First Time Clipping Woes
Here's nail clipping pictures! (I've not used photobucket in a long time, hope this works!)
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2308ea.jpg
Me holding Gus getting ready to trim nails on left hind foot. Gus is about 3 months old and has had this done twice (I think). He's not real comfortable being handled yet, but is a pretty calm pig. His body is up against my stomach and he really can't go anywhere. He would probably be even happier if he had a towel to stand on, because the counter is a little slippery. He is nice and calm here.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2312ea.jpg
Clipping his left front foot. He's still not worried.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2314ea.jpg
This is the right hind foot. He is kicking a little bit here, but overall doing well.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2313ea.jpg
Right front foot. It isn't real obvious from the pictures, but he is well restrained. His body is against my stomach. He can't go backwards because my arm and hand are there and my other hand is in front of him.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2321ea.jpg
This is Gizmo, my bitey pig. He is high strung and does not take well to handling (but is only 3 months old, so I have hope!). He does not tolerate hands in front of him (he races forward to push me out of the way) or hands over his back or shoulders (he will fling and push until he is out from under my hand). I probably should wear a long sleeve shirt since I have bare skin right by his face if he should become unhappy with me... So far he has handled trims really well. I just have to be a bit more patient about him wiggling!
[Pictures cropped, added - Lynx]
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2308ea.jpg
Me holding Gus getting ready to trim nails on left hind foot. Gus is about 3 months old and has had this done twice (I think). He's not real comfortable being handled yet, but is a pretty calm pig. His body is up against my stomach and he really can't go anywhere. He would probably be even happier if he had a towel to stand on, because the counter is a little slippery. He is nice and calm here.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2312ea.jpg
Clipping his left front foot. He's still not worried.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2314ea.jpg
This is the right hind foot. He is kicking a little bit here, but overall doing well.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2313ea.jpg
Right front foot. It isn't real obvious from the pictures, but he is well restrained. His body is against my stomach. He can't go backwards because my arm and hand are there and my other hand is in front of him.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... 2321ea.jpg
This is Gizmo, my bitey pig. He is high strung and does not take well to handling (but is only 3 months old, so I have hope!). He does not tolerate hands in front of him (he races forward to push me out of the way) or hands over his back or shoulders (he will fling and push until he is out from under my hand). I probably should wear a long sleeve shirt since I have bare skin right by his face if he should become unhappy with me... So far he has handled trims really well. I just have to be a bit more patient about him wiggling!
[Pictures cropped, added - Lynx]
- GP_mum
- Supporter in '13
Thanks for sharing the pictures. The pigs look really quite calm and I'm always on the look out for how people trim the front paws on their own. The hold looks similar to a video posted but clearer in that you've mentioned how the pig can't really have much room to wriggle and move around.
Lynx- You can permanently add the pics and use them in the nail clipping page too. I don't mind!
LS in AK - There is some stink eye going on. During the day I often drop treats in the cage. This isn't what Gus had in mind. And I'm not so sure about those abbys - what a spunky little pig Gizmo is. He certainly wants to do things his way!
LS in AK - There is some stink eye going on. During the day I often drop treats in the cage. This isn't what Gus had in mind. And I'm not so sure about those abbys - what a spunky little pig Gizmo is. He certainly wants to do things his way!
- Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
By the way, I FINALLY got these up! (was looking around for something and noticed a thread where I asked for permission, got it, and forgot to add them).
I also added an entry on the nail clipping page:
https://www.guinealynx.info/nails.html#counter
I especially like countertops as they allow your pig (often) to feel more relaxed if hand feeding or, in this case, clipping nails.
I also added an entry on the nail clipping page:
https://www.guinealynx.info/nails.html#counter
I especially like countertops as they allow your pig (often) to feel more relaxed if hand feeding or, in this case, clipping nails.
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- Supporter in '11
You are brave to clip by youself. I always hold them upright in my lap facing away from me while my husband clips. I can hold each paw and toe still while he cuts.
What clippers do you use? We've had good luck with small animal clippers. They are small scissors with a round hole in the blade. We found these work better on their round nails than human nail clippers which are designed for flat nails.
What clippers do you use? We've had good luck with small animal clippers. They are small scissors with a round hole in the blade. We found these work better on their round nails than human nail clippers which are designed for flat nails.
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- Supporter in '11
Quiet Wren- your pictures hadn't downloaded on my screen when I wrote the above. They are fantastic and I am impressed.
Look at Gus! What a fine gentleman holding up through the dreaded clipping.
Even after almost a year, I need my partner to physically restrain Harvey. He fights, bites and squeals like he's being murdered... Drama king. Roger needs restrained, but he's not a fighter. He'll stay there and it's over so much faster and I have less wounds. I'm going to try the Gus method myself - I just got small rodent clippers.
Even after almost a year, I need my partner to physically restrain Harvey. He fights, bites and squeals like he's being murdered... Drama king. Roger needs restrained, but he's not a fighter. He'll stay there and it's over so much faster and I have less wounds. I'm going to try the Gus method myself - I just got small rodent clippers.
It's actually a pretty relaxed hold. I've found that the tighter I hold, the more they fight me! So I hold the paw gently and move with them until they relax - then snip! Then repeat. It mostly takes patience.
Gizmo is a nipper. Anything that doesn't suit him 100% earns me a nip. Brat. :) So doing his nails is more challenging! He has never bit hard enough to hurt or leave a mark, but he makes me NERVOUS!
Gizmo is a nipper. Anything that doesn't suit him 100% earns me a nip. Brat. :) So doing his nails is more challenging! He has never bit hard enough to hurt or leave a mark, but he makes me NERVOUS!