Nail Trimming, Brushing, and Bathing

The grooming needs of short-haired guinea pigs are minimal nonetheless in case you may have a breed with prolonged hair, you will want to invest further time into caring for them. Regardless of their hair measurement though, all guinea pigs require widespread nail submitting.

How one can Decrease Guinea Pig Nails

You want to use human nail clippers or nail clippers designed for cats and completely different small animals. These seem like little scissors with small notches in direction of the highest of the blade for slicing the nail. Some people even use nail clippers meant for infants nonetheless nail clippers designed for canines are too huge.

Goal to clip your guinea pig’s nails a minimal of as quickly as a month, although you’ll be able to do it further usually if important. As a result of the nails get longer, the blood vessel referred to as the “quick” will get longer too and the nails will start to twist. Frequent nail clipping helps maintain the nails in good situation for strolling and the quick at a suitable measurement for trimming.

1. Sit Down and Preserve Your Guinea Pig

   Place your guinea pig in your lap coping with away from you with its rump in opposition to your stomach. It’s going to maintain your guinea pig from backing up.

   Preserve your guinea pig upright and onto its hind legs with its once more in opposition to your physique by inserting your hand calmly spherical your guinea pig’s chest. Make it possible for its hind end is supported—each in your lap for those who’re sitting down or alongside along with your completely different hand.

2. Secure the Physique

   Gently wrap up your guinea pig’s physique and three of its legs in a lightweight towel, leaving one leg free for clipping the nails. In the event you occur to pick this system, be careful to not wrap too tightly so that your guinea pig can nonetheless breathe merely and take a break between legs to chop again stress and the prospect of overheating. (If in case you may have a really calm guinea pig, this step might be not important.)

3. Choose a Paw to Work On

   With the hand you might be using to hold the guinea pig to your chest, use two fingers to hold the guinea pig’s uncovered paw nonetheless.

4. Clip the Sharp Tip of the Nail

   The trick with nail trims is to cut the sharp tip off the nail with out slicing into the quick. In the event you occur to decrease into the quick the nail will bleed and it will hurt your guinea pig.

   In case your guinea pig has delicate or translucent nails, the quick will be seen as a result of the pink half contained within the nail. Make your decrease in entrance of the quick, in path of the highest of the nail. In the event you occur to decrease too close to the quick it would nonetheless be painful in your guinea pig.

   In case your guinea pig has dark-colored nails, you’ll usually guess the place it’s safe to cut based totally on the type of the nail, although this takes apply. The tip of the nail is commonly pretty slim and can just about appear gap when seen from the underside. In every other case, it is most safe to easily clip off about 1/4 inch of the nail tip.

5. Repeat on All Paws

   Shift the towel and the way in which you might be holding your guinea pig to disclose a particular paw. Clip the nails. Repeat until all paws on are. Give your guinea pig breaks as needed.

Dealing With Accidents

No matter how cautious you could be, at one stage you may by chance decrease into the quick and set off bleeding. Don’t panic if this happens. Whereas it’s going to bleed and hurt your guinea pig for under a second, it is not disastrous and chances are you’ll stop the bleeding merely using quite a few methods:

• Styptic powder could be utilized to the nail tip that is bleeding. These powders usually sting momentarily nonetheless are extraordinarily environment friendly in stopping the bleeding.
• Cornstarch or flour will be utilized in an identical methodology.
• Attempt pressing the nail proper right into a bar of cleansing cleaning soap or beeswax.
• For minor bleeding, merely making use of pressure to the tip of the nail for 5 minutes may be environment friendly.

Make it possible for the bleeding has stopped sooner than inserting your guinea pig once more in its cage or leaving it unattended.

Brushing

Frequent brushing will help maintain your guinea pig’s coat in good scenario.

1. Use a small, stiff brush and a small metal comb and brush inside the path your guinea pig’s hair goes.
2. Whereas brushing and brushing your guinea pig, you should additionally study for points harking back to lice or sores on the pores and pores and skin.

The need for brushing relies upon how prolonged your guinea pig’s hair is and whether or not or not your guinea pig is shedding excessively.

Prolonged-haired guinea pig breeds should have any mats combed out each single day. If in case you may have a tricky time managing the prolonged coat, the hair will be trimmed to further merely deal with. Merely trim the longer hair so it is not dragging on the underside using hair scissors or see a groomer for suggestion.

Fast-haired guinea pigs need solely be brushed about as quickly as each week however after they’re shedding and dropping further hair than conventional, brush them a minimal of every completely different day.

Bathing a Guinea Pig

Bathing is form of nerve-racking for guinea pigs nonetheless happily there are only a few reason why your guinea pig would ever should get a bathe. Besides your guinea pig will get lice, will get urine or feces on its fur, or is about to be in a gift or completely different opponents, you’ll more than likely in no way have to scrub it for those who occur to brush it repeatedly. In the event you occur to do give your guinea pig a bathe, use a shampoo designed significantly for guinea pigs. In every other case, use a light-weight unscented, non-medicated shampoo that is safe for use on kittens.

1. Put collectively a shallow pan of warmth water and place your guinea pig in it.
2. Using a small cup, gently pour water over your guinea pig’s physique being cautious to stay away from the face.
3. Lather your guinea pig’s physique with the shampoo. Don’t get shampoo or water in its eyes or ears.
4. Rinse the shampoo off very successfully and towel dry your guinea pig as best as you’ll.
5. Make it possible for your guinea pig stays in a pleasing warmth place until it is totally dry to stay away from it getting a chill and getting sick.