Guinea Pig lots of questions including cutting nails!

[MagicHouse]

Hi there,

I have two lovely guinea pigs :-) I have cut their nails a couple of times and did them again today. One of them has one foot of completely black claws. I don't remember worrying about this the last time I cut them - but today I was really nervous as I couldn't see where I would be able to cut without hurting him :-( Is this common - not sure if it means I don't need to cut yet, or I just need to go for it and cut the end off. (Imagines blood spurting :-$ )

I don't like the nail cutting job! One of them sqeaked very loudly when I cut one of his nails and I was so worried I'd hurt him!

Also - to go back again to my endless cleaning the cage queries and worries! I do a big clear out/ disinfect the hutch clean once a week, and pull out and wet or soiled bits every day. Does that sound ok? (70sisalimit - you've given me lots of advice already about this, I know, but I can't find the thread where you reminded me of what you do!)

Lastly - I'm worried they're not handled enough. I have a 6 yr old DD and a 2 yr old DS. The two year old isn't really old enough to cope and on the odd occasion has given a poke/ squeeze :-( :-(...... this has resulted in me not wanting to get them out at all (apart from a quick cuddle and put them in their run I mean) when he's around. DD and I had taken to getting them out for half an hour when he's in bed, maybe we should go back to that once term starts. Has anyone else had experience of very little children around guinea pigs. He does love them, but he is 2!

Black claws are a worry I know and they do really scream if you nick the nail quick :( All I can say is if its just one paw try to do the pink paw first and match it up.

Your DC friends will need more watching than your own especially aged 8-10. Old Boy was saved from being slid down the slide. Has had a static electric shock from being sat on the trampoline (cloud of white hair flew in the air ). DD1 Took him sledging! And a friend thought he's would like a bounce on the trampoline. Poor little mite must have remembered the electric shock because he leapt out her arms into the Hostas! Despite all this he is a very old guinea pig .

My pigs have black claws. Big pig on one foot and Little pig all four.

i have cut Big Pigs quick before and he squealed :( but it wasn't to bad. I think I just caught the end.

Now I just take the last few mm off the ends of the black ones to keep them sensible. Just means I need to do it more often.

Cleaning sounds fine. Its what I do, but I do it twice because they have a day pen and a night cage so i poo/wet pick everyday and blitz it once a week.

I have a 4yo and while he is capable of having a lap cuddle, I won't let him pick them up.
You need to explain and teach your dc's (youngest will get it eventually) that they are animals and they have feelings.....I mean really bang it into him .

"Mummy is going to get pig1 out for a cuddle but she has to be really really gentle because we don't want to hurt him. He is much much smaller than us and its our job to make him happy and safe. We want to make him happy that he has come to live in our home, they like cuddles just like you have cuddles...."

The more you explain it and get them out, the more confident both dc and pigs will be. At 2 it probably would be better to have pig on your lap and let him stroke and feed bits of parsley. Maybe a hooded cat bed or something would be good, pigs feel safe plus can't run off.

Tbh the Bonkey Pigs are mine, not ds's so most cuddles happen after ds is in bed. Both me and the pigs find this much more calmer and relaxing .

Good luck :)

@ Old Boys adventures. I can just imagine his little face whilst sledging

Hi Magic

My boars have black claws (except one of GP1 claws is brown). Pink nails are much easier, you can see the quick.

Guinea-pigs that sat still and didn't give me judgey looks before I've even touched them would make it easier still, but they won't entertain it.

I do the nails over a couple of days- usually ours have more growth on the hind feet, but GP2 has a curled claw on his front paw.
I get my DD to hold them on her lap, facing me.
I've got some toenail clippers (the ones with the lever-press).
If they have very long nails it's best to clip little and often, that way you don't catch them.And the quick shrinks back (but you can't see it on black claws)

I can honestly say, hand on heart, I've never cut a GPs nail to bleed (and I had GPs when I was 9yo. Though when we took one of our old sows to have her teeth clipped, the vet did her nails and made them bleed but she was fine)

WRT to bedding. At the moment our boars have cardboard , newspaper and hay in their haybox (they're out night and day in their Pighouse). I change it daily- the cardboard will do a few days but they pee the paper like nobodies business.
In winter, they're out during the day. I do deep litter (similar to horses bedding).
Rubber car mats to insulate, cardboard, paper . Sometimes shredded paper for bulk at the back. I've used very soft straw as well at the back (it's not recommended on alot of sites and I wouldn't give it to baby pigs.But it's alot softer than some of the hay I've bought).
The hay (it takes about half a bag - I use the £3.70 bags from the Range), our haybox is about 3' square.
When they come in for the night I pick out wet hay (by hand- the glamour of it!) and any pooh nests, check the paper , and push the hay back to air the floor.
Then in the morning before they go out, I put a fan heater in the Pighouse for 15 mins while I do Snugglepads and breakfast. The chill is off the house and they've got 2-3 'heat spots' to snuggle.
The whole hay box is cleaned every 3 days.
I use a steamer or cage spray to clean the floor (about 7-10 days)

In summer they've got less bedding- risk of fly strike and overheating, but enough to play in and eat (they don't eat from a hayrack.Lazy little articles)

My DC are older than yours (10 and 12.6) so the GPs have a morning chat, an hour or so in the evening and a cuddle after school.
Now that school term is restarting, they'll maybe get 2 days in the week outside and Sat/Sun (my non work days) weather permitting.
GPs are very easy going but small DC can be heavy handed. Maybe just let your youngest DC stick to feeding them (parsley is favourite here)

fortified it would be cruel to laugh at OB misadventures but.....

We took the piggies to the vets so they could show us how to clip their nails and to sex the babies! The vet nurse said for the piggies that had black claws that if you press gently before you cut and they squeal you are too near the quick, we also use the same sissors the vet uses.

Lots of good advice on nail cutting here.

If your DCs have grown a bit bored with them, it's up to you do make sure they are handled regularly and cuddled. Perhaps when they see you doing it, they'll have more of an interest, but if not, at least they'll be happy (and so will you!)

Thanks for the advice. Just cut the scary black claws! He squeaked a bit on the last one, but seemed ok. I will persevere with increasing the cuddles and getting DS to understand the concept of pets!
(And shouldn't have, but did laugh at your stories fortified!!)

Mine give me the Evil Eye (especially our little boar who is jet black with a fatty eye- so always looks a bit judgey). He has jet black claws of course and one curls under and would go into his paw pad if I didn't cut it.

He grabs his paw away from me.

The agouti curls his paw round my fingers when I do his. He squeaks when he's picked up (for effect mainly) so when it's claw time you'd think we were skinning them

Hi can I hijack your thread to ask a little question?

New girl GP babies here since Saturday. They like parsley but don't seem mad about it. They're favourite things are grass and salad leaves. They would eat them all day. I have bought rocket to grow for them.

Can I pretty much free feed these or would too much do harm?

Thanks in advance for all the many questions I have had. I just want them happy

Not Congrats on your new pigs.

Recommended portion size for Vegas per day is 30-50g, about a cupful .

Rocket would.come under veg .

Its good to give them a variety of different veg even if they aren't crazy on it. Carrots, celery, peppers, lettuce (not iceberg) cucumbers , Pak choi , corriander are all favourites here.

If they aren't keen on.something try it again cut a different way . My two will only eat peppers cut in thin strips.

Grass i would build up gradually. Hour one day then build up to a few hours over a period of time. Some.people give less veg if their pigs have had a day on grass.

The only thing the should have ad lib is hay.

If you go to theguineapigforum.com then they have a good sticky about safe veg and calcium contents. Too much calcium can cause problems for pigs. Not sure where Rocket would come, my two don't like.it.

There are threads on here too if you go back bit

With my DS who is also 2, I read him the riot act (quietly) for the first month of having them - about being gentle and being kind so he knew that they were special and needed to be respected. Now he takes part in feeding and cleaning them, also giving them a brush. More recently, now they are quite big, I let them run free on the floor with him. They are very bold and run up to him for strokes or get in his dolls house or lego which they all seem to enjoy. Sometimes he just sits next to the cage with his hand inside the bars, he gibbers at them and they rub against his hand. I think that the key is familiarity but also keeping a keen eye and making sure nobody gets squashed or bitten.

(Hello 70! Our mites are cured and we look lovely and glossy, thanks for all your help before :) )