guinea pig nails?

Question

how often should i have guinea pig nails cut....does it really matter?

Answer 1

I have had guinea pigs for about 15 years now--some of my guinea pigs never needed their nails cut and other guinea pigs seemed to need their nails trimmed every month to six weeks or so. My rule of thumb was when the nail got between about a third of an inch longer than the quick (the pink part inside the nail). When you clip them, make sure not to clip the quick (be especially careful if your guinea pig has dark nails). If you do accidentally clip it (and you will know it because it will bleed), just get a clean towel and keep pressure on the foot for a few minutes until the bleeding isn't so bad. If this happens, keep an eye on it for infection. This website has a diagram of the nail in case you aren't quite sure how to do it. Good luck :)

Answer 2

Yes it matters. If the nails are not kept cut they can grow into the guinea pigs feet and hurt. Just remember not to cut too much nail at a time or you will get into the quick of the nail. Cutting into the quick will cause it to bleed and the guineq pig to squeal in pain. I know it is hard to do it because they move around alot but have someone help you hold it still so you can cut them

Answer 3

Good answers so far, but don't wait until the nail actually starts to curl under before you cut it. The more often you cut it, the more the quick will recede (the "vein" inside their nail) and once the quick is short you'll have to trim them less often. That is, if you wait until their nails are really long you'll be trimming them quite often to get them back to a reasonable size. Also, if you have a big enough cage, find a small cinder block or brick and put it in as some sort of stepping stone from one side to the other - treading on the rough surface will naturally wear down the nails. Good luck =)

Answer 4

Yes it does matter as they are like ours and will grow, let alone they will curl around you piggies foot, and piggy will no longer be able to walk right, all you need to do is trim the tip off about every 3 weeks if toy look at them they are just like ours. I have left you a link, this link will explain it in great detail.

http://www.guinealynx.info/nails.html

if in the event you can not do it go on http://www.petfinder.org/ look up guinea pigs there are a lot of rescues out there for them or that deal with rodents, they will help you. I get these emails all the time, we do it for free so that people know how to take care of there piggies, we are Have-A-Heart

http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/NJ250.html

I hope that I was in some way helpful to you,

Answer 5

Cut it when it curls over. It will hurt when you pick it up if your piggy's nails are long. So yes, it matters. Also, if it's the first time, go to the vet or pet shop to learn how to cut its nails. Hope I helped. =)

Answer 6

I try to do it every month. My poor pig gets really upset if they get too long, not to mention it really hurts when I hold her. I find it most useful to just use the nail clippers that I use for my dog. Haha.

Answer 7

yeah if they grow to long it starts curling around there foot.. i just cut them once they start looking a bit too long. but be careful when you cut them don't cut too deep cause they have veins in therenails.. i accadentaly cut to far and my guinea pig squeaked and it started bleeding a bit.