It is very important to care for your guinea pig’s nails. The nails on guinea pigs will grow continuously. You should work in nail trimming and management into your standard care routine.
The nails of a younger guinea pig will be straighter and pointer than that of an adult. As your pet ages their nails will start to get more fragile and grow in an irregular manner. If your guinea pig is not getting appropriate care it could lead to several health issues and can be painful for your furry friend.
It can be scary trimming your guinea pig’s nails for the first time. As long as you don’t cut too close to their actual skin you won’t be hurting them. In some cases your guinea pig will file down their own nails by walking around on cement or other similar surfaces. It’s likely your guinea pig lives in a cage and most human owned guinea pigs do not have the proper setup to naturally file down their nails.
You should start trimming your guinea pig’s nails when they turn 2 months old. You should be trimming their nails at least once per month.
Importance of Nail Trimming
Keeping their nails trimmed is very important to the quality of life for your guinea pig. The nails of your guinea pig will constantly grow and can lead to health issues or even cause your pig to have trouble walking.
The nails that go untrimmed will start to curl inward and can damage the foot pads of your cavy. This can lead to open wounds on their feet and potentially can lead to a disease known as bumblefoot.
If the nails are overgrown they can break off and cause a lot of pain and discomfort. If your pig is in a cage with others they can often hurt others or cause open wounds if they fight with the other guinea pigs or start zooming around the cage.
Can You Use a Stone or Brick in the Cage?
No, you should not use a stone or brick in your guinea pig’s cage. It is a common misconception with many guinea pig owners that they can simply just put in a rock, brick or other similar item to have the guinea pig file down their own nails.
You should avoid using these in their cage as it can introduce a potentially harmful environment for them. They could end up hurting themselves if they aren’t paying attention, they could hurt other guinea pigs if in the same cage and in the event they actually use it to file their nails it could damage their feet and create open sores.
What Happens if You Don’t Cut Their Nails?
You should plan to trim your guinea pig’s nails at least once a month. You may need to trim them sooner if they are growing much faster than normal.
If you don’t cut your cavy’s nails you could run into the following problems:
- They can break more easily as they get more fragile the longer they are.
- It can lead to self-inflicted injuries such as a cut when they scratch.
- The longer nails can make their feet irritated causing discomfort if they try to walk or move.
- Can get stuck in toys, food or even the cage causing pain or panic leading to other issues.
- They can store unwanted materials such as food or feces.
What is the Bloodline in Your Guinea Pig’s Nail?
The bloodline is the sensitive fleshy part in the core of the nail. This part houses the blood vessels and nerves. It is very important not to cut the bloodline while nail clipping because it can cause minor bleeding and pain for your guinea pig.
It’s much easier to see the bloodline if your guinea pig has transparent nails. Not all pigs have transparent nails so you will want to be careful and really try to find the bloodline before trimming. In some cases you can place a flashlight or your phone’s light below the nail to highlight where the bloodline is.
If you do end up cutting the bloodline you should not panic. Your guinea pig will be in pain and it’s best to sprinkle some antiseptic powder on the nail and apply pressure. If you don’t have powder you can treat it just like every other wound and just apply pressure until the bleeding stops.
Be careful to not repeatedly trim the bloodline. If done repeatedly it will alter the behavior your guinea pig has when you trim nails and may even make them afraid of the process.
If you don’t routinely trim your guinea pig’s nails it will extend the bloodline to fill most of the nail. This is why it’s important to have routine trimming practices. If your guinea pig’s nails are trimmed it will keep the bloodline from extending to the tip of the nail making nail trimming easier and easier over time.
Everything You Need to Trim Guinea Pig Nails
All items listed below are what you should have before trimming your guinea pig’s nails. Keep in mind this is a routine task and something that should be done monthly. You should try to make a nail trimming kit to have everything ready to go when you need it.
Below is everything you’ll need to clip your guinea pig’s nails:
Nail Clippers
You don’t need any special nail clippers to do the job. You can use the same nail clippers you use on yourself or children.
The most important thing is that the nail clippers are sharp and have a proper grip to them. The nails of guinea pigs aren’t that thick and can be cut through easily but a sharper blade will make a cleaner cut.
You’ll want to make sure you clean your nail clippers after each session with antiseptic solution or just water to get rid of any leftover debris.
Styptic powder or styptic pencil
If you’re trimming your guinea pig’s nails for the first time it’s likely you may cut too much off or hit a bloodline. If you have hit a bloodline, don’t panic and you’ll want to treat it just like every other wound and apply pressure.
Styptic powder will help stop the bleeding and help the blood clot. You can find this powder at any local pharmacy and it’s safe to use on your guinea pig.
If you hit a bloodline just sprinkle some of the powder on the area while clipping their nails and apply pressure for around 60 seconds and the bleeding should stop. If the bleeding does not stop you should go to your local vet.
Towel or soft cloth
You should always keep a clean towel or cloth near you in the event you do hit a bloodline. This can help clean up or soak up any blood.
If your guinea pig starts bleeding just wrap the finger in the cloth really tight for 1-2 minutes if you don’t have any styptic powder.
Treats
A common item most owners will use to distract their guinea pigs is treats! A treat, such as a fruit or vegetable, can help distract your pig enough to allow you to trim the nails without much fuss.
A snack while they trim their nails can help reduce their fear and stress as you hold them and clip their nails.
Partner
It’s very simple to clip your pet’s nails by yourself but in many cases having a partner to help can make it a lot easier.
Your cavy may get scared during the process and try to escape or may wiggle around too much. Each guinea pig has a different temperament so it’s best to try out different situations and see which they prefer.
In many cases it’s helpful to have a partner to help distract the guinea pig and keep them entertained. They may also be able to help hold the guinea pig down to avoid them biting you. It’s best to clip the nails in a comfortable, but confined, room so if they get too worked up you can take a break and come back.
Best Techniques to Trim Your Guinea Pig’s Nails
The most important part of trimming your pets nails is to have a proper grip. If you’re not able to hold them comfortably but firmly you can risk injuring yourself and your guinea pig.
There are no hard and fast rules for holding a guinea pig while nail clipping, so do it as you feel comfortable just make sure your pet is secured well and unable to move to avoid injuries.
There are several popular ways to hold a guinea pig to trim their nails, the following are the best ways:
Arm Method
The “arm method” is one of the most popular methods for trimming your guinea pig’s nails. This method is popular because it’s one of the easier methods to do without a helper or partner and one of the quickest ways to trim their nails.
Steps to do this method:
- Sit down on the floor.
- Place your guinea pig on your thigh.
- Place your arm around your guinea pig and pull them into your stomach.
By following the steps above you should have a firm hold of your guinea pig and they shouldn’t be able to move around much, if at all. This will keep them safe from squirming around causing you to clip too much off or cut them.
Standing Method
The “standing method” is another popular method for trimming your cavy’s nails and requires you to hold your guinea pig so that they are essentially standing on their hind legs.
Steps to do this method:
- You will want to sit down on the floor or a chair.
- Gently grab your guinea pig by their chest.
- Place the guinea pig against your body and allow them to stand on their hind legs.
- Use your free hand to trim their nails.
Burrito Method
The “burrito method” is a popular method if your guinea pig tends to move around or tries to run away from you.
This method can seem aggressive but as long as you do it correctly your guinea pig should be just fine.
Steps to do this method:
- Get a soft towel that won’t catch your guinea pig’s nails.
- Wrap your guinea pig like a burrito to minimize their movement.
- Make sure they are still breathing and aren’t in any pain.
- Make sure the guinea pig is not overheating. If they are, try to do it near a fan or air conditioning unit.
- Begin trimming their nails.
This method is fairly stressful to your guinea pig compared to others as they may feel trapped. It’s best if you trim one limb at a time and give them a break in between.
How to Trim Your Guinea Pig’s Nails
The process of trimming your pet’s nails can seem daunting but it’s actually very simple and can be very routine once you’ve done it a few times.
The goal while trimming your guinea pig’s nails is to make them as comfortable as possible and to avoid any bloodlines.
Everyone’s routine is different but you can use the steps below as a starting point and adjust your process as you go.
Before you get your guinea pig make sure you have all your supplies and tools readily available and within an arm’s reach of where you’ll be trimming.
The basic steps to trimming their nails are:
- Get all the tools and items you need.
- Find a comfortable location for you and the guinea pig.
- Get a hold of your guinea pig by using the methods described above or your own way of holding your pet.
- Secure the limb you want to trim first.
- Look for the bloodlines in each nail you’re trimming before making the cut.
- Trim the nail.
Always make sure your guinea pig isn’t being hurt or uncomfortable during the process as this could lead to unintended health issues.
If you do hit the bloodline or if your guinea pig is not settling down, don’t panic. You’ll want to comfort your guinea pig as much as possible and you can always come back later when they are calm.
In many cases it’s best to take a short break after each limb so your guinea pig doesn’t get overworked.
Alternatives to Clipping Nails
The only alternative to clipping your guinea pig’s nails is to grind or file their nails down. This takes a considerably larger effort and the tools could scare the guinea pig versus a single quick cut.
There are electric grinders available for pets that use a rotating disc to file the nails. The disc has a rough surface that will wear down the nail when it comes in contact with it.
Because these are machines and make louder noises, your guinea pig is likely to be more scared. You will want to make sure you have a firm hold before using these tools.
You’ll want to work slowly and take breaks often. Their nails can get hot due to the friction so you’ll want to file them in small sessions and let them cool every few seconds. If their nails are thick and hardened over you may have to use an electric grinder over nail clippers.
The advantage of using a nail grinder is that you get smoother nails and they can usually handle larger or hardened nails whereas nail clippers may hurt your guinea pig.
The disadvantage of using a nail grinder is that it can cause panic with your guinea pig and cause a lot of dust in the air from the nail particles.
Painting Guinea Pig Nails
There are nail paints available that are deemed safe for use on pets but you should avoid painting your guinea pig’s nails for their safety.
You should never use human nail paint on your guinea pig.
Even if dried, the paint can flake off from the nails and end up in the stomach, nostrils or eyes of your guinea pig causing unwanted pain and discomfort. Your guinea pig already has sensitive skin and these could irritate it more if it’s not taken care of.
Articles Sources & Research
- Guinea Lynx :: Nail Clipping. (n.d.). Guinealynx. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.guinealynx.info/nails.html
- Lee, S. H. (2022, February 18). Step-by-Step Guide on How to Cut Your Guinea Pig’s Nails. GuineaDad. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://guineadad.com/blogs/news/how-to-cut-your-guinea-pig-s-nails
- Pereira, L. (2022, June 20). Guinea Pig Nail Care: Advice For Trimming & Cutting Guinea Pig Nails. Animallama. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.animallama.com/guinea-pigs/guinea-pig-nail-care/
- West, A. (2017, January 23). Nail Polish On A Piggie? The Guinea Pig Forum. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/nail-polish-on-a-piggie.144185/