# Hubby cut the quick - please make him feel better



## Sar-uh (Sep 6, 2011)

My husband and I were trying to trim Petunia's nails and he accidentally cut the quick. I dipped her foot in flour to help stop the bleeding and we're going to keep checking on her. He feels so awful. I told him that a lot of hedgie owners do it, and to not feel bad.

Please send some encouragement.


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## Quills_&_Tails (Aug 28, 2011)

Tell him that almost every pet owner will make that mistake at least once in their pet owning life! it's okay, it was an accident!


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## Sar-uh (Sep 6, 2011)

Thanks, Hedgies101. We just checked her foot - not bleeding anymore, just a little scab. Petunia's acting like nothing happened, and is chowing down on kibble. I will be giving her more footbaths, which she hates, but she'll get over it.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

I recently cut Milly's quick for the first time ever :shock: It bled, and bled, and bled, and bled. I tried flour. I tried corn starch. And it still bled. I felt absolutely rotten about it, until I realized that Milly didn't even realize that she should have been in pain :lol: 

We all do it. No matter how careful you are, if you have a hedgie who doesn't sit perfectly still for nail clipping (I wish!), you're gonna do it. It's gotta get done, and most of us have to do it in the "get in and get the heck out" style, so it's pretty much inevitable. She will be fine, and I doubt she even remembers what happened.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Everyone will do it at some point in time. It happens no matter how careful we try to be. I find often that the more careful I try to be the more likely I am to cut too short as I hesitate for that perfect timing which of course makes hedgie more nervous and likely to move. 

One time I was certain I'd cut Pagen's toe off. He jerked just as I snipped and he bled like I've never seen blood before. I was crying so hard I couldn't see his toe but my daughter came home just then and said his toe was fine. I figured he'ed never like me again. 

It happens and anyone who owns a hedgehog for any length of time and says it never has, is either lying or they don't trim nails. :lol:


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## Sar-uh (Sep 6, 2011)

Thank you everyone for your support! My hubby will be glad to hear that he isn't alone 

I just gave Petunia a footbath, and it was super stressful for both of us. She always freaks out and scrambles like mad when I'm trying to dry her.

Here's the concerning part: I looked at her back foot, and there is definitely a scab. Then I noticed that her front foot is now bleeding! We didn't cut that one, so I think she may have done it herself from digging into things so furiously  I dipped in flour and will check it again after she has calmed down.

The poor thing. She hates baths so much that she does all she can to get away from me. I had bloody paw prints and poop all over me. She's napping in her hedgie bag on my lap after eating a few mealies. SIgh...

I hope we don't have to go to the vet. It would be great if she could show me a good method for trimming nails, but she said that she always sedates them first.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

When you give her a foot bath, where do you do it? My beautiful TW boy Waylon RIP, was terrified of foot baths, especially in the sink. I started doing his foot baths in the hedgie room using a medium sized bin with a towel in the bottom and just enough warm water to soak the towel. I gave him a few balls and things to capture his attention. He was far less stressed doing it this way.


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## Sar-uh (Sep 6, 2011)

Nancy said:


> When you give her a foot bath, where do you do it? My beautiful TW boy Waylon RIP, was terrified of foot baths, especially in the sink. I started doing his foot baths in the hedgie room using a medium sized bin with a towel in the bottom and just enough warm water to soak the towel. I gave him a few balls and things to capture his attention. He was far less stressed doing it this way.


I'll try that next time. I've just been doing them in the bathroom sink with a piece of fleece at the bottom. Our sink is pretty shallow, and she can easily climb out, so I have to keep setting her back in the water.


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## Sar-uh (Sep 6, 2011)

Update: Petunia's paws are healing up nicely, just a couple of tiny scabs. Her nails still need trimmed, but we'll take it one day at a time  

Hubby has had some great bonding sessions with her since the incident. Last night she snuggled up on his chest and he stroked her nose while she dozed off. He said,"She's never let me do this before." So sweet! I love our little family


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Your last post made me smile. It's so wonderful to bond with them. It's also wonderful to see people you love bonding with them too. Sounds like she didn't hold it against him.


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## Sar-uh (Sep 6, 2011)

So true, PJM. After all the time, money, and worry spent on these little darlings, bonding makes it all worth it  

Hubby and I tried a new tactic for cutting nails tonight, and it worked! When we first wake Petunia up and lift her out of her cage, she's always kind of dazed and sits very still for a good minute or so. We seized this opportunity to nab a few of her nails! Victory! I hope this method continues to work.


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