Nails/Nail Trimming Crooked nail? How to calm during nail cuttings?

[Kimberly713]

Cinnamon has had a slightly turned nail since I brought her home as a baby, it curves to the right. I figured it was just her nails were too long, but it continues to grow that way even when I trim them, and is more circular rather than pointy at the end. It's weird, any ideas? Oh yeah by the way she's almost a year old now so it's not a new thing.

Well neither of them like nail cuttings but Cinnamon is hell to deal with! OMG. She wiggles frantically, squeaks the whole time, bites pretty hard, her ears get really really hot, pulls away and twists and turns, and will even try and jump off my lap onto the floor! It's a 30 to 45 minute process every time whereas Calypso is a wiggler as well but it takes like 15 minutes max. Her nails are also dark brown so I have to go slowly and they are always longer than Calypso's since hers are white. I've tried feeding her veggies while I do it but she won't eat it or eats it in a couple seconds, so to give her enough she'd get her daily max and be pretty upset at dinner time lol I've also tried wrapping her in a towel and doing one foot at a time, she wiggles even more frantically to get out.

I've never cut her quick, take care not to pull her legs in weird ways, and she ALWAYS get's a treat after we finish so why is it such a stressful time for her still?

 

[Silverbeat]

My late Sophie-Mo had a few nails [on her front feet] that always turned out, it's nothing to be worried about as far as I know.

As for your finicky Cinnamon, do you cut their nails yourself or does someone help you? Try wrapping her up in a piggy burrito and having someone hold her while you trim. That always helped me with my fussy girls.

 

[Kimberly713]

My mom refuses to help me. She says she doesn't want them thinking she's the mean one :sarcastic No one else is around to help either. I managed to get them trimmed down and she got a strawberry slice after. So now she has short nails and a red chin :cheerful:

Glad to hear it's a "normal" thing with the turned nail too, thank you Silverbeat. It's her front right foot too.

 

[crazy4looney2n]

How about using a drummel instead of using the clippers? You know like the pedipaws one that is used for cats and dogs. I'm not sure if those work for guinea pigs, but I do know you can buy a drummel at the hardware store. I've read somewhere on here that the guinea pigs seem to not mind that as much as the clippers. I'm thinking of getting one for my piggies.

 

[Kimberly713]

How about using a drummel instead of using the clippers? You know like the pedipaws one that is used for cats and dogs. I'm not sure if those work for guinea pigs, but I do know you can buy a drummel at the hardware store. I've read somewhere on here that the guinea pigs seem to not mind that as much as the clippers. I'm thinking of getting one for my piggies.

It's definitely worth a shot, she starts the freaking as soon as I grab her foot, but something like that wouldn't put as much pressure and hopefully calm her Thanks!

 

[gatsbygirl]

Its so funny you say this i delt with the same problem yest. My two girls i just got recently i had to cut their nails for the first time they weren't very long and i noticed they had one one each front paw that curved in. It was very difficult to cut them i did the towel thing with one foot out but yet it was still very difficult and of course they have brown nails. I cut my poor Gatsby quick i felt horrible. It took me about 15 mins a pig but still compared to my cats it was a long process. I wonder if maybe the nails werent cut well when i first got them so they started to grow curved and just stayed this way. If anyone knows why id love to know or how to fix it it seems uncomfortable to have a curved in nail.

 

[Camerafreak]

As for nail trimmings my Archie takes the clippers right out of my hands with his teeth. So I have to put him sitting in between my legs when I sit criss cross and I wrap the towel around his head. I know this sounds HORRIBLE. It's the only way I can get it done. I just pull his foot out of the towel and clip it fast so he doesn't find his way out. I make sure that the towel isn't suffocating him or choking him though.

 

[laylahzoemom]

I put a towel over my piggies' faces (not tightly, just laying on top) when I cut their nails. It seems to disorient them enough to get it done quickly. Has never taken me more than 5 minutes per pig. My girl Zoe doesn't mind because she likes to be under the towel anyways. She's always trying take the fleece in her cage and burrow underneath of it!