[Gpdd] Care: trimming nails

[Glenda English]

Hello everyone.

It's ironic that there are several messages about nail trimming in my digest this morning.  DD and I are slaves to our two piggies, Callie and Cookie.  Callie is 4 years old and Cookie is 3 months old.  They still live in separate cages, as they try to fight it out when they're together.  They do get to talk through the cages and have floor time in their cozies, which is really cute.  They talk and touch noses.  It's in the big cage that they both become dominant, unwilling to give even an millimeter.  They're happy, though, and that's what counts.

It was time to take Callie to the vet "to get her nails done", and since Cookie's baby nails are sharp like cat claws, we decided to take her too.  I made an appointment and we went yesterday afternoon.  Cookie and Callie both have very long cuticles, and I'm nervous about doing it myself.  They each have three white feet and one black foot.  It's weird that their feet match exactly on the color scheme.  Front right foot on each is jet black with black nails.  Our vet tech, Ashley, is great at it though.  He trimmed Callie's with no problem and was able to trim "Squirmy Cookie's" fairly easily.  He pretty much "tipped" Cookie's, since there really wasn't much growth, just sharp points beginning to get some curl-under to them.

Both of our girls behaved, didn't fuss and didn't use the potty in their cozies either.  I was a very proud piggy mom.  For a nominal fee ($5 each), they get the trim and everyone at the office gets to visit with them.  This was Cookie's first trip to the vet and she did very well.

Our vet sees a few guinea pigs, but not that often.  The doctor and the vet techs love our two babies and think they are so cute.  We also got them weighed.  Cookie weighs right at 1 pound, but still looks really slim because of her age.  She eats all the time.  Callie, at her mature stage in life, weighed in at 2.6 pounds.  She's round and healthy, but not fat.  They eat well (actually better than we do) and love their hay, guinea pig food, spinach, dandelion greens fresh from the yard, cantaloupe, apple, orange and honey dew melon.  Neither likes cucumber and will only occasionally nibble watermelon, strawberries or banana.  Callie alone likes the very dark green part of romaine, but only every so often. Same with baby carrots.  She had gotten kind of finicky, but is eating better since we got Cookie three weeks ago.  We swear they have ESP, since you can look over there and they're eating or doing the same thing at the same time in their cages.  

I love these two girls, and my daughter does too.  We tag team it at night before bed time with her giving them hay and food and adding extra bedding if needed, and I hit the fridge for the fruit and veg.  They start talking as soon as they hear the fridge door and love the sounds of plastic bags.  They brighten our day and I can't wait to see them first thing in the morning.  They get fresh goodies in the morning, as a late afternoon snack when DD gets home from school around 3:30 and again around 10 p.m.  They are shiny and happy.  They're both getting baths on Saturday.  Callie does good, but this will be Cookie's first one.  Should be interesting.  They're both short hairs, so don't get their "Saturday nite baths" all that often.  But they both need one now.  Their hair under their chins seems a little sticky/stiff  from cantaloupe and honey dew juice. 

Sorry it got a little long.  I just can't help it when it comes to "the girls".  Callie is calico (mostly black and white with two patches of light strawberry blonde), and Cookie black and white, just like an Oreo cookie.  Hence the name.

Have a good weekend, ya'll.

Glenda in Douglas, GA