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Do you cut your piggies nails yourself?

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Lady Kelly

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I've read lots of information on cutting nails and how to hold the piggie so they can't bite and make it easier for yourself but as I'm on my first piggies I'm worried about hurting them, or making them bleed!

So do you cut your piggies nails or do you do a regular trip to the vets for them to do them?
 
I get my aunty to cut them, as she's an expect in cutting animal nails (haha!) I'm going to try myself though at some point, and cornflour stops the bleeding if you cut the wick to far.

As my aunty says when you first start off, start slowly and little cuts at a time, as piggies are usually wriggly at first and you need to be quick when cutting them so try it over the course of a week! :) Good luck!
 
I get my aunty to cut them, as she's an expect in cutting animal nails (haha!) I'm going to try myself though at some point, and cornflour stops the bleeding if you cut the wick to far.

As my aunty says when you first start off, start slowly and little cuts at a time, as piggies are usually wriggly at first and you need to be quick when cutting them so try it over the course of a week! :) Good luck!
 
I cut my lots nails my OH holds them and i cut them takes no time doing it that way .
 
I think when they've settled I'll just bite the bullet and do it. OH can hold them then if they do bite he will get it and not me lol!
 
Till you are experienced it is a two person job one to hold piggie and the other to hold foot and cut.
Try bribery with thier favourite food - one of ours lets anything happen to her if she is munching parsley, the other we wrap tightly in a towel.
Invest in a really good pair of clippers - we found it worthwhile paying over a tenner for some as it took so much of the stress out of the job. Ours always sulk afterwards even though they are fine.
Inbetween cuts get them to run around on a hard surface (concrete or kitchen tiles) and you will find you need to cut lass often. Also we usually do the job over several nights to lessen the stress.
 
You may want to take them to the vets the first time round, so you can see how it's done if you are unsure.

I do them myself during cuddle time; not all piggies will cooperate, so while I can do some in one go, others need several sessions. Distracting them with food can help.

You also have to try out which kind of clippers work for you.

You won't have to clip baby nails until they start growing, usually between 6-9 months old.
 
I use a pair of clippers like this
[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000WFDWFS/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B003ODQVG2&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=01YD2VBRHZCAV1E41PR2[/ame]

On light coloured nails it is easy to see the quick and not cut to short, holding a torch behind darker coloured nails helps make the quick a bit more visible.

If in doubt just cut a little bit off and do it more often.
 
I've always done mine myself, of our old boys, Bubble was pretty good, but Squeak was really wriggly, as well as having dark nails, and I did nick him the very last time I cut them before xmas and was horrified, however I just held a piece of cotton wool over it and it stopped bleeding within a minute and didn't start again.

I now know the cornflour trick though!
 
I get the OH to hold one whilst he feeds them something tasty and I cut. I do very little cuts and gently squeeze before I cut, mine pull their foot away to warn me if it's uncomfortable. They don't appear to get stressed or fidgety so I assume it's ok for them :) I always have cornflour and cotton wool just in case.
 
i cut them myself, patch n nala (nala as in a boy my 3 year old neice named him haha) let me do it with no problems then i reward them with some fruit :) maybe for your first time go to the vets and let them show you
 
I used to cut my girls nails ,but over the last 9 months or so had to take them to vets cos for some reason they started to ger really curly nails and you cant manouvre the clippers then.Anybody else have piggies with very curled nails ?
 
We cut them on our own. Usually I hold the pig and dh does the actual trimming.
 
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