail after an accident where she got the nail caught in a ramp and ripped it off right where it joined her paw. We didn't know if it would grow back, but eventually it did, but was thicker than the other nails. It shouldn't hurt to cut unless you get the quick by mistake, but some pigs are really dramatic about nail cutting! We use cat clippers that are like little scissors with a little notch to clip the nail, as I find those easiest, though I definitely still have pigs who don't enjoy the process!
Claire W
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Could he have caught his nail causing trauma to the nail bed where his nail has ripped off? That’s what happened to Edward after he got it caught and ripped his nail off right to the quick. He was fine but it caused trauma to the nail bed and his nail just grew back like it. I take my piggies to the vets to have their nails cut but it should be easy enough to do but most piggies don’t enjoy having their nails cut
Siikibam
Forum Donator 2022/23
I don’t know if it’s me (could well be, it’s kind of late!) but the toe itself looks slightly swollen to me. But you’ve been given good advice above. You can always take him in and see how the vet nurse/vet deals with cutting it.