The average guinea pig will need its nails trimmed about once per month. However, some guinea pigs can go up to two months without their nails being trimmed. Others require more frequent trimming. The important thing is to stick to a trimming schedule that works for you.
What You'll Learn
If you’re new to owning a guinea pig, you’ll likely find yourself wondering how to go about trimming your new pet’s nails when they start to get a little too long for comfort. Or, perhaps you’ve had your guinea pig for some time and are questioning whether you’ve been trimming a little too often or not enough.
Regardless of your experience with your guinea pig, we all want our pets to be happy and healthy. If you’ve found yourself wondering how often you should trim your guinea pig’s nails, we are here to help!
If you scour the internet in search of a hard and fast answer, you’ll likely come across folks who will tell you about their routine with confidence, but the truth is there is no exact answer. There are happy and healthy guinea pigs whose nails are cut as often as much as twice a month and others who go as many as three months without!
The closest thing to a consensus in terms of timing is about once per month, but your guinea pig may require more or less frequency!
Once a month is a great place to start, but your pet is unique and, as you get to know their needs, you can decide what they respond best to.
However, when guinea pigs are ready for their first trim is less debatable. After about two months, you can begin safely trimming your new pet’s nails!
What Happens If The Nails Are Cut Too Often or Not Often Enough?
It’s important to trim your guinea pig’s nails at a middle-ground of about once per month to avoid any potential issues.
Once you’ve determined a schedule that works for you and your guinea pig, it’s important to not deviate from it.
If your pet’s nails are cut too frequently, there is potential for irritation and sensitivity. On the other hand, if you don’t cut them often enough, it can lead to infection. Trimming too infrequently can also create health issues for guinea pigs.
If their nails are left untrimmed for extended periods of time, they may curl and create difficulty in your pet’s normal activities and even lead to potentially serious injuries.
How to Safely Trim Guinea Pig’s Nails
Whether you’re preparing for your first trim or you’ve been trimming for years, you’ll want to begin by preparing your tools.
Nail Clippers
It’s safe to use human nail clippers, although you might want to consider investing in clippers specifically designed for your guinea pig’s nails. Not only are they inexpensive, but they’ll make your job much easier.
Flashlight
Preferably a small flashlight. This one might seem out of place, but you’ll want to keep it handy for a helpful trick that’ll make your trims much easier later on (you’ll learn this trick in a moment).
Styptic Powder
While we’ll hope you don’t need to use it, mistakes occasionally happen. Sometimes we misjudge the length of our guinea pig’s nails and trim them a bit too short, severing the quick inside the nail (the quick is the vascular structure inside the nail that supplies blood).
A little styptic powder will quickly stop the bleeding if you make a mistake. Our flashlight trick will do wonders in preventing these mistakes as well!
Treats
You want your guinea pig to be as relaxed as possible as you trim their nails. Having treats around to get them comfortable will make the process much less stressful for both of you.
Once you’ve got your tools together, you’re ready to begin trimming! Start by sitting on the floor or at a desk with your guinea pig. Rest your guinea pig in your lap or hold them close to you on the desk while holding a paw. Be gentle but firm as you don’t want their nails slipping about.
Instead of reaching for the clippers right away, grab your flashlight instead. Hold the flashlight facing up and place your guinea pig’s paw overtop.
You’ll be able to see the quicks right through their nails! Make a mental note of where you’ll want to make your trims based on this. Don’t be afraid to use the flashlight throughout your trim!
Next, we’ll grab the clippers and begin to trim. Be patient with your guinea pig and be sure to reward them throughout the process.
Our pigs will obviously all react differently to this process and, if you find yourself with an especially trim-averse guinea, that’s okay! There’s no need to rush or force this process.
Some owners will actually spread the trimming between a day or two, doing only one paw at a time to ensure their guinea pig’s comfort and make it easier on themselves.
What if I’m Not Comfortable Trimming The Nails?
As a new owner, you may be worried about hurting your guinea pigs or how they might react to the trimming. If you’re not comfortable, you’re not alone!
Unfortunately, most large pet stores such as PetSmart do not offer nail trimming as a service for guinea pigs. For this reason, you will want to make it a point to learn and become comfortable doing your own trimmings.
A great place to begin is at a veterinary office. When adopting a new guinea pig, you’ll likely be paying a visit to the vet’s office. While there, be sure to ask lots of questions! A veterinary nurse will typically do the first trimming. Use this as a learning experience and ask if you can help.
Don’t be afraid to take your guinea pig back to the vet if you’re still not comfortable doing it yourself. The more practice you get with a veterinarian by your side, the better you’ll get at trimming nails.
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