Guinea pigs are rather unpretentious animals, but certain rules for caring for them still exist. For example, these animals should periodically trim their nails. Growing back, the claws begin to twist. This can lead to curvature of the fingers, injuries to the pads of the paws, in addition, with long claws, the animal is simply uncomfortable to walk. The procedure should be carried out as needed, on average about once a month.
It is necessary
nail file, nail clipper. Manicure or ordinary scissors cannot be used, as they contribute to the stratification of the animal's claw
Instructions
Step 1
Guinea pigs have four toes on their front legs and three on their hind legs. When clipping, the claws on the hind legs should be left slightly longer than on the front ones. Also, remember to trim your guinea pig's claws at a specific angle so that the paw can rest comfortably on the surface.
Step 2
When starting to trim the claws, take the pig in your arms and turn the back towards you, while supporting the paws. It is imperative to trim the claws in good lighting. It is convenient to carry out the procedure at the lamp in order to be able to see the claws in the light - this will help to make out the blood vessels, which in no case should be touched when cutting. You can shorten the claws only within the transparent area, since if you touch the vessel, bleeding will begin. A few drops of blood will quickly coagulate, but the mumps will still have discomfort. The wound will take a long time to heal, which will cause a lot of inconvenience to your pet. Claws should be trimmed especially carefully in pigs with a dark color, since the vessels on their claws are practically invisible. Use a nail file to trim dark pigs' claws whenever possible. If the claws are not too long, use only a nail file, but if this is not enough, then trim the claws with a nail clipper, carefully, millimeter by millimeter, removing the regrown claw.
Step 3
Cut the claws of the guinea pig in a timely manner, do not let them grow too long, since the longer the claw, the longer the blood vessel becomes. Thus, if you miss the moment of cutting, then later you will have to leave the nails longer than you would like.
