Hairless guinea pigs benefit from a small amount of nontoxic aloebased lotion rubbed onto skin to keep it soft. When pickles back nails get a little long hell bite on them. One of my piggies has a curled up toenail on one of the front paws. However if like me, the thought of trimming your guinea pigs nails makes you feel a little. Feb 02, 2017 my guinea pigs hind nail ripped off when it got caught on the fleece in his cage. You may need to trim occasionally, depending on how long or overgrown your pets coat is. You could put some bricks or paving stones in the cage for the piggie, under the hayrack is best, to file the nails. If youre worried about trimming them either take your piggy to vet or experienced groomer to trim piggys nails. As a guinea pig ages, their nails tend to become thicker, more brittle, and grow more irregularly. All rescues are going through tough times right now with worries about basic care for the animals in their care. Ive tried cutting them gradually but they just keep growing and growing and growing. Use a fair amount of pressure first, and if your guinea pig squirms then youre probably too close or on the quick, so move a bit further down the nail and apply pressure. This is a quick tutorial on how to trim your guinea pig s nails.
Feb 04, 2017 whilst searching for some large guinea pig stickers for the pellet bin its covered in puppies i came across a pet nail grinder. Keeping your guinea pigs nail looking trim guinea pig. Gastrointestinal disease in guinea pigs and rabbits. The key to properly cutting guinea pig nails is to thoroughly examine your guinea pigs feet before you begin. Guinea pigs have four toes on their front feet, and three on their back feet, so there are 14 toenails to manicure. The result of all of this is the formation of plaque, caries, weakening and overgrowth of the teeth. The domestic guinea pig is a descendant of the wild cavy cavia aperea, which is a common rodent in south america. I have two guinea pigs, but i think only my 2 year old guinea pig, snickers needs hers trimmed. The guinea pig has nails that grow continually, with a nail on each of the four toes on their front feet and three on the toes on their hind feet. When i was a new guinea pig owner i did take the boys to the vets but realised that was an expensive option. Guinea pigs cavia porcellus and chinchillas chinchilla lani. However, she said every time she trimmed them he would bleed everywhere. These little creatures can make lovely pets and dont typically bite.
Ways to keep guinea pig nails short without clipping. Clean the nail and surrounding area with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, dry it off then dip the bleeding nail into a spoon full of flour. Jan 25, 20 i was just wondering if you can file guinea pig nails, and if so, with what kind of file. Guinea pigs can develop spurs or calluses on the feet. Short sharp pointy nails are characteristic of young guinea pigs. Here i intend to outline a few of the many different things that can befall a cavy, and also end with the joy they can bring a household if cared for properly and a little cavy history and list of relatives. It is a nonburrowing, herbivorous, crepuscular, hystricomorph porcupinelike rodent with a stocky body, short neck and limbs, and with either no tail or a vestigial one. My guinea pigs hind nail ripped off when it got caught on the fleece in his cage. Keeping your guinea pigs nails nicely trimmed is important because if they are left. Because guinea pigs are usually not able to keep their nails trimmed down on their own, you will need to learn how to trim your guinea pig s nails.
Guinea pigs get sick from time to time, especially if they are overcrowded or kept. My predicament is that my boy gilbert a black abyssinian has completely black nails, every single one. I cut his nails once every 23 weeks, and his other nails are fine. Nail trimming and teeth a pet guinea pig will need his or her nails trimmed. My guinea pigs hind nail ripped off when it got caught on. An important aspect of caring for your guinea pig is trimming his nails. The trick with nail trims is to cut the sharp tip off the nail without cutting into the quick. Depending on where you got the guinea pig from, you might be able to find some background on hisher family.
They are super long and are curling around each other i just got him and they were like that can i cut them short or will it hurt him. Gastrointestinal disease in guinea pigs and rabbits request pdf. He barely lets me hold him right now and i dont want to traumatize him. Jul 08, 20 this is a quick tutorial on how to trim your guinea pig s nails. Cutting a guinea pigs nails can be a tricky but essential job that needs to be. Guinea pigs are herbivores, so their diet should be one based on highquality guinea pig hay, pelleted guinea pig food and limited amounts of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. Extremely overgrown guinea pig nails trimming youtube. This guinea pig page gives you information on how to bath wash your cavy, brushing and grooming cavies and also how to make nail clipping to your guinea. A stepbystep guide to trimming your guinea pigs nails. The last time i tried to clip his nails, i was only on the second one when i got the quick and it started.
When nail clipping, try to avoid cutting through the quick as it will be painful and will bleed. Im ok cutting the back paws but the front ones are a. However, cavies are experts when it comes to wriggling around when you are trying to hold them which means you need to take things slowly and carefully. Occasionally when im cutting my guinea pigs nails, they squirm at just the wrong moment and it ends with a nail cut too. If your guinea pig has white nails this will be easy to see, and you can trim just the tip of the nail, avoiding the quick. Oct 26, 2019 cutting your guinea pigs nails can be a bit of an unpleasant experience, but if you do it quite often then it becomes less of a problem, as less will need to be taken off and youll have had a little more practise. The guinea pig is an established model for the study of genetic control of the histocompatibilitylinked immune response chiba et al. If your piggy is just biting hisher nails the nails are probably too long. Thankfully, as with many preventable guinea pig illnesses, these conditions are easily avoidable with proper preventive care such as being familiar with the signs and symptoms, keeping your guinea pigs nails trimmed, and taking time to look at your piggies toes and foot pads when youre holding him or her.
Aug 09, 2019 how to get your guinea pig to stop biting you. The most prevalent specific disorders recorded were. Ive tried clipping my guinea pigs nails many times but they wont hold still and when i do manage to squeeze down on the clippers, the piggies almost always pull away suddenly like it hurts. It is normal for a guinea pig s teeth to be yellow. This is the extra nail on the side, and its completely curled up and getting close to the foot. Guinea pigs are lovely little creatures that can be kept either as outdoor or indoor pets. With overgrown nails, trim a little every few days to make the blood vessel recede. The nail of each foot tends to grow through their whole life without. Taking care of guinea pig nails is one important part of regular care and grooming. Because guinea pigs are usually not able to keep their nails trimmed down on their own, you will need to. Each nail has a blood vessel or quick running down its centre. Mites and hair loss the book talks about one of our longtime rescuers using a total coating of vco co for a guinea pig. Fungal infections vco coconut oil has antifungal properties and it is very soothing when applied and it is not toxic to your guinea pig. Ive tried shining a light from beneath to find the quick but its really hard to tell.
Although the thymus of the guinea pig is located in the ventral cervical region and is easy to remove surgically, accessory thymic islets exist in contiguous fascia. I tried cutting off a little more of it last week and of course cut the quick. Apr 16, 2016 guinea pigs have four toes on their front feet, and three on their back feet, meaning that there are 14 toenails to manicure. It is a nonburrowing, herbivorous, crepuscular, hystricomorph porcupinelike rodent with a stocky body, short neck and limbs, and with either no tail or a. Guinea pig nail care is a pretty vital part of looking after a guinea pig well. Guinea pigs can be a bit squirmy when it comes to having their nails. In most rodents, except guinea pigs, the enamel of the. Nail trimmers and wire cutters are contraindicated be.
The nail transfers come printed on one sheet of transfer paper, ready for you to cut out and use. Ive just cut my guinea pigs toe nails as they were betting really quite long. Wrap the little guinea pig in a towel and carefully trim his nails avoiding the quick. Make sure you are giving himher lots of timothy hay, as well as chewing itemcard board boxes,wood,etc. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. I dont have any of that special stuff to stop it bleeding like when you cut their nails. A curled up toenail guinea pigs cutiecavies guinea pig.
So regular trimming is something that needs to be done often. Aug 08, 20 something that it is often easy to forget about and neglect when you have a guinea pig is cutting their nails. Ive done thousands of them, in most cases i need someone ie a vet nurse to hold the patient while i trim the nails especially guinea pigs. The domestic guinea pig is a descendant of the wild cavy cavia aperea which is a common rodent in south america kunzl and sachser, 1999. On white nails, you can see the blood supply, which grows with the nail, so the longer the nails are left to grow, the longer the quick grows. Small pet store cage to use postsurgery to limit a guinea pigs activity so sutures can heal, or to use in the event of an illness that requires quarantine from other guinea pigs in the home, as well as additional water bottles, food bowls, hidey house, and so on. The pack contains 30 nail stickers in a variety sizes to ensure they fit all nails. I understand your dilemma i rescued a guinea pig with extremely overgrown nails and they never recovered their normal shape completely. I you feel you can do it you have to use animal nail clippers which are much better. Guinea pigs can be great pets and are quite social. How to cut your guinea pigs nails and other grooming tips.
The most prevalent specific disorders recorded were overgrown claw nails. How to trim guinea pigs nails guinea pig health guinea. If you cut your pets nail too short, stop the bleeding with regular flour. Consult with a veterinarian if a guinea pig s teeth or nails seem too long. Guinea pigs need their nails clipped approximately once a month. I dont know much about them, but i struggle using small animal clippers. This chapter discusses the external anatomy, musculoskeletal system, and behavior of the guinea pigs. This is a quick tutorial on how to trim your guinea pigs nails. I have 2 guinea pigs, and i like using that little thing that shaves the nails instead of clipping, so you wont cut too far and it wont bleed. I met this little dog in the us, and yep someone had painted her nails.
His last owner did not have time to take care of him. Another way to stop this is to clipcutshave your guinea pigs nails ever couple of days. Because guinea pigs are usually not able to keep their nails trimmed down on their own, you will need to learn how to trim your guinea. No matter how much you tell them it wont hurt if they stay still, they take no notice. Nov 26, 2014 ingrown toenails in pets, and why nail clipping is a good idea nails can become a source of pain if not managed. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. If your guinea pig has light or translucent nails, the quick will be visible as the pink part inside the nail. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. If you are unsure of how to cut your bunny or guinea pigs nails then you.
Guinea pig nail transfers 30 guinea pig nail art stickers etsy. Ingrown toenails in pets, and why nail clipping is a good idea. Aug 12, 20 trim the guinea pigs nails on a monthly basis. By looking at the nails, you can usually determine if your pig is especially young. Theyre precise and easy to use in my experience, with a decent grip even for my big fingers. I would think that if you cannot get quik stop or stypic powder or a stypic pencil that flour or corn starch would be better to use over stuff like pancake mix, chapstick, a bar of soap, etc.
Learn how to hold your guinea pig, trim their nails, brush them, and whether or not you need to bathe them. Cutting your guinea pigs nails can be a bit of an unpleasant experience, but if you do it quite often then it becomes less of a problem, as less will need to be taken off and youll have had a little more practise. An imbalance in nutrition can cause chronic diarrhea, obesity and diseases of the heart, liver or kidneys. It can be a stressful operation for both ourselves and the guinea pig but its important it gets done on a regular basis. Just about every vet clinic provides a nailtrimming service. I was just wondering if you can file guinea pig nails, and if so, with what kind of file. Guinea pigs have three and four toes on their hind and front feet respectively. These trimmers are small, but very easy to use on my guinea pig. Why is my guinea pig losing weight if he is eating. If cared for properly, they can live up to 10 years but the average is 7 to 8 years. Flour and corn starch do not have chemicals in them that can burn a pigs skin. Guinea pigs have four toes on their front feet, and three on their back feet, meaning that there are 14 toenails to manicure.
As a guinea pig ages, their nails become more brittle and grow more irregularly. It can certainly help soothe inflamed skin and helps heal wounds. If you dont trim the nails, they can grow long and curl around into the pad of the guinea pigs foot if this happens it can cause infections. Learn all you can about guinea pig health information. Nov 29, 2009 take your guinea pig s paw gently but firmly in your hand and use the other hand to clip away the end of the nail. Keeping your guinea pig s nails nicely trimmed is important because if they are left to grow too long, your pet will have trouble moving around and the result could be disastrous. Guinea pigs kept as pets generally require nail clipping, as their nails do not receive enough wear to keep them at the proper length. Guinea pigs, like ferrets and primates, are relatively resistant to the effects of steroids, and the numbers of thymic and peripheral lymphocytes are not reduced markedly by corticosteroid injections hodgson and funder, 1978. Aim to clip your guinea pig s nails at least once a month, although you can do it more often if necessary. Guinea pig nail transfers 30 guinea pig nail art stickers. Pdf biology, husbandry, and clinical techniques of guineapigs.
My dad trims my dogs nails for me because im always scared im gonna hurt him. Its worth noting the cavies when kept inside tend to live longer than when they are kept in outdoor cages. Ive tried clipping my guinea pig s nails many times but they wont hold still and when i do manage to squeeze down on the clippers, the piggies almost always pull away suddenly like it hurts. Some grow straighter while others have a tendency to curl and lie to one side. As the nails get longer, the blood vessel called the quick gets longer too and the nails will start to curl.