Feet Serious Nail Problems

[Sarah Mahfouz]

So, I got my guinea pig as a rescue a few years back. Her owner was going overseas and was going to set her free in the wild! So my mom's coworker, a friend of the owner, set us up, and I became the proud new owner of a skittish guinea pig, and named her Cami. She never really warmed up to me completely. I took as best care of her as I could, and did lots of research, but to be honest, I didn't really know what I was taking on when I first adopted her. Then, this past August, I started my first semester of college. Obviously, my dorm isn't exactly pet friendly, so Cami moved in with my sister and her young daughter.

This turned out to be a really bad idea. I came to visit today and she was not in good shape. Her cage was in bad condition, and her poor nails are even worse. They haven't been groomed regularly like they should have been, and they've grown to the point that I'm really not comfortable clipping them myself. A couple of them are even curled around, and she seems to have developed some sort of callouses on her front feet. I'm extremely upset, and I don't know what to do. I really think the best thing for her at this point is to get her nails taken care of, and find her a new home, but I don't even know where to begin in doing so. I don't know of any vets in the New Orleans, Louisiana area that cater to guinea pigs, and even if I did, we certainly don't have the money to pay for a visit to one.

I really feel awful for putting my piggy in this situation. I really care about her, and she was with me through some incredibly rough times. I want to do what's best for her. I just don't have a clue how.

 

[bpatters]

PM the user VoodooJoint and see if she responds. She's in NO, and I believe used to run a guinea pig rescue. So she should be able to point you in the direction of someone who could help.