Few questions about Chester Copperpot

Question
Yeah, that's my piggie's name. The other one is ?Einsteien (he looks like Albert, no joke)

But I got two main questions.

1) When it comes to cutting nails, what do I do? I'm a poor college student (k, struggling is a better term) and I can't afford vet trips. I want to cut the nails, but im affraid to cut to deep.  They are getting bad and I'm affraid they may lead to health issues?  Can I get some type of brick and lay it in their cage for them to scratch on?  Or how do I cut them?

3) My second question pertains to Chester.  He's loosin hair on his left side.  I thought it was mites, but I bath him regularly.  I've moved to a new place, and I've clean the cages since then (even deorderized them). There's no irregularities in his stool (no worms), and I see no flys/gnats/mites (whatever), in their cage. I've seen no scabbing, and Einstien will at times, it looks like, he is cleaning or pulling at Chester's hair.  I think it's stress related but I'l like your opinion.  See, Chester is a hermit..  He comes out to eat, he's healthy and talkative, but the hair comes and goes.  I don't know what to do.  I know the best thing is to take him to the vet, but I have to wait until I get finacially stable, you know?

Also, I'm not sure but how can you tell their sexes?

Just e-mail me back, thanks

rob

Answer
Hi Rob,

Guinea pigs' nails grow constantly, much like a humans' nails do. Providing rough surfaces, such as bricks or playtime on a paved area, can aid in keeping the nails short, but the best thing to do is to get into a routine of clipping their nails youself.

A vet can show you how to perform this procedure yourself, the benefits of which are possible savings in vet bills, and no need to take trips to the vet on a regular basis.
The only tools you need are your hands and some nail clippers (human or small dog nail-clippers are the most commonly used), so it is very cost effective. If you struggle to handle your guinea pigs and clip their nails yourself, have someone else hold your piggies while you clip. Often this is the safer and quicker option.

Personally, I (Laura) make a point of trimming my pigs' nails on the first day of every month. This prevents the nails becoming long and sharp, and trimming little and often keeps the quick safe too. The piggies are now also used to this routine and are much easier to hold, and they cope very well with having their paws touched and nails clipped.

The most important thing to watch out for is the quick. This is the line of blood in the nail, and if caught when nail trimming it can be slightly painful and opens a slight risk of infection. Trimming no more than 1-2 millimetres off on a regular basis usually prevents such accidents, and as you trim overgrown nails the quick will draw back a little until it is as long as it should be in normal length nails.

Piggies with clear nails are usually the easiest to clip, since you can clearly see the pink line in the nail and where it ends. Often, carers have reported the discolouration of the unnecessary length of nail after the quick ends - the nail can be a slight yellow colour rather than clear.

Guinea pigs with dark nails can be tricky, since you are unable to see the quick. Some carers rely on a flashlight / torch to slightly show the quick - this is acheived by shining the light under the nail, and a lighter line - the quick -  can be visible. Others tend to clip little and often, as with clear nailed piggies, and this tends to be the best way to go about dealing with black and brown claws.

If you do ever catch the quick, dip the affected nail in styptik powder, cornstarch or finely ground coffee granules. This stops the bleeding. Once all bleeding has stopped, you can very gently and carefully dab the affected nail with a cotton ball or dip it in some salt water a few times daily. Keeping the nail clean will prevent infection.


Bathing will not rid or prevent mites, and bathing more often than once every 6-8 weeks can actually dry the skin out and make it more prone to skin problems, such as mites. Mites are also microscopic, so you won't see any in the hair, skin or surrounding environment.
By deodorising, do you mean spraying freshener or some kind of fragrance in/around the cage? Or you you mean disinfected them? You should clean (disinfect) the cages at least once a week. Spraying freshener even in the room a guinea pig is in can be potentially harmful.
Symptoms of mites include hair loss (including localised hair loss), excessive scratching (for more than 5-10 seconds and more than 2-3 times every hour), scabs/sores, red skin and, in severe cases, seizures.
See Guinea Lynx's info on mites for further details - http://guinealynx.info/mites.html

As far as sexing piggies goes, the easiest way is by comparing to pictures. Go to Cavy Spirit's Sexing Page -  http://cavyspirit.com/sexing.htm - to view pics and see if it helps you. If not, a vet or a guinea pig rescue are the best places to go to to get reliable advice.

Best Wishes,

- Laura
www.cavy-care.com