Feet Inherited a piggy with curling nails, they must hurt...i need advice please!!

[Charmai]

My guinea pigs name is Hammy. He was my sister's and nieces before my brother and I offered to take him so he would get more attention (hence the nails). His nails have to hurt him and if he tries to paw up on the cage it's almost a certainty that I have to snatch him up before he rips off his nail in a panic. He has become the center of our household and everyone adores him. I tried to clip his nails once but I fear that the quick has grown longer than expected because of how long and curly his nails are. They curl into and around eachother and they are black to top it all off. I've got the clotting powder and good clippers but I don't want to cause him pain. I feel like it would cut his quick if i clipped off the nail that should come off. Any suggestions? Does anyone know if the quick grows longer or recedes after time if i maybe cut the nails over a longer time period? Thanks, Char and Hammy!

 

[GuineaPigParent36]

If you shine a flashlight under the darker nails, you should be able to see the quick better. Watching nail trim videos helped me with the technique a lot but once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy. The quicks can get longer if they weren’t cut before. A vet tech told me to trim them slowly, every two weeks or so until they’re a good length.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

If you shine a flashlight under the darker nails, you should be able to see the quick better. Watching nail trim videos helped me with the technique a lot but once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy. The quicks can get longer if they weren’t cut before. A vet tech told me to trim them slowly, every two weeks or so until they’re a good length.

This is good advice, @Charmai It takes time to bring bad nails back but it CAN be done with attention and time.

 

[Charmai]

Awesome, thank you both! I'm gonna start out with trimming as much as i safely can, then moving on to repeating that step again every two weeks. Will doing that help get his quicks to recede enough to get Hammy's nails to a safe and healthy length?

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Awesome, thank you both! I'm gonna start out with trimming as much as i safely can, then moving on to repeating that step again every two weeks. Will doing that help get his quicks to recede enough to get Hammy's nails to a safe and healthy length?

Yes...eventually. It WILL take time so be patient.

Thank you for taking him and giving him a loving home.

 

[JaneDoe]

Hi, sorry to thread jack. I am trying to create a new medical and veterinary thread (haven't posted in more than two years). How I do that? Thanks!