Nail Clippers

[Joe Bachi]

Hey guys,

Today I went to a pet shop and bought a pair of parrot nail clippers.

Mikko's nails aren't exactly that long but I thought it would be better to get him used to the gadget.

Surprisingly it went well! I allowed Mikko to play with it with his beak for a while, then I held the clippers and touched his nails with them. He was very cooperative and even lifted his foot and allowed me to correctly position the clippers around his nail and pretend to clip them.

I know that "pretending to clip" is not nearly as difficult as actually clipping but I do hope that with time and practice we will get there

This is a good step I assume?

Do you think this kind of training will help prevent the use of toweling in the future? (I really hope so)

Also what do you guys do when it's time to clip your pet's nails (that is if that time comes for you cz I know that not all nails grow at the same rate)

Regards

Joe

[Talon]

My birds go to the vet once a year for nail clipping. I would never do it myself, I am too afraid of cutting it too short since you cant see the dark nail and having it bleed. When that happens, there foot is sore for a couple of days and they hold it up mostly.

[DawL]

I agree about the nail file. I hate clipping bird nails for the same reason as Talon. I don't like to do it if I can't see the nail quick. I prefer to file their nails to keep them from getting really sharp, and once a year take them in for a trim if they need it. Most of the birds I have worked with were very willing to have their nails filed, and some of them seemed to really enjoy it.

[Luvparrots]

My daughter helps me with my parrots' nail clipping. I hold, she clips off the tips with nail clippers.

[DawL]

My daughter helps me with my parrots' nail clipping. I hold, she clips off the tips with nail clippers.

 

You guys are brave!

[Mistyparrot]

I never clip Misty. He has a variety of different sized branches around the room that naturally keep his nails and beak in trim. It is mostly birds that spend a lot of time caged that have nail problems because cage bars are useless at trimming and often there are not enough climbing and gnawing branches because of space contraints.

If you have to use clippers be aware that parrots tallons are living tissue that have blood vessels so a poorly judged cut will cause severe bleeding.Only trim the very tips. Remember they need their nails to grip and climb. They are not useless appendages. Take your bird to a vet who will show and explain the best way.

 

Steve n Misty

[Gwen]

I also, like "luvparrots", do clip my bird's nails. Part of my duties as a vet tech for 30 yrs. was nails & teeth. I feel comfortable clipping and am aware on long talons that the quick is close, so the first time w/ my grey was "testing" his reaction & being conservative. Amazingly, being a rehome, I thought he would freak !!! I always play with his toes when he is climbing around. He doesn't even know or care I'm clipping !!

 

Also, the one cement perch he naps on has seemed to keep them groomed, so for the last 6 mo. I haven't had to clip ---

[danmcq]

We use a variable speed nail grinder. Dayo does not like it, but it works great. Sometimes when just the tips are pin point sharp, he does let my wife use her nail file on them and he seems to enjoy that interaction with her. He of course does beak it and try to take it away from her as well. But, it is always a positive experience versus the demon from hell nail grinder.

[birdhouse]

That's a pretty impressive start. Especially considering Mikko seemed a little touchy about his feet when you first got him!

 

I do my guys nails. Phenix is just extreme about not having his feet even touched! He came that way & he's only ever gotten a little better. But only because the flush around his eyes doesn't change anymore & he gets over it more quickly, now. Fortunately, I rarely have to do his nails because the variety of perches really works. It almost seems like his nails never grow. Once in a while I do need to blunt them, though.

 

Kura's nails are crazy. The different perches don't seem to help at all. Luckily, she's learned to be really good about clipping them. But I never force the issue, either. If she's just not in the mood, I just try again later. I just find it's easier for me to use regular human clippers, stand her on the shower stand in the bathroom & close the door from any distractions.

 

Just in case, I've always brought a small cup of cornstarch because it's good to stop bleeding. But w/her, it's turned out to be good bribery! lol We go slow, make a game out of it & every once in a while she gets to help herself to the cornstarch. She does like to eat it, but she likes to get it all over probably just as much. Easy enough to clean up & I love that there's almost never any drama or trauma.

 

EDIT I just re-read that. Don't want to give the impression that bloodletting should be a matter of course! But it happens, so I'm always prepared. I have drawn as much as a couple of drops of blood 3 different times in the past 20 yrs. I think it was more traumatic for me because I still remember every time. Everyone else, except Phenix, seemed to be over it 10 minutes later.

Edited December 28, 2011 by birdhouse

[Lex]

I take my hahns macaw and cag to the vets for this plus it gets them use to the trip out and they get use to the vets that bit more. Cut in too far and they bleed real bad so i`ve stayed away from doing this.

[shanlung]

I am psychologically incapable of clipping parrot toe nail. After one unforgettable bout where I over clipped Tinkerbell that first time I clipped her. Seeing the blood dripping out, with her looking on at me with wide staring eyes was more than I could take.

 

No medication at home and no vet to call on and frantic calls for help on Internet in 2002 went unanswered.

 

I had to sit with her in a darkened room to minimise movement for a couple of hours before the bleeding stopped.

 

It is filing of claws after that. After I treated that as a game to be played. No towelling required at all.

 

That process of training for toe filing was much better documented with Riamfada.

Perhaps that might help you too.

 

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2008/11/

 

Read any entries on nail filer or claw filing. Took us about 4-5 days. During which time I continued to let my blood and marrow flowed from her needle sharp claws. I rather my blood flowed than hers until I could 'toe toe toe' her to cue her it was time for that wonderful game of nail filing. She then presented her foot to be filed.

 

That was within the month of her coming to me. A wild caught CAG and bitey in the first couple of days when she first came.

 

As for Jackie, I am using a different technique now.

 

Jackie as a Greater Indian Hill Mynah was too wild then to be trained for claw filing as that first required clicker training first, and the clicker training of him will require him to fly to me and the puncturing of my arm and hand from his needle sharp claws.

 

I decided to pre-emptively get his claws blunt first.

 

What I did is best seen in

 

Woes of a hill mynah food formulator // Jackie getting to know me

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/133495.html

 

and in

 

Shanlung foraging for birdies // Jackie and clicker training // climate change

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/134514.html

Edited December 31, 2011 by shanlung

[Joe Bachi]

thank you for your replies everyone

I actually did clip him myself yesterday.

I posted this on another thread

This just in:

More progress, this time it's huge,

today during our training session Mikko allowed me to clip his nails !

No towel no restraints no nothing!

I just showed him the clippers and once he was done playing with them i went straight to buisness; i positionned them around the nail while he was standing on a perch in his cage and clipped right away

he didn't even notice he was being groomed! And made no reaction at all. When i was done i gave him a lot of treats lol.

Not too bad for a wild caught ;D

regards

joe