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Is This An Extra Nail Or Something Else?

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CarnivalPiggy

CarnivalPiggy

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hello!

Today I recently noticed something of Teddy's foot. I'm not sure how long it's been there but my mum is ringing the vets about it right now. Does anyone have a clue what it is? I'm hoping it isn't to do with cancer like my hamster had. Thanks.
 

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My vet said this is a normal growth from the nail pad when my pigs had it, and I just trimmed it during nail trims. My vet said that the one my pigs had was nothing to worry about- maybe just for the sake of it get a vet to look at it, but I wouldn't be worried.
 
That looks very much like a foot spur which is basically hard skin. They can be left so long as they aren't causing any bother to the guinea pig. They can be trimmed down so long as you only do the tip and not go too far down to the live skin. But it is best to let the vet have a look and trim it if you're not sure.

My Eliza had a couple that the vet trimmed when they got a little big and Emma has a small one which we are leaving alone for now.
 
It is good you are taking them to the vet to be checked out.

Unfortunately other than keeping them short, I don't think there is a way to completely remove them.

Eliza had one on the bottom of her foot for years and it never bothered her.
 
My girl Salsa has one of these on her front paw, I just keep it trimmed as low as it can safely go. She's never had a problem with it and it doesn't seem to bother her.
 
Thanks, I also need to take them for something else.

I thought it would've needed risky amputating so that's good.
 
It looks like a foot spur, which is basically the guinea pig equivalent of a callus. Some pigs get them and others don't, without any real rhyme or reason to it. They generally don't require treatment, although you can trim the hard skin closer to the foot (but not too close or it will hurt!) to prevent it from catching on things. One of my pigs has foot spurs and as she is really phobic about people touching her feet, we just leave them alone.
 
As long as it doesn't overgrow, I'll just see what the vet says and will probably leave it. Thanks for the replies ^^
 
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