Monday, May 10, 2010

What do you use to clip Guinea Pigs nails?

I read that you ARE supposed to cut them, but with what are you supposed to use?What do you use to clip Guinea Pigs nails?
Human nail clippers you CAN use. But some people say that if you use them, it can splinter their nails. They need their nails clipped every 4-6 weeks. I suggest you use proper nail clippers from the pet store. This way they haven't got much of a chance of getting splintered. But remember that they will struggle.





No guinea pig likes their nails being done. If this is your first time clipping them, then I suggest you take him to the vet to get it done.





Maybe that way, they can teach you so you don't ave to go back.What do you use to clip Guinea Pigs nails?
Maybe you shouldn't cut the finger nails yourself...If you cut to far up the nail, then you might EXTREMELY hurt the guinea pig. If you cut the right way, the nail splits open, and if it splits open far enough it will split up into the nail that you are not supposed to cut and hurt it really badly. So I would suggest having the vet do it, but if that is a no then just use regular clippers, cat clippers, or bird clippers, as they are all similar.
Anything that's handy. My wife uses nail scissors. I use cat clippers (the kind with the loop) or human toenail clippers. You just have to find something that feels good in your hand and that you can use 1 handed while controlling the pig with your other hand. It is a matter of taste and practice
You can get special nail clippers from the pet store or the vet (they will order them for you). These look like scissors but are different in two ways:





1. they have the ';blades'; offset at an angle to the handle, to make it easier to reach the nails





2. there is a small notch in the ';blade'; where the nail goes when you clip it, so that it doesn't slide or split the nail.





Here is an example:


http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/212鈥?/a>





It is often easier with two people; one to hold the piggy, one to do the trimming. If your piggy gets very stressed, you might not want to do all the nails all in one go, say do the front ones one day and the back ones another. Vets will often do the trimming for free.





The trouble with human nail clippers is that they can squeeze the nail before they cut it, and this can be uncomfortable for the piggy.
You could probably get away with using a small pair of regular people nail clippers, but you may want to consult a vet or someone who works in a pet store and see if there is any special clippers for them =]


If you do use your own clippers, however, just be sure that you are careful not to hurt the guinea pig!!





Good luck!!
Most pet shops will sell them, if not just buy cat or bird nail clippers, they are the same thing.


If you can't find that then just get a pair manicure nail clippers, they should be small enough and you can usually buy them fairly cheap by themselves.
I used to have a guinea pig and we just used people fingernail clippers and then put them in some alcohol. Just don't cut too far because they have a quick that will bleed.
I always used human nail clippers, you can even use the small ones made for babies.
Simple cat nail clippers.

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