[Gpdd] [CARE]<nail cutting>
Janneke Staaks
jannekestaaks at hotmail.com
Mon Mar 26 10:47:11 EDT 2007
Hi M and Fugly,
Although i admit it's convenient to teach a piggie to lie on its back, it is
not at all neccesary to have him like this. Most of our pigs don't like
lying on their back and i wouldn't want to cut their nails when they are
waving their paws. I have several methods, depending on the piggy and it's
current mood.
1. I take a blanket or towel and put it on the table. Place the piggy on it
(i use the blanket becaue the table is slippery and it makes them more
comfortable) and i distract the piggy with his or her favourite veggie. So
the pig is on all fours or lying on its belly and i just take his or her paw
and clip the nails. I usually use this method with suus. I call it her
pedicure. (because that is how she looks like).
2. I've seen a judge on a show cut a pig like this and it works for me too.
I just put the pig on my lap, again belly down, and just take a paw and clip
away.
3. This is what i do when they struggle more. I take the pig with my left
hand, against my belly on my lap, so that the pig stands up on its hind
legs. I do the back paws by putting my rightmiddle finger under their
footsole, so that they stand on it and clip with my thumb and index finger.
4. with even more struggle, I need mieke to assist me. Then I take the pig
with my left hand under their bottom, their back against my belly and my
right hand for head and front paws. You can use your fingers to help the
other person reach the paws. Just try different variations, for example
indexfinger, paw, middlefinger, head, ringfinger, paw (depends on which paw
you want, but it's convenient to use your fingers as a fence to keep the
person that is helping you safe. The one that is clipping the nails can then
just clip them. (i hope this makes sense to you)
5. For the really difficult piggies there's indeed the piggie blanket.I
don't remember how we did that.You just make sure that the paw you want
sticks out. I prefer method 4 with difficult piggies.
For teaching them to lie on their back, just do it every now and then.Maybe
while you are doing check ups, but don't start clipping nails right away.
Only my Jan likes being on his back, and not always and only when it's
comfortable. It is convenient however for checking genital areas and such.
So here it goes.
1. Sit down on a couch, put your knees up so that you pig is not totally
horizontal but slightly diagonal. this way you can face them. I prefer the
other way around btw. 2. Then i just sit normally and rest them on my belly
and my upper legs, they prefer this too btw. 3. What i also do when i want
to check their bottom area is use the technique of the previous move 4 (pigs
head and ribs against my chest, bottom slightly forward).
Good Luck!
Janneke
p.s. i was able to cut Jan's toe nails on his back for the first time this
weekend (it has taken me more than a year to get him used to this stage) it
was sooo convenient. I could see so much more.
p.p.s. jan says thank you and brrrrrrrrrr to birdie and penny. he agrees ;-)
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