LOVE our guinea pigs! How to trim their nails??

[Anonymous]

We recently became the proud owners of two female guinea pigs. My daughter was a bit scared of them at first, and they are naturally skittish, but after a month or so she and they are cuddling nicely and we're buying (and eating) a lot more lettuce, fruits and vegetables--because that's what they eat! They've really added a lot of joy and humor to our tiny family--especially grateful for their company during the blizzard when we couldn't go out.

But. The books say we're supposed to trim their nails. They came with little nail clippers.
Can't really tell where their nails/claws end and their paws begin. Also, they don't like their nails clipped (well, we haven't been able to do it). Appropriately, neither does my daughter, but I can handle her.
Also, do they need to be bathed?? My daughter likes brushing them and they seem clean.
Thanks. Wish we could take them to a pet shop for professionals to do this, but the only pet shop near us deals only with dogs and cats.
--New pet owner and daughter

[Anonymous]

a pet smart will do it. best $15 spent instead of wrestling the thing

[Anonymous]

Can you get them done at petsmart quarterly?

Are their nails black or clear? Clear nails are the easiest because you can see the quick.

[Anonymous]

I've used a human nail clipper, and just took a little bit off each claw. As you get used to it you'll figure out how much is extra and should be trimmed off. I let the piggie munch on his favorite food, with a helper holding the piggie while I trim.

[Anonymous]

Longtime Guinea pig owner here, I used to pay to have it done at the vet but it became a pain the in but over time- we have finally started doing it at home, one person holds the pig, the other clips- have the quick stop ready and you should be good to go.

No shame in taking them to Petsmart and have them do it for you for awhile until you are comfortable.

In terms of the bath, I have never bathed my pigs- I keep their cage clean and they seem to do the rest. I have seen lots of people bath their guinea pigs, the only safety concern is- never put them in deep water, there are videos on the web of pigs swimming, but they can get water in the lungs quickly and you won't even know it. Also, they get drafts easily, they can handle cooler temperatures but not when damp- so if you do bath them make sure you get them nice and dry and keep them warm!

[Anonymous]

^ also, I once bought one of those fancy nail clippers that supposedly can find the quick... it was a huge waste of money!

[Anonymous]

Use large people clippers -a s long as you can see the quick, it is fine. It is a two person job, though. Also, PP mentioned a bath - don't do it unless the GP is really dirty (they tend to be clean animals). They get pneumonia very easily, and can die easily from it.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP - use the large size human fingernail clippers. Give your piggies some snack while you are trimming and wrap them in a towel. Makes things easier.

Guinea pigs can be bathed every once in a while. There is mild shampoo you can get at the pet store. We bath ours once or twice a year in the warmer weather only. After a bath we towel dry as much as possible and then make sure they are not near anything drafting and cover the cage and give them a towel to snuggle on. It takes a couple hours for them to dry out completely.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you so much--your responses are very helpful.
Follow-up question: I hear there's a guinea pig expert at the PetCo (might be PetSmart) at the Cleveland Park Metro station. I'd like to take our guinea pigs in for nail trimming when she is there. She's called Queen of Guinea Pigs, but I'd like to find out her real name.
I asked for nail trimming at the PetSmart closer to our home, but they don't clip guinea pig nails, so I'm hoping Cleveland Park's store will save us. Any idea who this knowledgeable person might be?

[Anonymous]

OP - I used the special nail clippers that are designed for cats' nails. Just go to amazon.com and under "pets" insert cat nail clippers. The trick is not to get the vein which runs into the guinea pig's nail from the nail base. This is very easy to do in good sunlight or with a lamp. Look at the youtube videos. It takes no time and you'll be a pro in just a matter of minutes and probably a lot more careful than anyone at Petco or Petsmart.

[Anonymous]

Sorry: I don't know the person at Cleveland Park Petco. But I had my 8 year old hold the flashlight pointed towards the nail while I wrapped up the pig and clipped with a toenail clipper. You can also use Johnson's baby shampoo. There are some good videos on youtube. I generally washed my pigs when they got older and had some problems - so butt baths. Right now I have a white and red gp. He needs a bath about every 4 months since he gets a little gray. However, they must be dried really well, so lots of towels and low heat hair fryer. Make sure you get a really roomy cage and give them supervised floor time out of it. No chewing on electrical cords. Have fun. If you are in DC, the exotics vet is at Collins Animal Hospital.

[Anonymous]

LOL - hair fryer! Hope not! Hair dryer...poor pig if I did that.

[Anonymous]

Wrap the pig in a washcloth. Think of swaddling a baby. One paw at a time.

[Anonymous]

O/T but do you have the full C&C cage setup with the flannel bedding that wicks urine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wrap the pig in a washcloth. Think of swaddling a baby. One paw at a time.

Are Guinea pigs at all like rabbits? Do they go into a relaxed state when you turn them upside down and pet their bellies?