Guinea pig claws

Re: Guinea pig claws

Vicky RVN — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:32:16 GMT

We get our cattyman clippers from centaur, they are a god send at work, use them all of the time, got a pair in each room!

My pigs were on muesli (when i got them i was blissfully unaware of how rubbish it is!) but then got them onto Burgess, luckily they changed easily. Burgess now do a blackcurrant and oregano food, my pigs LOVE it! Have to make sure i don't give them too much! They also love their Excel herbage though and get through a big pile each day

Mine are in garden in the summer, in a hutch overnight with shavings and hay and a big grass run during the day. They've got a run attached to their hutch, which in on patio slabs...but they refuse to go in it!!! They're in a massive indoor cage in the winter, with shavings and hay.

Re: Guinea pig claws

ginny — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:37:02 GMT

Vicky, they were kind of free range in the garden (it was spring/summer) in a big run (-grass/dirt) and had newspaper and hay at bedtime in their hutch. They also had a big change in diet from muesli mix and just carrots and brocolli to lots of different veg and grass with a bit of orange packet pig food (it has a name but i can't remember ?Burgess). Its taken ages to get them off the muesli and they still would prefer to eat that i think!

They had a few bricks to climb on and a wooden house in the run. They just seemed to sit and eat though!!

I have cattyman clippers too - never knew they were called that though!

Re: Guinea pig claws

Maisy — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:12:38 GMT

These are Cattyman clippers, really good for small creatures as well as cats. You can buy them individually from NVS, and JAK I think also do them but would imagine most wholesalers have them.

Re: Guinea pig claws

Nessie_W — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:23:43 GMT

Has anyone got a picture of the catty man clippers and where can you get them from?

Re: Guinea pig claws

Nicola Smith — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:44:03 GMT

Kevin has always had really curly claws, but his brother always had nice straight ones!! Kept together on same diet etc. Colleen my new gir who is 18 months has staright ones at the monent. Keving gets those callusey grows too but dont seem to bother him. I use little cattyman clippers too .

Re: Guinea pig claws

Vicky RVN — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:43:55 GMT

A lot of pigs seem to get those callouses. I've got catty man nail clippers for my pigs, find them very good, nice and tiny! I don't think Daisys claws got curly till the past year or so, she's about 5 now.

Re: Guinea pig claws

Nessie_W — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:41:37 GMT

Mine get those funny little callouses growing out of their front paws; no idea what causes them but I keep them on deep good quality straw in their cage. I clip my own pigs nails with human nail clippers and keep trying to remember to take a pair to work as the dog and cat nail clippers are too big. My old pig had curly nails, my current two don't; they are 3yrs old now.

Re: Guinea pig claws

Vicky RVN — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:30:45 GMT

What bedding/surface are they on Ginny? And what do you feed them? This is interesting me now and making me ponder!

Re: Guinea pig claws

ginny — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:34:00 GMT

I rehomed 2 lady pigs who had very curly nails when I first got them, then after a couple of months they started to look normal. Possibly due to change of surface and diet??

Re: Guinea pig claws

Vicky RVN — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:54:16 GMT

Ahh that's interesting. Would make sense with the wild ones, they will naturally wear them down more. Hmm might try that with Snowdrop. I often clip the tips off of hers when they aren't long cos they're so sharp!

Re: Guinea pig claws

Maisy — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:51:43 GMT

It does tend to be an age related thing as the nails can thicken too. I was told once that if you clip the claws back weekly/every other week (providing there is a little bit to snip!) that can discourage the curl and mean they grow straighter?