soremi
Foraging Degu
Posts: 109 
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Post by soremi on Feb 28, 2016 13:15:52 GMT
My older degu Georgia has got really long "curly" nails, like hooks. She always stuck on almost all fabrics and I am quite sure that those nails change her walking way. She walks different now. She got a lot of wood, some terracotta and river rock but nails are still pretty long. I think that they are too long to be shorten by walking on that stuff. Do you think that I suppose to cut tips of her nails? Or she will be ok? When I compare nails of Alabama her nails are sharp but they are much more short and also more straight. Georgia has nails 3 times longer and just hook shape.
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 28, 2016 15:51:10 GMT
Yes, they will need trimming. Use the length of the active degu's nails as a guide how short to cut them, you don't want to cut into the 'quick' and make them bleed. If in doubt, get the vet or vet nurse to do them for you or show you how to do it. I've trimmed a couple of the inside ones on the back feet of one of my older lazy girls, I lured her into a good position and then gave her something good to eat to occupy her for a minute and then made the little snip with sharp penknife scissors.
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Post by bouncy on Feb 28, 2016 16:39:27 GMT
Yes, they will need trimming. Use the length of the active degu's nails as a guide how short to cut them, you don't want to cut into the 'quick' and make them bleed. If in doubt, get the vet or vet nurse to do them for you or show you how to do it. I've trimmed a couple of the inside ones on the back feet of one of my older lazy girls, I lured her into a good position and then gave her something good to eat to occupy her for a minute and then made the little snip with sharp penknife scissors. The quick is the blood vessel that grows partly along the inside the claws. If you wait too long before trimming, the quick can grow longer too, which will limit how much you car cut off in the future. If you do decide to cut them yourself, do a little at a time and, if you do go a little short and there is some blood, don't panic. Just dip the paw in some cornflour, which will help stop it. |
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soremi
Foraging Degu
Posts: 109
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Post by soremi on Feb 28, 2016 17:12:54 GMT
Don't panic? I was overwhelmed by guilt when I let Georgia go on my hand and she got that static electric microshock from my sweater. Even if I know that it weren't hurt a lot her squeak will torture my conscience for ever. I think I will get her to vet or let to do it my friend who trims his guinea pig regurarly. God d**n it, growing vessel... And vet told me to just put some river rocks into her walking area...
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Post by bouncy on Feb 28, 2016 17:28:22 GMT
We used to clip our guinea pigs. It's slightly easier, because you can use a light to see the quick in the claw, but we still occasionally cut a little too short. Ther were a couple of drops of blood, and then they ran off absolutely fine.
With the piggies, we were told it would take a month of long claws before the quick startr to lengthen.
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