# trimming my hedgehogs nails



## kmazzze (Jan 12, 2011)

I recently rescued an unwanted hedgehog. Her nails are much too long but she does not trust me to enough to unroll in my hands to trim her nails. I was wondering about putting some of the scrachy stuff they put on ramps for some animals on her wheel so maybe she would file them down. The problem is I am scared that will hurt her feet. I just don't know what to do please help!!!


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Unfortunately a hedgehog's feet are too sensitive for that kind of method. There are several tricks, one is during a foot bath, a hedgehog will not ball up in the water, but I wouldn't recommend attempting this if you haven't had her long, hedgehogs for the most part hate water, so it may stress her out too much. The main thing to look at is are they curving back into the feet, if not, you got some time. When having her out and while she starts to trust you, play with her feet, hopefully she'll get use to it. And you don't always get the trim them all, if you can get one nail a night, you're doing good. Hope that helps.

But avoid any of the 'sand paper' methods.


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## kmazzze (Jan 12, 2011)

there are only a couple that are super long I am really worried about her getting them caught but I may have to wait a little while because the bath thing won't work right now because it is just too cold here and I don't want to get her wet. Her room is the only room she can really be in because I keep it super warm just for her but the rest of the house is pretty cold. I think I may just wait a week or two to see if I can't get her unballing in my hand a little bit I am super scared of hurting her when doing it though


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Does she have a wheel, that would be the only issue, especially if its a wire/mesh style. Nail trimming is the hardest part of owning a hedgehog, if anyone can help you that is always a bonus. The main issue besides the nail curving back around is wheel activity, as it can make them stop wheeling. I have a girl who's a real grump and hard to trim, they're long but not grossly long, and she still runs like a maniac, except I can hear the nails.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

[quote="Puffers315"I have a girl who's a real grump and hard to trim, they're long but not grossly long, and she still runs like a maniac, except I can hear the nails.[/quote]

sorry to jump in here...well, at least it's nail-related... :roll:

puffers...I assume you're talking about Hester Sue? How DO you trim her nails? I managed to get most of Snarf's done one night...3 hours of pet, pet, pet, closer, closer, closer, got a foot, got a foot, lost a foot, pet, pet, pet... :roll: I can get away with petting (without a blanket) is Snarf is partially covered and I only pet his butt.

I kinda have help...my BF is afraid of hurting him (big, strong hands but he says he doesn't have enough feelings in his fingers to know how hard he's squeezing) but he'll do it if I make him do it. :lol:

Baths won't work - Snarf HATES water - even footbaths are hellish for everyone. :roll:

Any ideas? I scruffing the way to go now?

Any ideas?


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## amyyy (Jan 7, 2011)

I think it would be AWESOME for someone to post a video of how they trim the hedgies nails. I just got my hedgehog too and haven't had to do it yet. I will admit it's somthing I don't look forward too.


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## kmazzze (Jan 12, 2011)

She has a bucket wheel no holes in it to get her nails caught in but she has this wash cloth she has apparently had all her life or whatever she carries it everywhere and that is what i am scared she will get it caught in :|


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

Pete is a joy to be around (not as joyfull as Hester Sue though  ) and the only way I can trim her nails is to put her in the bathroom sink without water and do it very quickly. I just grab a foot when she is trying to climb the sink walls to escape, and cut the longest ones; then I put her in the sink again, wait for her to start climbing, grab another foot and clip the longest ones, and do that until we're done.



kmazzze said:


> there are only a couple that are super long I am really worried about her getting them caught but I may have to wait a little while because the bath thing won't work right now because it is just too cold here and I don't want to get her wet. Her room is the only room she can really be in because I keep it super warm just for her but the rest of the house is pretty cold. I think I may just wait a week or two to see if I can't get her unballing in my hand a little bit I am super scared of hurting her when doing it though


I use a big Sterilite bin when giving my hedgies their baths, that way I can put it in the warmest place of the house. You can get one of those bins and give her a bath in her room.


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## kmazzze (Jan 12, 2011)

That is a great idea about the bath thanks so much today she unrolled in my lap so we are making progress I don't think she was played with much where she was at so it may take a couple of weeks yet. How often do you give them a bath? I didn't think it was very often


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

kmazzze said:


> That is a great idea about the bath thanks so much today she unrolled in my lap so we are making progress I don't think she was played with much where she was at so it may take a couple of weeks yet. How often do you give them a bath? I didn't think it was very often


I try not to bathe them too frequently but sometimes I have to do it once a month because both my hedgies are a little messy when it comes to wheeling. Foot baths are more frequent though, Pete gets one once a week, Mustard gets one every other day or as needed, but I've been trying to cut back on those too as Pete is very afraid of water and Mustard has a tendency to put her nose under water and develop URI after it... so I've been getting the poop off their feet using a damp warm wash cloth. If it's not too messy it works well.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Don't have much advice to add at this point, looks like you've already gotten some good help! I just wanted to say thank you, kmazzze, for rescuing her.  Sounds like you're doing your best to take care of her right and she's very lucky to have you!


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## ScienceGrrl (Jan 4, 2011)

We've only had Ryoko for a couple weeks...so we've only clipped once. Had success using just a shallow cookie sheet with maybe quarter inch or less of warm water to make her un-ball. Then I can catch a foot and trim a nail real quick. She pulls way, I catch a foot and trim another nail. I was just able to get the 2 biggest nails on each foot, but it didn't last that long and she got a treat at the end. But she doesn't really get her belly wet at all so no fear of getting too cold. She was not a fan of it, but I hope to do this every so often even when she doesn't need a trim so she gets used to be grabbing a foot and holding for 15 seconds or so.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Good idea! I hadn't thought of a cookie sheet...verrry sneaky...

Oh, Snaaaaaaaaaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarf...come see what I've gooooooooot.... :twisted:


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## amyyy (Jan 7, 2011)

How do you know how far to trim?


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

amyyy said:


> How do you know how far to trim?


This isn't terribly helpful: as much as you can without cutting the quick. If you look really close at the nails, you will see a darker, reddened area inside the nail - that'd be the quick.

If you do cut it - I would think it happens a LOT with the squirmy little buggers - dip the foot/toe in flour/cornstarch to help stop the bleeding, then check it later to make sure it's healing okay and not bleeding and all the toes are still there. :lol:

My vet said, in response to my look of horror when he suggest *I* trim Snarf's nails, if you hit the quick, hedgies barely feel it and rarely is there any real injury. He might've been lying but I repeat it to myself whenever I (try to) trim Snarf's nails. :lol:


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

amyyy said:


> How do you know how far to trim?


Took me a few minutes, but I found a post with this picture originally from (I think) LizardGirl.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Lilysmommy said:


> Took me a few minutes, but I found a post with this picture originally from (I think) LizardGirl.


This is the same pic I wanted to post but couldn't find...Thanks!!


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## amyyy (Jan 7, 2011)

Miss C, your hilarious. . I am a bit nervous about doing it myself. It comforts me to hear that the vet said that too!

Awesome picture. .that helps immensly, when I get him out later I'll look at his nails and see if I can see the quick.

Do you just use regular finger nail clippers?


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Yup...regular clippers...some ppl use baby nail clippers.


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## misscalamity27 (Jan 25, 2013)

I'm so glad to see that they don't feel it much! Yesterday I was trimming Gus-Gus's nails (2years old now) and I hit the quick for the first time. I must not have hit it that much because there was not much blood. It appears that I only nicked it. I took his wheel out of his cage, rubbed bar soap on his nail just in case, though it had stopped bleeding after only 1 minute or so. A couple hours later before I went to bed I put a drop of neosporin on it... is there anything else I could be doing? Honestly, I felt absolutely horrible until I read this post, I guess I just figured he must be in a lot of pain. 


Thanks for any and all advice!

Shelby


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Nipping the quick happens, they feel it very little if at all. Kind of like how they'll run til their feet bleed without seeming to notice.

I use cuticle trimmers (the kind that look kind of like pliers, with a full hand grip) - better visibility and easier to control.


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## cardiologineer (Sep 29, 2012)

moxieberry said:


> Nipping the quick happens, they feel it very little if at all.


I second this. I've cut Zannah's quick a couple of times and she honestly seems less bothered than when I get it just right. :roll:


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## misscalamity27 (Jan 25, 2013)

Cuticle trimmers seem like a great idea! I'd there anything else I should do to prevent infection or just put a bit of neosporin on it daily for a few days?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

It doesn't even need neosporin unless you notice that it looks irritated after an hour or two. When it happens, I just press the foot firmly between my fingers for 30-60 seconds to help stop the blood, then they're good to go. Foot injuries of any sort heal very quickly. When you nip the quick, it's virtually nonexistent by the next day.


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## Erizo (Jul 25, 2012)

(3:12)
nail-clipping-12-12-15.mp4





(2:13)
nail-clipping-12-11-24.mp4





(1:35)
cut-quick-12-10-4.mp4





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The first thing I'd do is not look at nail clipping as one big project. Look at it as 'regular maintenance' and just take a couple clips on a regular basis. She will be in perfect shape before you know it. Just get a couple of the worst ones every few days.

I started Sophie on nail inspection / trimming right when I got her, at six weeks. She didn't like it at all. She gets a short foot and belly bath three times a week for poopy boots and I check her then. She used to squirm like crazy when we tried to handle her feet. Now it is just a part of her routine. Really, it only takes a few seconds to check her nails and take a couple of clips. Because it is part of her regular routine, nail clipping is never a big deal at all anymore.

There are only 18 nails and there are only six or eight nails that grow very quickly (mostly the back feet). You do have to keep an eye on the front nails a little differently than the back. The back nails tend to grow longer. The front nails tend to curl under, so even if they don't look long, they may to be clipped.

We use regular nail clippers, but a very small size; they are only about 1 1/2" long; much easier to handle than 'standard size' clippers. Some people use cuticle scissors; not a fan of them myself, but personal preference is probably the biggest factor.

Clippers:
http://serenebreezes.com/Sophies-pictures/clippers.jpg

Cropped:
http://serenebreezes.com/Sophies-pictur ... ers-cr.jpg

I think a lot of people make clipping harder than it needs to be by putting it off too long and clipping as little as possible. I break the 'horrible big job' down to 'easy small jobs'. This establishes 'regular routine' and eliminates 'only when needed' sessions that are traumatic for both hedgehog and owner.

During her foot and belly bath, I pick her up and kind of stand her up against my chest and look at her feet. She used to be resistant to having her feet handled, but now tolerates it quite well. She would try to twist and turn and pull her foot away. Taking just a couple of clips each time means that the nails will never get out of hand again. More importantly, a clip or two after every foot bath makes it a regular part of her routine which takes, literally, only a few seconds. The occasional 'big production' of HAVING to clip nails is unnecessarily difficult and stressful for everybody. I put her back up against my shirt. With one hand I take light hold of a foot with a couple of fingers and gently control her squirming with the heel of the hand. I line up my clips with the other hand.
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In a bit over a year I've come just a shade too close to the quick three times. Twice she didn't even notice and but a single drop of blood pooled in her nail both of those times. Didn't even drop out. One time she noticed aplenty. Like the other times, she didn't actually lose a drop of blood. A single drop pooled at the end of the nail. That's it. But it obviously hurt and she was not happy. How much of that was pain and how much was 'surprise' after the fact is hard to say.


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## momIImany (Oct 14, 2012)

Where do you live Erizo? Want to come over and do Mimzy's nails. We live in NC. Thank you for the videos. They are a great help and I plan to try it myself. I do her's in the sink - but she is a great climber!


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## Erizo (Jul 25, 2012)

momIImany - Ha! How about that. I'm in Waynesville, NC, about 45 minutes out of Asheville, and it is cold, cold, cold right now.

Thanks for the nice words about the videos. I do many of them for my mother who enjoys seeing them and I try to be 'educationally substantive' at the same time. She makes bobbin lace, and hedgehogs are sort of a mascot to lacemakers because of the bajillion tiny little pins that they use, so already has a fondness for them. She made all of Sophie's fleece stuff.
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The bathroom sink has worked out to be the best choice for her. On the downside, she slips easily on the smooth bottom and does not like that. But, except when making a bath video, I always support her feet and backside and she does very well. Being able to quickly drain the water and replace with fresh is a big plus.


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## 6luestar (May 17, 2016)

I've got a question, do you know those wheels that trim nails as they run?

Like this: 




Would this be ok for hedgehogs? Just wondering I have a lot of anxiety about hurting my hedghog especially since right now hes pretty jumpy/hissing. I dont want to hurt him so trying to see if this could be a good alternative?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

First, please don't post to old threads, it confuses people. Start new ones instead of raising a dead thread up.

Second, those wheels are not recommended with hedgehogs. Any type of rough surface designed to wear down nails will not work with a hedgehog. Hedgehogs run on the pads of their feet, not their nails. They can wear them down by digging, however even promoting digging is problematic as they either break their nails, or don't do a good enough job at it and you end up with a hedgehog whose nails are growing into the pads of their feet, or have bloody feet.

Pretty much you just have to learn to trim their nails and get used to the idea.


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## zoerivera91 (Aug 9, 2016)

Hi everyone! I'm new and my only question I actually have (this site has helped with everything for me)  my hedgie max was adopted by me a little to late. I got him when he was 8 months old. His owner just left him in his cage for those 8 months. He works in the oilfield and was never home literally. Anyway max has been a delight none the less. He has warmed up to me cuddles and eats out of my hand. After months of hard work he doesn't curl up in a ball anymore. But the one thing I can't do is trim his nails and he desperately needs it done especially the back ones. They are long and look like they are growing under his feet. But he just flat out won't let me. He curls up tight throws his little fist out and hisses like crazy and he hates hates baths. Should I just take him to a vet and get it done there? I don't want to hurt him or have him not trust me. Please help! I'm getting worried. This is the best pic I have of his feet. Like I said he hates them touched


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## Petlover500 (Feb 29, 2016)

zoerivera91 said:


> Hi everyone! I'm new and my only question I actually have (this site has helped with everything for me)  my hedgie max was adopted by me a little to late. I got him when he was 8 months old. His owner just left him in his cage for those 8 months. He works in the oilfield and was never home literally. Anyway max has been a delight none the less. He has warmed up to me cuddles and eats out of my hand. After months of hard work he doesn't curl up in a ball anymore. But the one thing I can't do is trim his nails and he desperately needs it done especially the back ones. They are long and look like they are growing under his feet. But he just flat out won't let me. He curls up tight throws his little fist out and hisses like crazy and he hates hates baths. Should I just take him to a vet and get it done there? I don't want to hurt him or have him not trust me. Please help! I'm getting worried. This is the best pic I have of his feet. Like I said he hates them touched


The pic is too small for me to see the length of the nails. 
But I think that if you believe the nails are so long that they are causing him pain, I would bring him to a vet as soon as you can.
If they haven't been trimmed for 8 months or longer, he is in desperate need for a trim, like you said. Can you tell if the nails are poking into his skin at all? If it is causing him pain, like I said a vet is the best option, especially if he won't let you touch his feet.


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

zoerivera91 said:


> Hi everyone! I'm new and my only question I actually have (this site has helped with everything for me)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I know someone answered already but when out have questions start a new thread, this one is originally from 2011. A lot of times questions get lost due to the date of the original post.


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