clipping piggies nails... - Paw Talk

luvnature · #1 07-03-2006, 12:17 AM

Hello! We are new to having a guinea pig still and we think its time that we clip the guinea pigs nails...ouch!..they are soo sharp! I was wondering if anyone can tell me how they go about it..do u do it yourself or take it to the vet to have it done? Does your piggie stay still for you? Let me know your experiences and any advice when it comes to clipping. Thanks!

TNSWfan80 · #2 07-03-2006, 01:23 PM

hi there

we have 2 and one we take to the vet and pay them a well earned $11 cuz he nips us. not them .

.....the other one we *usually* do ourself. he just sets there. lol

luvnature · #3 07-03-2006, 01:56 PM

HMMM..so i guess that means i should try to do it myself and see if she will nip us ...if she does...off to the vet we will go!! LOL...i think i will just go to the vet and let him see what happens instead!

patnjackmom · #4 07-03-2006, 05:29 PM

What you may want to do, and this is what we do, while one clips the nails on the lap, they are fed baby carrots. Believe me, this take care of a lot of grief.

luvnature · #5 07-03-2006, 05:34 PM

ahhh that could work..she loves carrots!

Chrissy · #6 07-03-2006, 08:40 PM

We do our pigs nails ourselves, but it definately is a 2 person job!

My boyfriend holds them to keep them still and I do the snipping. I hate piggy nail cutting time as much as they do!

Critterangels · #7 07-05-2006, 07:28 PM

Carrots work for me, too. It took awhile for my piggies to get used to me clipping their nails, but now, I can clip all three!! I take just the pointy tip off. It does mean that I need to trim them more often, but that's ok; I don't want to risk clipping too much. If you hold them with their backs up against you & your arm around their bellys, they freeze up & let you do what you have to. Of course, if you wait until they're sleepy, like late at night, they don't fight back. Good luck!

luvnature · #8 07-05-2006, 07:31 PM

so i should wait til they are sleepy? hmm are you sure they wont get grumpy cuz they want to sleep?

ratty_ratkins · #9 07-05-2006, 07:34 PM

id take them to the vet first. and watch how they do it. then next time you try

luvnature · #10 07-05-2006, 07:35 PM

yep i think thats a good idea!! Watch and learn...they pray!

Critterangels · #11 07-05-2006, 07:37 PM

I try doing a little lap time/snuggle time late at night, so they get sleepy in your arms. Then, I get out the clippers! It doesn't phase them too much. They just want to snuggle & fall back to sleep. I carry them to the kitchen, where the light is better & the chair is firmer. If I was on the couch, they might try to jump off my lap. Somehow, with me sitting in the chair, they know there is no other place to go, so they have to stay in my lap.

Cavy Boar · #12 07-06-2006, 09:20 AM

Well, all of our pigs really hat nail clipping. Me and my wife usually need to work together, me holding pig the my wife clipping. Mikey and Flocke got light nails, so the blood vessel inside the nail is easily seen. But when we have to cut Galina's or Miss Marple's nails, we use a Mag Light torch to "screen" their dark nails befor clipping.