Nails/Nail Trimming when to do nail trimming?

[Aigoo]

How do I know when my pigs needs to have their nail trimmed?

What trimmer should I buy? Use cat's nail trimmer? Or what?

 

[PiggieWigglies]

I use cat nail clippers but I looked at them and they are the same as guinea pig nail clippers. I clip mine whever they get sharp or just get noticeably long.

 

[adeline13]

personally i hat animal nail clippers how they are round it irritates me i just use normal human nail clippers they are easiest for me

 

[caitlinbenosky]

i do it every two weeks.

 

[Princess_Piggie]

Human nail clippers are shaped to human nails, so can pull on the guinea pigs nails and cause them pain if you don't clip at a specific angle. The round ones are round to fit the round shape of animal nails.

I find it best to get your clippers from a vet, they have sharper more professional ones. The sharper the clippers, the less chance of snagging and pulling, and half-clipping by mistake. If you ask your vet to order some in for you, and you'll pay up front, they're usually fine with that.

I personally get my vet to do it for me, because I have no one to help me to it and it's a two person job with my squirmy girls. I do it every 2-3 months usually, or sooner if I feel like they're getting scratchy. It's tough with my girls though, their quick goes almost all the way to the tip. I tried frequent tiny trimmings to get the quick to recede, but it went no where.

 

[lunarminx]

I use cat clippers and human toe nail clippers. Depending on how fast they grow, every 2-6 weeks I take a sliver off. Sometime a claw seemed fine when I clip so I will just keep checking as the weeks go by.

 

[pigslave1]

I use human toe nail clippers! Trim when they get sharp and uncomfortable for you and your pig. Observe if your pig's paws are situated in an abnormal way due to too long nails. You can also use cat nail clippers.
Pet stores will show ones made for guinea pigs, but they are actually the same as cat clippers.