Nails/Nail Trimming piggie nails??

[beth.ri]

Has anyone tried using a nail filing system on their piggies? Ex: (broken link removed)

Can you declaw piggies like you can a cat? So scared to trim their nails! One has black paws/nail beds!!!!! Any thoughts?????????

Also, do they get less "scared" as the mature? :melodrama

Thanks!

Newbie!!

 

[Amy1981]

I'm going to try and make this sound as nice as possible. I'm really not trying to judge or offend:

Why would you want to declaw your guinea pig? It's viewed as almost a cruel thing to do to a cat as well. Have you ever accidentally ripped part of your nail off? It's excruciating. I don't think I could ever put my piggies through that sort of torture.

Both of my girls have all black nails. Except one foot. There are several threads on here that discuss trimming nails and some even suggest putting a flash light under the foot to see the quick on black nails. If the quick is clipped by accident, it heals relatively quickly. Just make sure you have quick stop handy (I've also read that one can use many household items instead, like flour or baking soda). I have only had my piggies since the beginning of the month so they're coming due for their first trim. I would think it's safe to assume that the more they're handled, the more used to you and trusting of you they get, the less skittish they will be. My girls have already come a long way.

Good luck! Do a search for black nails or clipping nails and you will find a wealth of knowledge!

 

[Sirene]

Hi!

Cornstarch is a good thing to have on hand to stop any bleeding. Just put some in a container (I use a bottle cap) and keep it on hand. If you see a drop of blood, dunk the nail in the cornstarch and it will stop the bleeding. My pigs have very long quicks (the part of the nail that has all the blood vessels in) as their previous owner didn't trim their nails often enough, so I am gradually trimming tiny bits off the ends of their nails each time. Eventually the quicks will recede.

My pigs don't like it either - usually I try to distract them with a carrot and do one foot at a time. Then I pet them for a few minutes and try and do another foot. Some days I have to do a couple of feet and then, if they get too upset, put them back and get the rest of their nails the next day once they've calmed down. The faster you can do it, the better.

A vet would probably be able to do it faster and quicker for you. I think mine charges $12 to trim nails.

As someone has already mentioned, declawing is extremely cruel and actually removes the top section of the cat's toes, not just the nail, so it's really not something you'd want to look into, even if you found a vet who would do it.

 

[Cogni]

I find it hard to trim nails too. But there are ways to make it less stressful for both you and your piggie. You could try the 'blankie method'--wrap the piggie in a baby blanket or towel, and get one paw at a time out at the edge of the blanket. It often takes two to do a clipping. The ones who do it by themselves seem to put the piggie on their lap, with its back up against their stomach, so their bottom is supported but their legs stick out like a baby's.

Handling your piggie frequently will help; as will giving the piggie a nice treat when the job is done.

 

[Sirene]

The ones who do it by themselves seem to put the piggie on their lap, with its back up against their stomach, so their bottom is supported but their legs stick out like a baby's.

Yes, I should have mentioned this - this is the best way I've found to do it, too. They don't like being sat up like that for long, though, and I believe it's hard on their spines, so I just do it for very short periods (like a minute) at a time. I might be able to get one (or if I'm lucky, two) feet done in that time.

 

[erinrenae80]

I haven't tried the PediPaws but I would be really interested to know if it works.

If you happen to cut in the quick, you can use Ivory soap to stop the bleeding. Just have a moistened bar with you when you are trimming their nails. You push their nail into the soap and it fills in the hole until the bleeding stops. They recommend that for cats too if you trim their nails.

 

[Penny]

I just trim the tips every 3 weeks and so far I have not ahd problems. They don't like it but they know I will do it anyways. Most of Olivers nails are black and Wendells are a dark brown color.

 

[Duffinvt]

I just got a girl with a new groomer's certificate to do my pig's nails while I held them. She did not charge much and she did a good job. I have had the vet do them and also my husband and I do them, but he gets really squeamish if they bleed, which happens on occasion ! I will surely have this girl back to do them again soon !

 

[brindyzoeycandy]

I would probably not use PediPaws. I have something similar for my dogs and it is very powerful. It can also still make nails bleed, as when my mom tried it out for the first time on one of our dogs his nail bled really badly.

To stop bleeding you can use baking soda and water to make a paste.

 

[TwilightStar]

Has anyone tried using a nail filing system on their piggies? Ex: (broken link removed)

Can you declaw piggies like you can a cat? So scared to trim their nails! One has black paws/nail beds!!!!! Any thoughts?????????

Also, do they get less "scared" as the mature? :melodrama

Thanks!

Newbie!!

Declawing any animal is cruel and causes much more problems than good.
In fact, most countries do not let you declaw your cat as it is nothing more than taking out their fingers.
Guinea pigs tend to not like pedipaws, what I do for my guinea pig with black toes is trim off the tips often. You can shine a flash light under the nail to see the quick, apparently, but I just judge it from her other toes.
Guinea pigs need time to adjust, plenty of hidies, and a quiet atmosphere. It is in their prey animal nature to react skittish to certain situations.

 

[Nekkyo]

Yeah avoid the pedipaws. I got one when I got my first piggy last October. I tried to use it, but quickly realized it wasn't going to work. The filing part is so big and clumsy compared to the actual paw of the piggy which is more delicate and fragile. You can think of it as if you were trying to file your own nails on a large metal grinder.

I use baby nail clippers, and I get done pretty fast. I use a modified version of the blanket method. They sit on my lap covered in a towel with one foot sticking out at a time. I stick food in the towel too so they can munch at it. I think it's easier to do it by myself than have my boyfriend help because whoever is holding usually can't hold steady enough.