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How do you cut nails?

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pagan queen

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I have the clippers, I know where to cut to as piggies claws are white but how the heck do you keep them still? I just get in position to cut and piggie pulls his foot away. I've been trying for weks now and the situation is getting desperate. I really need to cut them very soon.
 
Some guinea pigs will allow for their nails to be cut and some won't. One of mine is a pain to cut and will squeak like mad as well as pulling her foot away. We now take her to the vets to have them cut. One of my other girls is no problem at all and will just sit there whilst we do it. As for our 3rd piggy, we haven't had to try and cut hers yet.

You may find this thread an interest :) http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61
 
I think I have to be more assertive. When it's your own pet it's hard to be firm, that's why a vet can do them and we can't. I just have to get into my head it's for the piggies own good.
 
I cut my girls nails today for the first time:(|) Before I moved I took them to the foster mum I got them from lol!

They have black nails too:{ but it was easy to see, and I felt confident in doing it as I used to cut my dogs nails lol! They are so not talking to me now though as they also had a bath lol
 
I have a piggie that will scream blue murder when we go to cut his nails. I really had given up hope (and the fact that i like my hands/fingers in tact) until i posted the problem on another forum.

The problem i had was the holding of him whilst trying to trim his nails - he would pull his foot away and bite as though his life depended on it. I tried veg to distract him, getting someone to hold him whilst i do the deed, wrapping him in a towel - but after 30 mins of wriggling and fighting it just wasn't going to happen, i found that all this was making the situation harder than need be and was also stressing my piggie out to the point where cutting his nails was never going to happen. Funny thing is, the first time i trimmed his nails it went perfectly and veg was a great distraction.

The best piece of advice i was given was to hold the piggie against your chest/stomach with him/her facing away from you (so his back lying against your chest/stomach) If you hold them just underneath their front paws they cannot get at your fingers for biting. Also they seem to struggle less as there is no way they can move. Then if you can get another person to hold their paw still whilst you cut - you should have it done within 5 mins and shouldn't have a stressed piggie.

Oh and treats afterwards and a big cuddle help massively with the forgiveness process lmao :)
 
I managed to cut them at last. My DD was standing in the garden holding him when one of his legs dangled out so I grabbed the clippers and clipped one side then turned him round and did the other. It was so easy with someone else holding him.
 
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