In their natural environment, guinea pigs' claws wear down faster. When kept at home, the animal cannot cope with the problem in the form of overgrown nails that interfere with its life. Therefore, the questions “is it possible” and “is it necessary” to cut the claws of guinea pigs disappear by themselves. The owner of the pig needs to take on this task and complete it quickly, painlessly, without causing harm to the pet. You can learn how to trim a guinea pig's claws from this article.
Do I need to trim my guinea pig's claws?
Overgrown nails in pets not only spoil furniture, wallpaper and flooring, but also harm the pet’s health. If you don't trim your pet's nails, they will:
- They will curl and dig into the paw pads. This will damage the paws. Wounds on the pads can become infected.
- They will interfere with the normal movement of the rodent, which will lead to a decrease in motor activity. This in turn will lead to obesity.
- They will begin to accumulate dirt, which will provoke the development of pododermatitis.
- They will prevent the animal from stepping on its paws correctly. This leads to curvature of the paw skeleton and displacement of the vertebrae.
- They can injure the skin when trying to scratch.
To avoid possible health problems, you need to trim your pet's nails regularly. There is no need to see a veterinarian. You can trim your pet's nails yourself at home.
Combing and grooming
Owners carry out most haircuts when the fur stops looking attractive and tangles appear. To prevent this from happening, you need to provide the rodent with regular care, namely combing your pet.
It is necessary to accustom oneself to such manipulations from childhood; otherwise, an adult animal may simply not allow it to be done, because it simply does not understand what is being done to it and why.
Caring for long hair requires patience; the strands should be moistened and then separated into hairs. Brushes and special combs are used for this. If the procedure is carried out correctly, the animal’s curls will be shiny and luxurious.
When matted fur and tangles are observed, you should wash the area with guinea pig shampoo, and then very carefully try to separate the hairs. Dry the animals using a hairdryer, but you should be careful; not all animals normally perceive the buzzing device and the warm flow of air.
Remember also that tangles cause great discomfort and pain to the animal. If you cannot manage your curls on your own, seek professional help.
Also, the guinea pig needs to regularly trim its claws, which grow quite quickly and, if they are not trimmed, they will curl up and interfere with walking and leading a normal, full-fledged lifestyle.
For this procedure, use a special nail clipper or tweezers that have a short blade. The procedure is carried out 1-2 times a month, but you should be very careful when performing it. Only the end of the claw is cut off; there is a blood vessel in the middle and it cannot be damaged.
Preparation for the procedure
Before starting the procedure, you need to prepare your tools. For cutting you will need special tweezers. They are sold in pet stores and are called rodent nail clippers. A nail clipper for rodents can be replaced with children's tweezers or a nail clipper for cats. For very small piglets, regular nail scissors are also suitable, since babies have soft nails.
In cases where it is impossible to accurately determine the safe place to use a nail clipper, it is better to use a nail file. An ordinary nail file that people use or a special device - an electric sharpener - will do. It is sold in pet stores.
The nail plate of animals contains a nerve ending and a vessel. If you cut a nail and touch a vessel or nerve, bleeding will occur. In this case, you will need powder to stop bleeding. This may be a special product that is sold in a pharmacy. Chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green and a weak solution of potassium permanganate are also suitable for treating the wound. In case of treatment with liquid products, you will need cotton pads.
You will also need a towel for a manicure. The pet is wrapped in it to calm it and prevent bites.
What will you need?
Preparing for nail trimming involves having the following tools.
- Nail clipper, nail clippers or electric sharpener. The last tool can be considered the safest.
- Special hemostatic powder . It can be purchased at stores that stock shaving supplies. It will help stop bleeding if you accidentally touch a vessel while trimming the claws. If the powder is not available, then use a chlorhexidine solution.
- Terry towel . It should be soft and voluminous.
- A small nail file. With its help, irregularities are removed after trimming the claws of a guinea pig.
Please note that it is better not to use nail scissors to trim your pet’s nails. The fact is that they will not be able to instantly shorten the tip, which will complicate the procedure.
How to properly trim a guinea pig's claws
A good time for manicure procedures is immediately after your pet wakes up. After sleep, the animals remain inactive for some time.
The pet should be carefully removed from the cage and calmed down with stroking movements. To reduce the risk of injury during the procedure, the pig is placed on your lap. It is better to place your pet on its back with its head away from you. The index finger and thumb of one hand hold the paw, and the remaining fingers fix the animal’s head. With the second hand you calm the pet, you can give the animal a treat. This position will help control the rodent's movements. If the pig is calm, you can take the tweezers and start trimming the nails.
Pigs have 14 toes, 4 on the two front legs and 3 on the hind legs. Only a small part of the nail is cut off so that about 1–2 mm remains before the nerve ending and the vessel. When using tweezers, it is better not to cut off the entire nail, but to trim its edges. Thus, the likelihood of damaging the nerve and vessel is reduced, and at the same time more of the keratinized part is removed. You need to cut the guinea pig's claws at an angle so that later it can place its paw straight on the surface.
The procedure must be carried out in a illuminated place, preferably directly under a light source. If the pig’s claws are transparent, then there will be no problems determining where to use the nail cutter, but if the pet’s claws are black, then it is better to use a nail file. But even in this case, you can determine where to cut. The non-living part of the nail is thinner than the living part, and there is a transition visible on the underside of the nail that can be trimmed.
If it was not possible to trim your guinea pig's claws without bleeding, then you need to use a hemostatic agent. After the bleeding has stopped, excess powder should be removed to avoid it entering the animal's digestive tract. Bleeding in itself is not dangerous, although it is quite painful.
If after finishing the haircut there are uneven areas on the nails, they are treated with a nail file.
The claws on the hind legs are slightly longer than on the front legs.
It will be easier to trim your nails using an electric sharpener. Its price is higher than the cost of a nail clipper, but the risk of injuring the animal is practically eliminated.
It’s easier to carry out the procedure together, but when the pig gets used to it, one person can do it.
After trimming the claws, you need to change the bedding in the cage so that dirt does not get into possible wounds on the paws and infection does not occur.
Water for rodents
The amount of water you drink will depend on the type of food.
For example, in winter, when animals eat a lot of dry food, including hay, they will need quite a lot of liquid. At the same time, in the summer, with an abundance of juicy fruits and vegetables, the drinking bowl will be filled much less often. This does not mean that you can pour water once a week and then not worry about its availability. It should be constantly fresh and clean. Caring owners who wish their pet a long life add vitamins to drinking water. Pigs should not be given water from the tap. The water should be purified, purchased in a store or pre-settled, and its temperature should be comfortable.
Nail care
As mentioned earlier, in their natural habitat, pigs wear their claws off on rocks. If you place stones or a piece of brick in the cage, or build a stable pile of stones, the pig will naturally sharpen its claws. In hot weather, the stones will serve as a cooling spot. The presence of stones will help keep your claws in order between manicure procedures. The procedures themselves are carried out as the claws grow, if the tip has grown by more than 2 mm. This usually happens once every 2-4 weeks. It is necessary to cut the claws of a guinea pig starting from the age of one month. At this age, the animal tolerates the procedure more easily, and if it is repeated constantly, it will be more relaxed about various manipulations. It is not recommended to skip manicure procedures, since the nail becomes tougher over time and the vessel with the nerve lengthens as the nail grows.
About the animal
The guinea pig is an unpretentious and funny animal that adapts well to home conditions. Externally, it is much larger than a hamster or a decorative rat. The rodent is distinguished by its cylindrical body shape and sharp teeth. Depending on the breed, guinea pigs are divided into short-haired and long-haired. The color of pets is striking in its diversity: from dark burgundy to silver.
Fluffy “piglets” can be called long-livers. They live 10–15 years. A lot depends on care.
In particular, trimming the claws of a playful animal is a mandatory procedure that should never be neglected.
If your pig is worried
If your pet is worried while trimming its nails, here are some tips on how to calm it down.
- If the pig withdraws its paw, do not hold it. Release your paw, pet the animal, calm it down, give it a treat, and then try again. There is no need to pull the paws to make cutting more convenient; you can lightly press on your finger and the nail will “open” to its full length. The rodent should also be given a treat after each treated paw. Thus, the animal develops a trusting attitude towards the manipulations being carried out.
- If there are continuous attempts to escape, the pet is wrapped in a diaper or towel and held tightly.
- You can calm your pet with a distracting technique, for example, offering a treat or moving to the bathroom or kitchen and turning on the water there. At the sound of running water, guinea pigs freeze. You can feed your pet your favorite food throughout the entire procedure if it makes your pet feel calmer.
- If your pet behaves aggressively, use a muzzle for small dogs or cats.
- If you can’t trim your beloved pet’s nails, it’s best to seek help from a veterinarian or pet salon.
Guinea pigs do not require much care, are unpretentious in food and at the same time are ready to please their owners with their attention. But cutting your guinea pig's nails must be included in the list of grooming procedures.
Useful tips
In conclusion, we will give some useful tips that will help you better understand how to trim your guinea pig’s nails:
If your pet pulls its paw out, do not try to stop it. Wait a few minutes for the animal to calm down, and then try again. If the vessel inside the nail is not visible even with backlighting, trim the plate a little at a time or use a nail file so as not to injure your finger. For bleeding caused by accidental damage to a vessel, use starch or hemostatic powder. After completing the procedure, the remaining substance must be removed so that the pig does not eat it. If your pet continues to try to escape, you can swaddle it to avoid being bitten and pull out its paws one at a time. Distraction techniques work well with animals
Try, for example, to switch your pet’s attention to a treat or the sound of flowing water (at the sound of water, the guinea pig simply freezes). An extreme measure applied to particularly aggressive animals is the use of a muzzle for small breed dogs or cats.
Complications during childbirth
Typically, giving birth to a guinea pig does not require much assistance from the owner.
If signs of complications or pathology appear, you should contact your veterinarian:
- the female makes efforts for fifteen minutes, but there is no calf;
- contractions last more than an hour;
- the animal makes too intense screams;
- severe bleeding began;
- there is profuse drooling or foaming at the mouth;
- the fetus gets stuck in the birth canal or goes backwards.
The female itself breaks the amniotic sac and licks the body of the newborn. If the female is inexperienced, she will need help. During the first birth, you sometimes have to help remove the membrane and rub the baby's body with a soft, clean cloth.
Prevention
In any case, it is impossible to trim a parrot's claws without scaring him or causing discomfort. Therefore, you should generally avoid excessive regrowth. There are special devices for this in pet stores. Sharpeners for claws and beaks are made from chalk and other natural materials. With their help, pets can get rid of overgrown length themselves.
You also need to replace all the plastic elements in the cage with wooden ones. Their surface should not be smooth. It is best to add pebbles to the bottom of the home. It is necessary to let the bird fly around the apartment more often
It is very important that the pet’s perch is at least 15 mm thick, because it is by sitting on such a branch that the parrot can wear down its nails naturally
Types of haircuts
Grooming salons offer various haircut options for guinea pigs:
- laconic summer - for a typewriter;
- formation of elegant bangs;
Bangs cut
- curling hair into curlers;
Perm
- creative haircuts.
Unusual haircut
Before starting the session, you need to discuss all your wishes with the hairdresser, and also take into account the possibilities provided by the structure of the fur of an individual animal.
