Each nail has a blood vessel known as the "quick" which is pink or red in colour. In the case of cavies with dark nails it may be difficult to see the quick.
It is important to ensure when clipping your guinea pigs nails that you always cut below this blood vessel. Why is regular nail clipping important? Without regular nail clipping a guinea pigs nail will continually grow and curl into the foot pad. This may cause severe pain and can result in your guinea pig being unable to use the foot.
Bumblefoot or pododermatitis may develop from the foot pad becoming infected. If left untreated bumblefoot can result in the limb being removed or infected. Guinea pigs are generally docile and seldom bite; however, they are easily frightened and will try to avoid capture or being held.
Guinea pigs require regular nail trimming. The frequency can vary among animals but should occur once a month at a minimum. Clipping nails more often will help to create a routine and prevent the quick, or blood supply at the center of the nail, from growing closer to the tip. This is an important part of their grooming needs because their nails tend to curl and can grow into their footpads. Overgrown nails can result in damage to the skin by causing open wounds on the feet.
Pododermatitis or bumblefoot may develop from an infected footpad. The first step in this process is making sure that the animals feel secure with being handled. Until you can hold them and clip their nails at the same time, it is best to have another person assisting you.
If you feel that a guinea pig is too resistant to restraint or too active, it is best to work on 1 or 2 feet per day until you both feel comfortable with the procedure, provided the nails are not excessively overgrown.
Identifying it will be easier to do with a clear nail than a darker nail. In clear nails, the quick will look pink. Trim the nail. If you can see the quick, trim the nail down to just above the quick. If you cannot see the quick, use caution and trim a little bit at a time. If you cut the quick, the nail will start to bleed. Although this will be painful to your guinea pig, you have not caused any serious damage.
Simply dab a small amount of the styptic powder or cornstarch on the nail and the bleeding will stop quickly. Proceed with trimming the rest of your guinea pig's nails. If this was your first time trimming your guinea pig's nails, don't be too hard on yourself if things didn't go quite as expected.
Guinea pigs will wiggle when getting their nails trimmed at any age. If this time didn't go well, consider trimming your guinea pig's nails over several days instead of all at once. This may be easier for both of you. If you put styptic powder or cornstarch on any of the nails, check these nails to make sure that the bleeding has stopped. Wipe off the substance from the nail before you put your guinea pig back in his cage to prevent him from eating it on accident. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article?
Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. If I cut the nail a little too short, and it started bleeding, will my guinea be in pain until it grows back? Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Not Helpful 2 Helpful My Guinea pig becomes really agitated, can I do one claw each day instead of all at once? Not Helpful 7 Helpful Not Helpful 9 Helpful My guinea pig has a reputation for being squirmy and won't stay still. What should I do? Not Helpful 10 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. In the beginning, it may be helpful to have someone else hold your guinea pig while you trim the nails. This would help you get comfortable with the nail-trimming technique without having to restrain your guinea pig at the same time.
Helpful 63 Not Helpful If you are not comfortable trimming your guinea pig's nails, your veterinarian can do so. You could also ask your veterinarian for tips on how to trim the nails on your own. Helpful 48 Not Helpful Healthy treats are a good distraction for nervous pigs.
As the nails get longer, the blood vessel called the "quick" gets longer too and the nails will start to curl. Regular nail clipping helps keep the nails in good shape for walking and the quick at an appropriate length for trimming. The hardest part of doing a nail trim on a pet guinea pig is trying to hold them still. With patience and practice, nail clipping will become part of your regular routine and your guinea pig will squirm less over time.
When you are first starting out, have a helper hold your guinea pig so that you can safely trim the nails. Despite being wiggly, most guinea pigs are not too difficult to hold and there are a few ways you can do so:.
The trick with nail trims is to cut the sharp tip off the nail without cutting into the quick. If your guinea pig has light or translucent nails, the quick will be visible as the pink part inside the nail. Make your cut in front of the quick, towards the end of the nail. If you cut too close to the quick it may still be painful for your guinea pig. If your guinea pig has dark-colored nails, you can sometimes guess where it's safe to cut based on the shape of the nail, although this takes practice.
The tip of the nail is usually quite narrow and may almost appear hollow when viewed from the bottom. If you have any doubts about trimming your guinea pig's nails, have a groomer, veterinary team member, or other experienced owners demonstrate a nail trim before you attempt it on your own.
No matter how careful you are, at one point you may accidentally cut into the quick and cause bleeding. Don't panic if this happens. While it will bleed and hurt your guinea pig for just a moment, it's not disastrous and you can stop the bleeding easily using various methods:.
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