Just a couple of questions out of curiosity

[Cal]

Are guinea pigs tough?

Is it safe for vets to cut guinea pigs nails?

 

[Black piggies]

Not sure in what sense you mean rough but no I don't feel they are. I feel conscious of their backs being broken if they fall etc. of them being vulnerable to draughts and noise and stress.

My piggies have black nails as it looks like yours in the picture. Vets have cut them too short so they get the quick inside and cause bleeding. It won't kill them but I don't like it so I keep asking the vet just to take the ends off.

 

[Black piggies]

Sorry *tough

 

[Cal]

I meant like when they have falls, not only falls on their backs, from what I’ve heard guinea pigs are quite tough to certain things and the one in my picture is the one who passed away a couple of days ago, unfortunately she didn’t make it, which was upsetting and I’m going to vets this week to get my white guinea pig’s nails cut, her nails are clear but I’d prefer the vet to do them as it’s safer.

Thank you for replying!

 

[Cal]

*Unfortunately she had an infection and didn’t manage to make it due to how far it was, which was really upsetting and horrible.

Again, I’d prefer my guinea pig to get her nails done by a vet as it’s more reliable and safe.

 

[Freela]

I wouldn't say guinea pigs are tough... in my experience, guinea pigs are pretty frail for animals that size. If they get ill, they tend to go downhill really quickly. If they feel unwell, many will go off their food and otherwise make their situation worse in a hurry. My vet has said before that a lot of guinea pigs get ill or uncomfortable and just give up... most of them do not seem to power through pain or illness very well. That said, I had one pig with a ton of health problems who never stopped eating, never changed her behavior in spite of certain pain, and lived to be almost 7 in spite of at least two serious, chronic problems. My vet said she had the heart of a lion in the body of a guinea pig! But she's the exception to the rule. I once thought that one of my pigs had had a stroke because I got up one morning and she was laying stretched out, rolling side to side, wouldn't stand, wouldn't eat... I thought she was dying. I got an emergency vet visit that morning, drove to the vet crying, was afraid she would pass way in the car on the way... turns out she had a bladder infection. She took antibiotics and lived another 4 years. She was just the exact opposite of tough! LOL!

As for nails, yes vets will clip nails for you, but it's really not that hard to do it yourself at home if you like. Also, at least in my area, there are some local pet businesses that have 'nail clinics' where they will clip nails at a lower cost than the vet once a month (not sure where you live, but the Pet Valu near me has a monthly nail clip clinic that will take guinea pigs and rabbits, as well as cats and dogs.

 

[Black piggies]

Aw sorry for your loss
I've never heard or read about guinea pigs being tough. It's the opposite. As a child I've dropped puppies, kittens, hamsters and rabbits to no ill effect but in 3 years with my guinea pigs I've been super careful never to drop them or let them fall, as their bones are weaker. I guard the side of the vet table to make sure they don't drop off. Their bones aren't strong enough for the vile pet leads you can see for sale online.
If one of your piggies has fallen I'd taken them to the vet. As we know they hide things and could have painful fractures. Has one of your piggies fallen?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree - they are not tough, they are very fragile animals.
My boys have a combination of black and white nails. I had my vet clip them a few times until i was confident on how to do it myself. I now am happy to clip their nails myself

 

[Black piggies]

I wouldn't say guinea pigs are tough... in my experience, guinea pigs are pretty frail for animals that size. If they get ill, they tend to go downhill really quickly. If they feel unwell, many will go off their food and otherwise make their situation worse in a hurry. My vet has said before that a lot of guinea pigs get ill or uncomfortable and just give up... most of them do not seem to power through pain or illness very well. That said, I had one pig with a ton of health problems who never stopped eating, never changed her behavior in spite of certain pain, and lived to be almost 7 in spite of at least two serious, chronic problems. My vet said she had the heart of a lion in the body of a guinea pig! But she's the exception to the rule. I once thought that one of my pigs had had a stroke because I got up one morning and she was laying stretched out, rolling side to side, wouldn't stand, wouldn't eat... I thought she was dying. I got an emergency vet visit that morning, drove to the vet crying, was afraid she would pass way in the car on the way... turns out she had a bladder infection. She took antibiotics and lived another 4 years. She was just the exact opposite of tough! LOL!

As for nails, yes vets will clip nails for you, but it's really not that hard to do it yourself at home if you like. Also, at least in my area, there are some local pet businesses that have 'nail clinics' where they will clip nails at a lower cost than the vet once a month (not sure where you live, but the Pet Valu near me has a monthly nail clip clinic that will take guinea pigs and rabbits, as well as cats and dogs.

Sorry your post made many laugh about your piggy seeming on deaths door with a treatable infection. Glad diva pig lived so many more years! And how cool the vet saying heart of a lion in the body of a guinea pig about your brave piggy. You must have been proud of her.

 

[Freela]

Sorry your post made many laugh about your piggy seeming on deaths door with a treatable infection. Glad diva pig lived so many more years! And how cool the vet saying heart of a lion in the body of a guinea pig about your brave piggy. You must have been proud of her.

I really was proud of her! She was such a success story. Our vet was great with her, we put a lot into her care, and she was such a fighter... it was a group effort to get her through and having her live to be an old lady pig was not something I thought she would get and was so gratifying to see. Clearly not a diva like her cagemate with the UTI, or her later cagemate who we still have who bent a nail back and spent five days hobbling around making sad eyes at us like someone chopped her foot off! LOL!