cutting guinea pigs nails

Question
Hi, I'm not sure if you are familiar with cutting guinea pig's nails  because your profile doesn't state anything on that, but I'm asking just in case you do.

I am trying to cut my Guinea pig's front paws because the nails are very sharp. But my guinea pig bites. Not very hard she'll just put her mouth over my hand but won't bite down, but I can tell she doesn't like it and she will bite harder if I continue. So I'm wondering if you have ever had this problem, and can suggest a way to cut nails on a guinea pig who bites.

Your reply will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer

cutting the back nails  

cutting the front nail   Yes, I'm very familiar with clipping the nails. That's something that must be done on a regular basis. The trick is to have a good grip on your pig. These pictures are of a boar of mine and can help give you an idea on how to hold them.

Hold your pig on her back in the crook of your arm in the same way you see this boar. Since I'm right handed I put him in the bend of my left arm. You're using your body and your arm to grip the pig firmly enough that it can't wiggle.

For the front feet just use your left hand to get a firm grip on the front nails, just as you see me doing in the back nails. You can stabilize her head tight enough with your arm that she can't reach down and nip you.

I find that small cat clippers work the best on guinea pigs. They're small enough to easily get the nipper itself over the nail.  Don't fret or worry if you hit the quick. It may bleed a little but just put some cornstarch or flour on the tip of the nail and it will stop the bleeding. Remember that these are veins not arteries, so your pig will not bleed to death if you accidently hit the vein.

I would recommend that to start with you just take the very sharp tip off the nail. As you become more comfortable handling her to do the job you can take more off. But usually just the very end is all you need to clip.

Hope this helps you.