My guinea pig bites when I try to play or trim his nails. What to do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can try to get someone to help you clip her nails by holding her in the process. If that does not work, it would be best to have this done at your veterinarian's office as they are experts in restraining and making sure that is done appropriately. Best of luck!

Hi. First, thanks for taking such good care of Ralph! It sounds like you’re doing a great job trying to fix a problem you were handed. The soaking and topical dressing sounds good and should help. However, the hanging scab of tissue there is likely to get caught on things again or trap debris in the wound. It needs to be removed. It would be best to remove it with some local anesthetic for pain reliever and also in a controlled environment where it can be cleaned and bleeding can be well controlled. Also, pododermatitis (infection and inflammation of the feet) can extend into the bones and can be hard to control without interventions like surgery and medications like antibiotics and pain medication. Therefore, a trip to the veterinarian is really the best thing for Ralph at this stage. Check AEMV.org to find an exotic mammal vet near you. Good luck!

This sounds normal. He is just not used to being picked up/held. You have to train him to accept this handling. Currently he is training you that when he bites you put him down and he gets his way. Here is a link to an article that may help you. Hope this helps. Best wishes. ( http://www.cavyspirit.com/biting.htm )

It does sound as if your guinea pig is painful in this area. I would recommend avoiding touching it and picking him up as much as possible. I would also recommend that you check to make sure he is pooping normally and there is no feces caked around his rectum. If he is eating and drinking and otherwise acting normally, there is probably nothing you need to do. If, however, he stops wanting to eat or becomes lethargic you will have to take him in to be examined by a veterinarian. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

The nails of your guinea pig are borderline long, . The nails help your guinea pig to have traction on smooth surfaces. This is important, as a guinea pig is a prey animal and needs to get away quickly , if necessary. You can use normal nail clippers to cut Milo's nails. Make sure you inspect the nails thoroughly and do not cut into the quick (where the blood vessel runs). It may be best to have a vet tech at your vet's show you how to do this properly.

Thanks for reaching out about Gem and including a photo. She might be biting due to discomfort or pain. The eye being closed is commonly caused by an ocular trauma or infection. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Cookie and including photos. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. This could be due to bite wounds but also possible dental disease. As guinea pigs mature, they might become more territorial and competitive. Is a larger cage possible, providing multiple feeding and water stations, more hiding places. Not all individuals get along, and might need to be separated. Good luck.