nail grooming? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**pauline** · #1 04-23-06, 01:40 pm

hey everyone,
long time since i've been on the forum just a quick question. Can anyone give me some tips on nail care for my boys? They hate having their nails cut and sometimes its a real struggle trying to keep them in a neat condition. Flat lava stone is supposed to be great for keeping them trimmed naturally but i cant find any supplier over here for it. I'd like to get something i could leave in their home so when they walk over it they'll be receiving a mini pedicure -stress free! Does anyone have any tips? Anything would be appreciated.

SlÃ¡inte
Pauline

**daftscotslass** · #2 04-23-06, 02:10 pm

You could always try a brick in their cage.

I wouldn't worry if they struggle. One of my pigs acts like she's having limbs chopped off when getting her nails cut. You could give them some veggies right after if you feel guilty!

**GEMMACOOPS** · #3 04-23-06, 02:14 pm

you need 2 people, 1 person to cut the nails and the other for holding the piggy and bribing it with food. 1 of my piggys acted as if i was cutting his limbs of too.

**pauline** · #4 04-23-06, 02:55 pm

Thanks for the reply folks,normally have two people but just the last week there was only myself here and i really did feel like they thought i was trying to cut the whole leg off. Would a normal building brick be too rough for their little paws? will give it a go.
Have either of you got a 'piggie' with black nails one of my boys has and i'm so nervous of cutting them have tried the torch-light trick but it only slightly works! How often do you cut you're 'piggies' nails.

**GEMMACOOPS** · #5 04-23-06, 03:05 pm

Ive only cut mine once and they both have black nails, i just cut the very tops off to take the sharpness off. Keep doing it regulary. I found the torch didnt work either.

**daftscotslass** · #6 04-23-06, 03:15 pm

I check them every week and give them a chop every 2-3 or more if necessary. Just depends really. Two of them I can cut their nails pretty far back but the youngest I just cut the sharpness off as Gemma does.

**cavy-cool-crazy** · #7 04-24-06, 09:52 am

I have two pigs with black nails and two with clear. Just trim the tips of the nail off - no more than a couple of millimetres at a time. Mine get their nails cut at the start of every month - any longer and the nails are longer than they should be. It's easy to tell when my clear-nailed pigs nails need trimming as the nail turns yellow where the quik doesn't reach. I just trim the black-nailed pigs nails at the same time and take off just a small amount.

Keep some flour, coffee grounds (very fine) or QuikStop with you as you cut just in case you do catch the quik.

**Sammi** · #8 04-24-06, 10:51 am

One of my guinea pigs, Fudgey, is one of those stubborn pigs that hates the whole nail-trimming thing!! She squeals like hell!! But i found that if you put the water bottle a little higher and put a brick under it, it makes them put their front paws on the brick whilst drinking and thus keep the front nails filed a little. I don't know about your pigs but mine doesn't mind getting the back feet done - it's just the front ones she squeals at so the brick is pretty helpful.

**JarBax** · #9 04-24-06, 12:24 pm

I just did Marble's for the first time today (she's only wee) - and tried to distract her with a large plate of grass - which kind of worked, though she really just wanted to hide in the grass! Just took the tips off. Mary still makes me nervous - has gnashed in the past - but she got a trim all the same (probably not as much as I could have taken off).
Is filing a good idea?

**pauline** · #10 04-24-06, 01:47 pm

Thanks a mil for all that advice. Think i'll try the trick with the brick and bottles sounds like a good idea. I might have been trying to do the nails too much as i tried to cut them at least once a week. They seem very long though. Has anyone tried filing? It might just prolong the 'agony' for my boys at least, I can bearly keep them long enough to take a quick snip never mind a full grooming session. On the subject of grooming does anyone bath their 'piggie' i read that it might be a good idea to bath them occasionally but i've never tried! Again guys thanks a mil

**Sammi** · #11 04-24-06, 02:32 pm

I bathed my piggies in the summer when it's warm and there's no danger of them catching a chill. I also bathed my two newest piggies when I first got them with an special shampoo to remove any bugs that they came with when I rescued them from a friend. Some pigs go mad as they hate water... But most of mine are okay and I think they quite enjoy it to be honest!!

Plus - I have found it's A LOT easier to clip nails when they're nice and supple from being in the warm water!!

Just please make sure the water temperature isn't too hot or too cold and the water depth is only about an inch and a half and please please please don't let the piggy get cold while he's still wet or damp - I had a silly friend bath their piggy and let him get cold. I think it was pneumonia he got and unfortunetly he died.

**pauline** · #12 04-24-06, 02:42 pm

Might try it this summer. I am a bit weary of it, but if i have a heated towel ready and wrap them in it straight away they should be ok (?). Their coats are in great condition and they havent had any problems with lice or bugs yet (fingers crossed) but i am curious to know if they would like it. I would be devastated if either of them became ill because i gave them a bath

**Percy's Mom** · #13 04-24-06, 03:06 pm

They might not love the bath, but they wouldn't get sick because of it. If you dry them thoroughly afterwards, they should be fine. Once you towel dry them, you can turn a hairdryer on the very lowest setting and finish drying them off while you snuggle them. They really don't need to be bathed unless they look dirty. More than 2 or 3 times a year at the very most is usually unnecessary.

**Sammi** · #14 04-24-06, 03:08 pm

I'm pretty sure they won't become ill if you do it properly. Make sure you use shampoo which is designed for small animals. Someone suggested I use baby shampoo but I found it made their fur kind of greasy so I'd stick with the cavy shampoos.

They don't NEED bathed, but I think it's kind of fun and they smell gorgeous afterwards and their fur is all soft and fluffy - you just wanna cuddle them!!!

**Percy's Mom** · #15 04-24-06, 03:14 pm

Baby shampoo as gentle as it is, is still too much for cavies. There is specific small animal shampoo or bunny shampoo you can use. You can also use kitten shampoo, but make sure there is no medicine or extra chemicals in it.

**Ly&Pigs** · #16 04-24-06, 03:54 pm

Also remember though that bathing too often can dry out their skin.

**Sammi** · #17 04-24-06, 04:35 pm

I only do mine once a year. I think that's sufficiant, unless they get particularly dirty for some reason.

**GEMMACOOPS** · #18 05-02-06, 03:47 am

I cut their nails again at the weekend and I cut a quick! It was horrible, i put flour on it and it did stop eventually, its seems lots of blood at the time (it isnt really only a couple of drops). He didn't even squeak when i did it so i didn't know until i saw blood on the clippers. i did feel really guilty though for a while. He didnt seem to care though.

**pauline** · #19 05-08-06, 03:16 pm

Hey guys, thanks a mil for all the good advice. Sorry for not replying earlier but with the forum down i couldn't reply, also i was away for a while. Its great to be on line. Think i might leave the bath for a while as the weather is not so good here. Have the proper shampoo etc. but would the hairdryer not stress them out. One of my piggies is slightly nervous? Thanks again!!!
Slainte
Pauline

**redd1800** · #20 02-24-09, 02:25 pm

There is lava stone tiles on ebay. Link

There is alot of stone in that for the money! Maybe a local decor shop stocks them and could sort out a sheet for you.