Feet |
| | Nails |
 | A pig's nails constantly grow, like ours. Try to provide an area where they will naturally get worn down, for example a concrete area for them to run on, or pieces of paving slab or stone in their exercise area. However even with this you may need to occasionally trim them. I check mine every week but probably only need to trim them every 4-6 weeks or so. |
 | You can use human nail clippers and need to make sure you don't cut to the quick. You can see this like a vein in the claw (use a strong light behind the nail if the pig has black claws. Leave a couple of milimetres from the end of the quick if you are not sure. Hold their paw and simply clip the end off. It really is something which you will get better at with practise and the more confident you are, the less your piggies will resist! |
 | If you're not sure how you can take them to your vets to have them clipped and get them to show you how to do it. Some pet shops offer this service too. If you do ever cut the nail too far back and it bleeds, dip the claw in some cornflour and this will help stop the bleeding. If this doesn't work, take him to a vet. |
| Spurs |
 | Sometimes on the pads of the front paws, you will see some hard spurs sticking out from the pads. These are made of dead skin/ nail material and can be trimmed off to avoid them catching on anything. Use a pair of nail clippers leaving a small part of it behind to make sure you don't cut too far back and hurt their feet, causing them to bleed. |
| Extra toes |
 | Occasionally you will come across a pig who has extra toes (normal is four front toes on each foot, three each on the back ones). These do not cause the pig any problems so you can leave them as they are. They are more common where inbreeding has taken place. |
| Bald patches on inside front legs |
 | This is completely normal. All piggers have a bald patch on the inside of their front legs. |
| Bumblefoot |
I have never come across this condition but it is recognisable because the pads of the foot become inflamed and sore. It is more common when the cavy has been housed on a wire bottomed cage (a big no-no) or there is damp matter underfoot because the bedding has not been changed frequently enough. Take your pig to the vet if you see these symptoms. |
