Top 100 Cavy Breeders

Poppy · Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject: How to do nail??

white nails.. EASY can see the "quick"

Black nails... HOW???????

anyone got a tip on that?? Rolling Eyes

Pingley Dell Cavies · Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:57 pm Post subject:

You get a feel for the length once you've done a few white nails.

But there are two ways to know--one is that there is a little groove along the underneath of the nail and where that begins is where there is no quick ie where its grown out. Its not always that obvious on every pig though.

You can also shine a torch right through the nail and see where the quick is even on black nails you'll see it.

If you do cut the quick its no deal, just hold the toe in some flour for a while as that will stop the bleeding.

Eggstar Cavies · Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject: Cutting Toe Nails

Hi Vicky,

Flour well thats a new one to me I have never heard of flour before to stop bleeding, canit be used on all animals ie Dogs / Rabbits & Cats, I use stop bleed which is for dogs etc, if I ever cut a nail a bit to far, but after a while it goes all hard and horrid and have to chuck the pot away!!!!
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Pingley Dell Cavies · Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:35 pm Post subject:

Hi Sally

Yeah I don't see any reason not to use it on any animal, I even use it on me since I HATE the sight of blood, I go all funny! Laughing

Its great, I always pour out a little egg cup of flour before embarking on nail clipping duty. You sometimes get the odd one who will move at the wrong moment and you do feel so guilty!

Once I had a pig pull off her entire nail! I held her stumpy toe in flour for about an hour to get all the bleeding to stop, but it did.

On this subject of nicking the quick, if anyone ever needs a pig to have a blood test, this is the very best method. Piggy veins are small, fairly hard to find, and their skin is thick--it is honestly like trying to inject a shoe! So needles in viens HURT, but a clipped nail is pretty painless, and you get a good amount of blood out that way for sending off to the lab. I have always had this in mind in case a vet wants to take blood, and I'll insist on it being done this way.

lilaccavies · Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:47 pm Post subject:

I didn't know about the flour either till now. Thanks for that little gem. Very Happy

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smithsville stud · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:11 pm Post subject:

Vicky where do you get all your great information on medical matters!! Your not that old so it not that you been in the guinea pig world years!! Your our helpful nurse/vet on the forum ! Very Happy

Pingley Dell Cavies · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:47 pm Post subject:

I don't know really, I just read things, talk to people and remember helpful things, and try them out myself. I have little faith in vets because they have mullered so many of the treatments towards my pigs over the years, i feel like its up to me.

I have posted on CG (cavies galore) for years and I'm known as Vickyspigs on there. I picked up a LOT of things from members on there, like PatV (she's excellent) and TheMenagerie.

Peter Gurney's books are fab, though I wish I could have talked to him in person!!

Another great site for in-depth info is Guinealynx, although I dont post there as the people can tend to jump down your throat (!) Where they are, USA, they have the priviledge of having excellent vets--its a case of walk in and let the vet do his thing, full trust, no issues.

Round here the vets are worse than pants. If one of my pigs gets ill its up to me to try and figure out whats best to do, and I use the internet to find the answers. If I walked in to my vets surgery and just let them get on with things they have suggested to me, far more of my pigs would have died. They wanted to take out Precious eye--because it was BAD, very swelled, calloussed over, and infected. They told me the eyeball had burst and there was no saving it--I walked out and refused surgery as she is 6 years old, no way would I put her through that! I wanted eye drops for her, they refused.

I got on the net and my lovely friend PatV told me that if the eyeball HAD burst, it would be dribbled down her face, and even then it would just scab over like a crater. I decided to take Pat's advice and moisturise the eye every 3 hours with Viscotears gel, and after 2 weeks the eye healed COMPLETELY. No sight loss, nothing. Precious is absoluetly fine and the vet should be ashamed to suggest taking that eye out.

There have been other cases where I was stupid enough to let them pressure me into following their advice and my pigs did lose their lives. Never letting that happen again! There's a million things you can do at home, and always an answer out there somewhere! You just have to be brave and believe you can do it.

I struggle with that sometimes, like right now, I have ordered the buccal pad seperators and tooth files from the CCT, to treat molar malloclusion, and I'm trying to get the courage to actually do it. So far I've managed to towel wrap, settle the pig on her back, insert the seperators and have a look in the mouth, but nothing else. I need to be more confident and just do it. Its hard. The pig wiggles and they have to be STILL. My towel wrapping is crappy, I need to do it more securely.

My aim for the future is to go to Cambridge and train on the CCT rodentology course. Then I can throw some actual weight at the vets in this area, and get some changes in place with treatments to guineapigs.

smithsville stud · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:09 pm Post subject:

Well I am glad you are here to give advise!! I have loads of books I find the Diseases of the domestic guinea pig is my bible with rescue piggies i get in!! I do not use vets unless really nessary !! Some itme you just have to if one piggie is suffereing and needs putting down! I wish I could do that too in the comfort of my arms! But unfortunately NO! Vets have that over us!

Well keep the info coming its great !

Pingley Dell Cavies · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:49 pm Post subject:

Well thanks:) I don't pretend to be any kind of expert because I am NOT, I just try to do what I think is the best. But I have to agree with you, when you have lots of pigs, you cant trot to the vet for any little thing.

Poppy · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:57 pm Post subject: nails??

Experiences win over qualification!! Very Happy

I rather talk to person with expereince than one with qualification!!

its same with me in my other hobby.. my hobby is aromathearpy and herb.. (I not yet attempt aromatherapy on piggies apart that I know can use lavender oil!! still learning and researching.. any help on point right direction is grateful accept! Very Happy

)
anyway back what i was saying.. I had years of experience on aromathearpy and herbs.. not yet qualification until I met a lady who just passed recently when i met her.. she say to a pregnant woman that can use sage tea.. I was gobsmacked and grab the lady when they finish conversation told the lady NOT to use it and try raspberry and peppermint instead!! Now I have qualification not high level but its bit of paper that make people listen to me more.. that is so sad people seems to think vet is best person because they have qualification, when you all have experience..
I am glad I here because I will learn alot from you all and become good, and willing pass down the info I learn to new people (I even wrote down lot of useful tips from here in my "piggie's bible" it actually a notebook!!

would be interest to start a new thread, to find out what people write in their notebook about their piggie!