Hello, what I discovered is that guinea pigs are rodents that admire their owners with all their hearts, but that does not mean they will let you trim their nails with ease.
All guinea pig owners are well aware of how difficult their little cavies’ can be at times – specifically when it comes to trimming their nails on a weekly or monthly basis, this why I will show how to trim your guinea pigs nails in this post.
Cutting or trimming your guinea pigs nails can be one of the most daunting tasks, for several different reasons. While some guineas might allow their owners to trim their nails, most guineas will often bite, squeak or begin bucking their feet back.
This makes it almost impossible to cut their nails. However, if you have been trying to find the perfect way to trim your guinea’s nails, then read on to find out now.
When should you first trim young piggy’s nails?
First things first: you should always begin trimming your guinea pigs nails when they are a few months old. Doing so will help you train your guinea to get accustomed to the regular nail trimming.
It is important to make sure that your piggy does not have tiny baby nails as these can be damaged easily.
Normally, owners prefer to begin trimming their pig’s nails when they are about 3 months old since they are less skittish and their nails have grown strong and long enough to be trimmed by then.
How to trim your guinea pigs nails?
If you have ever tried to trim your piggy’s nails, then you must be aware of how skittish they can be – making it nearly impossible to trim their nails carefully.
For this reason, many owners prefer to call another member of the family or a friend who can wrap the guinea in a blanket and hold them, while the other person cuts their nails.
This helps immensely since guineas tend to feel more secure when wrapped in a cloth or a blanket and held firmly. When trimming your guineas nails, you should always make sure that you are not cutting too much of the nail off because this can damage the nail, causing it to bleed.
If you are not prepared or skilled to trim your guinea’s nails, then the ideal option is to take them to a professional vet who can do the work for you. If you damage your guinea’s nails, they will need some time to recover and might even experience severe pain as a result.
Does your guinea have white nails or black?
If your guinea pig has white nails, then observing the cuticle or the ‘quick’ will not be difficult for you. However, if your guinea has black nails, then you should only trim a tiny amount of the nail to avoid hurting them. You should also make sure that you do not scare your guinea too much.
In addition to this, you should always make sure that you use animal clippers or cat clippers to cut your guinea’s nails.
Human clippers are much sharper and can damage the nailbed very easily due to the difference in nail size. You can also opt for human baby clippers if you have trouble finding cat clippers.
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Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
