How To Clip A Guinea Pigs Nails

All guinea pigs require regular boom trimming to ensure that their nails are in good shape for walking and practice not hinder their daily activities. Some owners seem to be unsure as to how long their guinea pigs' nails should exist. And so, I did a little enquiry:

Equally a full general rule, the ideal length for a guinea pigs' nails is 1 that is clipped close to the quick of the nail. The quick is a blood vessel that runs through the blast. Without trimming, the nails tin grow likewise long, whorl, and hurt your guinea pig.

Blast trimming is an exercise that all republic of guinea pig owners will have to deal with sooner or later.

In this blog post, we will discuss the length for guinea pig nails and provide helpful tips for trimming your pet's toes.

The Perfect Length For A Republic of guinea Sus scrofa's Nails

Pet parents ofttimes wonder exactly what length is ideal for their guinea pigs' nails. In full general, the shorter the nails are, the more comfortable (and safer) it is for your fur babies.

Although clipping your piggie's nails equally close to the quick as possible is platonic, it'due south non e'er viable. Many owners are too inexperienced or anxious to give their fidgety, niggling piggies a "quick-shut" trim safely.

That said, the perfect length of a nail for your guinea pig can be determined through observation and audio:

Keep the nails a short length (without cutting the quick). One that doesn't permit the nail to curl at all.
If your pet has claws that click loudly against tile or laminate flooring then they need to be trimmed.

When trying to trim the nail as short equally possible, yous should always exist enlightened of the "quick" of the smash.

Like I said before, this is the claret vessel that runs through the nail. Cutting into the quick is painful for your piggie and volition cause bleeding.

Hazards Of Long Piggie Nails

When your guinea pigs' nails commencement to get longer, so as well will the claret vessel known every bit the "quick". At this betoken, the nails volition starting time to whorl. This coil causes more stress for your guinea grunter'due south feet and tin can lead to potential injuries.

Difficulty moving: If republic of guinea pig nails grow as well long, information technology tin get in difficult for your pet to walk. This is particularly dangerous, because it's possible that your piffling friend will stop exercising or fifty-fifty terminate walking towards their food bowls. Then you lot'll have a whole tiresome of other problems, because your piggies aren't eating.
Foot injuries: If they grow too long, the toes are more likely to get caught in bedding or rug. Snagging their nails on those objects can be very painful and lead to a torn boom or even worse.
Skin infections: If yous don't prune your Guinea Pig's nails, their nails will coil and eventually hurt them. They might not discover it at outset but as they walk around and put weight on their feet, the nail volition start to dig into the pads of their feet. This leads to irritation, redness, and possible infection.

And while brusk nails are preferable, yous need to exercise circumspection to avoid harming their guinea pigs during the process.

How To Trim A Guinea Pigs Nails

Nail clipping is a lot easier if you have the tools you need. Before you get started with the trimming procedure, you demand to brand sure you have the right equipment to cutting your piggie's nails. These are:

Small Pet Nail Clippers

If you're new to trimming guinea pigs nails, try to find nail clippers especially fabricated for clipping republic of guinea pigs. Often they're sold equally clippers for cats or other small pets.

They usually makes the process easier, because they allow you lot to maneuver and trim at different angles. Perfect for when you have a squirmy guinea pig.

General pet boom clippers will practice and sometimes fifty-fifty human nail clippers tin can be used. But, man nail clippers are best avoided unless you're an experienced owner of piggies.

If using human nail clippers, toenail clippers are the best choice because your piggie'due south nails tend to exist quite thick and may require that extra strength from a toenail clipper as opposed to a fingernail clipper.

Styptic Powder

Styptic powder is used by many pet owners to stop haemorrhage in their pet's nails when they accidentally cutting too close to the center of the nail. Bleeding may occur when yous end upward cutting too close to the quick of the nails.

Cut too closely to the quick happens at to the lowest degree one time to every piggie owner. Every bit long as you lot're prepared, at that place's no need to worry. You'll be able to chop-chop finish the bleeding before it gets out of mitt.

If yous dip

Owners without any styptic powder can use corn starch or flour equally a substitute (but information technology's recommended to stock upwardly on styptic powder as emergencies can and will occur).

Magnifying Glasses OR Flashlights

Sometimes it tin be difficult to see exactly where to cutting as well every bit how far you tin go. Because you'll generally exist aiming to cut every bit close equally possible to the quick, you may desire to use a set of magnifying glasses or a flashlight to reduce the chances of errors and help y'all see where the quick is.

Magnifying glasses that come up with LED lights can also help when cut in depression calorie-free conditions or if your republic of guinea pigs have black nails that make it hard to figure out where the quick is. You can also use polish a flashlight under the nails to identify the quick.

Once you've gathered the necessary equipment, it's fourth dimension to get started.

The trimming process is easier washed with two people. If information technology's your first time trying the trimming process, get a friend or family fellow member to help you.

That said, getting used to doing information technology on your ain is as well beneficial for times when there is no one effectually to help.

Selection your guinea pig up and balance her gently and securely on your lap or on a table in forepart of y'all. They ideally should be facing away from you (with the rump against your stomach). Other positions are possible, such as holding them with their sides against you, especially if your pet seems uncomfortable with the first option. Cull the position that is virtually comfortable for you and your pet.
Examine the nails and you should be able to see where the quick is. This ordinarily appears as a dark line running through the nails. You must ensure that you lot can see where the quick is before beginning to trim. Utilize the flashlight or magnifying glass to locate the quick in nighttime-colored nails.
Once you've correctly identified the quick, begin trimming equally close to it as possible. If you lot tin can't get close to the quick, then simply prune the tip – something is better than nada. There's a right way and wrong mode to practise this which is illustrated in this diagram.

Source

You lot may cease up accidentally cutting the quick – information technology happens to all guinea pig owners at present and and then.

Simply, don't panic.

If this happens, dip your piggie'south pes in the styptic powder to stop the blood

Follow upwards with lots of snuggles (and perhaps even little treat) to soothe your pet's nerves.

Brand certain the bleeding has stopped completely before putting your guinea pig back into her muzzle.

Useful Republic of guinea Squealer Blast Trimming Tips

Past following these tips and tricks, you can reduce the stress of smash clipping and make the overall procedure much easier for you and your lilliputian friends.

Effort to find an exotic animal vet that'll do it for you. Or yous can check with local pet shops to see if they offering nail trimming services.
If y'all're going to use treats to distract your piggie, apply larger ones that tin can be nibbled on for a longer catamenia of fourth dimension. This will keep your niggling friend occupied for a longer period of time while you begin the nail trim process.
Trimming piggie nails is a lot easier if your fur babies are used to existence handled and experience secure with you. The more comfortable they are, the easier the process will be. Before attempting a nail clipping session, accept plenty of lap fourth dimension where you impact your piggie'south feet. That style they'll get used to the contact. Follow up with treats every bit positive reinforcement, and so they'll look forrard to the experience.
Some guinea pigs go crazy when they're offered a treat. They'll stand upwards in their cage to munch on the care for, so it's easy to clip their front end nails through the bars of their cage. It'south not possible to trim the dorsum nails this manner, but something is better is naught.
Wear gloves during the boom snipping procedure to avoid nips and bites from your piggies.
If using pet or human clippers isn't working, a guinea squealer may let you use a file to wear downwards their nails a little at time. This volition take patience. And you'll need to try to win the animal's trust before even attempting it.

How Often Should I Trim My Guinea Squealer'south Nails?

On boilerplate, guinea pigs' nails should be trimmed at least one time per calendar month. This is the minimum requirement. Some owners decide to trim one time every 2-3 weeks.

If information technology's your outset fourth dimension trimming your guinea pigs' nails, endeavor to do it more often as this will assist yous get used to the process, making it easier to exercise in the hereafter.

Cutting more than often means you don't have to go the nails equally short as possible each fourth dimension. This reduces the risk of snipping the quick and hurting your piggie.

Avoid leaving the nails for too long as the more they grow, the more difficult it gets to clip them (and the more uncomfortable it gets for your guinea hog!). Brand regular nail clipping and general nail care an important part of your piggie's health checks.

Guinea pig nails that have been left for too long may even end up growing out of hand and require the services of a professional vet.

Conclusion

Guinea pig nails, like man nails, are constantly growing. And while in the wild piggie nails tend to become trimmed naturally past the environment, piggies kept as pets rarely get the chance to do the aforementioned.

This means that information technology'due south our chore as owners to make sure that their nails are of an appropriate length and to trim them when necessary.

Regular trimming of your guinea pigs' nails is essential to keeping your guinea sus scrofa healthy and happy.

Brusque nails will let your little friend to move comfortably and avoid pes illnesses, such as bumblefoot. Nails that grow too long tend to start curling and tin can make walking difficult for your guinea sus scrofa.

For this reason, republic of guinea pig owners should ensure that they trim their guinea pigs' nails at least in one case per month at minimum.

More frequent trimming is recommended for beginners as this tin can raise your confidence in the trimming process.

And one time you're more familiar with the trimming process, you tin get-go cutting every bit close to the quick as possible each time and minimize the frequency of your trims.