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Post by Clover on Mar 16, 2005 8:27:26 GMT
I love everything about caring for my piggies, but I think the worst job (if there has to be one) is cutting their nails. I'm a nervous wreck by the time I've finished lol
Sweetpea, Squeekie and Peachy are little fidgets and I'm more nervous with Jake and Clover because of their dark nails. They are all due to have them done again this week, all 84 nails.
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Post by kitty on Mar 16, 2005 16:23:20 GMT
I don't mind the nail-cutting because my girls don't care. Bordeaux will bite if anyone touches her front paws for some reason, but is FINE when I clip her nails- go figure! I clip the neighbors two boys' nails too as the people are afraid to. When I first met them the pigs' nails were SO long they were curled like corkscrews- yuk. So I make a point to go and visit and do their nails often. But 84 nails- that's a LOT! The worst job is all the cage cleaning, but I only have two to do every day. How do the rest of you do it with ALL the piggies you all have?!
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Post by Clover on Mar 16, 2005 18:32:27 GMT
Arn't you a good neighbour  I clean my 4 cages out everyday, it takes nearly an hour and longer when I'm washing them out to. I can't leave the buns for more than a day because they wee rivers. I just love seeing the piggies and buns in a nice clean cage, well for a whole 5 minutes if I'm lucky lol It also takes me a while to pick up poops and newspaper after the piggies have been out for a few hours. If only we could make money on piggy poop ;D |
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Post by Bean on Mar 17, 2005 19:53:24 GMT
84 nails - when you put it like that it sounds quite a job lol. The darker ones are trickier aren't they - I always err on the side of caution when I'm doing Charlie's.
I'm pretty lucky with mine as they let me clip their nails without too much fuss. Bob's feet are the trickiest as with her funny feet, the nails all grow in different directions. But as long as you get it done quickly, she'll put up with it!
But I'd be quite happy if someone cleaned out their cage for me every now and then to give me a break! I usually do it while a soap's on or something so it's not so bad really!
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Post by kitty on Mar 17, 2005 20:01:30 GMT
The stable where I work gives all the horse poop and hay mixed in to gardeners who actaually come and pick it up! I am thinking that the guinea pig poop, hay and newspaper litter would be great for that too if I could get someone to come and get it! If I had the room in my yard I would start a compost heap but I would be overrun in a few weeks! The pigs and I love it too when the cages are all clean and sweet!
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Post by Clover on Mar 18, 2005 6:32:24 GMT
Squeekie and Sweetpea also have nails that are awkward to cut. I wish they were all like Clover, she's so placid and sits very still.
I sometimes put ours on our compost heap Kitty, I think we should bag it all up, sit outside our house with a big sign 'piggy poop compost for sale' lol
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Post by kitty on Mar 19, 2005 3:49:02 GMT
That's pretty much what we do with the horse manure-except it's free- and people DO come and get it! Guinea pigs are surely prolific in that department!
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Post by Clover on Mar 19, 2005 14:07:43 GMT
Oh I bet the horsey poop is popular. I really wouldn't charge people for taking home a pile of piggy poop lol
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Post by kitty on Mar 19, 2005 23:01:16 GMT
Maybe we should put it out in bags marked "FREE MONEY"! By the time they got it home it'd be too late!
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Post by Clover on Mar 21, 2005 11:41:08 GMT
 what a good idea! I think if I did that with our bunnies bags, the smell of rabbit wee would be a giveaway straight away lol
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Post by Susie on Mar 28, 2005 22:54:21 GMT
::)I'm with you on the nails. especially front ones. Got to be done I know but still can't relax about it... despite a fair bit of practise on my 4 boys
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Post by daisha on May 31, 2012 4:03:45 GMT
I have several neighbors with guineas...several years ago when we first brought Sherbert home I was out on my porch trimming her nails and I had several neighbors and their kids come up to me shocked that I was doing her nails! I asked them what they did for their guineas and the answer was nothing!! Omg! From that point on every time I was outside with Sherbert everyone would bring their guineas out as well and I'd just line them up...takes about an hour to get through them all..lol I tried teaching some of them how to do it themselves but they are just too worried about cutting to much.
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Post by 3piggles on May 31, 2012 12:17:24 GMT
Glad you got through to the neighbors. I'm sure, despite not liking the actual nail trimming, all those pigs are happy to have shorter nails!
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Post by michellezearing on Jun 1, 2012 4:50:05 GMT
It's funny, I just rescued my girls and when my husband was taking them out of their box, I said "They need a nail trim!" He was like "Oh joy.." He held them and I clipped their nails. It went GREAT! Easier than my dogs. I need to get better clippers though. I used big dog ones.. & they weren't sharp.
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 1, 2012 15:21:03 GMT
I tried having hub hold the pigs while I clipped. Every time they tried to jerk away, he would jump. I tried holding the pigs while hub did the clipping. Same result!!! My eyes are terrible, but I still find it easier to do it myself. I get to talk to them, pet and hold them, and get the post-clipping snuggles!
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Post by daisha on Jun 6, 2012 8:07:06 GMT
Yea..they seem to be. Some of them were really long and curled...took a long time to get them normal again.
A trick I've used with some of the squirmier ones is a blanket partially wrapped around them. They get to feel like they're hiding and I get a less jumpy guinea to work on.
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 6, 2012 12:34:14 GMT
Several people have had great success with the blanket approach. Some use bits of veggie to keep the pigs distracted. Glad you've found a way that works for you!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Jun 8, 2012 15:25:22 GMT
It is a job I hate too love, but luckily I have paul to hold the piggies for me. I am always afraid of taking too much off.
Hugs
JO xx
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what a good idea! I think if I did that with our bunnies bags, the smell of rabbit wee would be a giveaway straight away lol 
