All pets, without exception, require careful care. Special attention should be paid to claws. For example, guinea pigs, which are very popular in Russia and abroad, should be cut regularly. Otherwise, a furry pet may suffer and cause serious harm to their health.
About animal
The guinea pig is an unpretentious and funny animal that safely adapts to its domestic conditions. Externally, it is much larger than a hamster or ornamental rat. The rodent is distinguished by the cylindrical shape of the body and sharp teeth. Depending on the breed, guinea pigs are divided into short-haired and long-haired. Pet color is striking in its diversity: from dark burgundy to silver.
Fluffy "pigs" can be called long-livers. They live 10-15 years. Much depends on the care.
In particular, grooming the claws of a playful animal is a must-have procedure that should not be neglected in any way.
When to cut?
In the wild, guinea pigs do not suffer from the problem of regrown claws, as they grind off naturally. Pet master to cope with claws will help. For the first time, it is recommended to trim the claws of a fluffy “pig” at an early age. when the pet is just one month old. Naturally, this procedure can be carried out earlier. Everything will depend on the growth of claws.
Experts recommend cutting the claws 1–2 times a month, when their “transparent” part grows by 2–3 mm.
Why do I need to cut?
Regrown horny bases on the paws of home Fluffies can cause irreparable harm to them. In particular, the claws of the animals begin to harden and acquire an irregular shape (they are twisted into "spirals"). This can lead to the following troubles:
- finger deformations;
- spinal problems;
- claw rotation;
- the development of poddermatitis - an unpleasant disease occurs due to the ingress of dirt under regrown claws;
- injury to the fingertips.
Regrown claws interfere with guinea pig movement. The animal stops moving in the proper amount, which leads to obesity, and subsequently to the death of the pet. In addition, long sharp claws will scratch the various surfaces on which the animal will move.
Note that in the claws of the playful "pig" there are blood vessels, therefore it is necessary to cut the horny bases extremely accurately. For trimming claws, a pet does not need to contact a veterinarian. This procedure will conduct at home.
What is needed?
Claw trimming involves the following tools.
- Nail clipper, nail clippers or electric sharpener. The last tool can be considered the safest.
- Special Hemostatic Powder. It can be purchased in stores where there are shaving accessories. It will help to stop the bleeding, if you accidentally touch the vessel in the process of clipping claws. If powder is not available, then use chlorhexidine solution.
- Terry towel. It should be soft and voluminous.
- A small nail file. With its help, remove irregularities after cutting the claws of the guinea pig.
Note that the nail clippers for claws should not be used by the pet.The fact is that they will not be able to instantly shorten the tip, which will make the procedure more difficult.
How to cut?
There are 14 fingers on the paws of guinea pigs: 4 in front and 3 in back. Experienced veterinarians advise to leave claws slightly longer on the front fingers, rather than on the back.
It is best to cut the claws of a pet after sleep. At this time, he is calm and inactive.
The main rules of the process are accuracy and care. In order for the haircut to go off painlessly and quickly, pay attention to the algorithm of the procedure for cutting the claws of the fluffy pig.
- We get the pet out of the cage and calm it down with gentle strokes.
- We wrap the guinea pig in a towel and place it with its back to itself, fix the head with fingers.
- Pull the foot on the "light" and determine the location of the blood vessel.
- We take the nippers and with a sharp movement shorten the transparent edge of the claw diagonally.
- We perform similar manipulations with all the claws of an animal.
- After each circumcision treat pet pet treat.
- If you still touched a blood vessel, then promptly use hemostatic powder. As soon as the bleeding stops, carefully remove the residue. Otherwise, the animal can lick it.
- In the final stage of the procedure, remove all the irregularities of the claws with a nail file.
Before sending the animal into a cage after shearing the claws, change the litter to fresh. Otherwise, the dirt that leads to the inflammatory process can become clogged under the trimmed claws.
Note that it is most convenient to carry out this procedure in a pair with someone from the household - one holds, and the other cuts.
Useful tips
The process of cutting will help you facilitate the presented recommendations.
- Cut start with the front claws, gradually moving to the back.
- If the guinea pig is very nervous, take a short pause or completely stop the process.
- The sound of water or a tasty treat (a slice of pumpkin or celery) will help distract the animal.
- The animal may begin to bite. In this case, you will help the muzzle, designed for miniature dogs.
- "Pet" manicure spend in bright light.
- A towel or sheet will help fix the rodent that is trying to escape.
Note that if you still doubt your own abilities, it is best to take your pet to an experienced specialist. The veterinarian will easily cut the claws as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Preventive measures
We have already said that in hothouse conditions the guinea pig cannot grind claws naturally. But still there are measures to combat excessive regrowth of horny bases. So you need:
- purchase special kogtetochka in the pet store;
- put in a cage a piece of brick or other "rough" stone;
- If the size of the "home" of the rodent allows, then you can build a pyramid of solid materials.
Note that all the devices for grinding the claws that you put in the cage of the guinea pig must be checked for durability. Otherwise, a furry pet can get injured, which will lead to sad consequences.
How to cut the nails of the guinea pig, see below.
