# I can't trim his nails!



## infamousrenie (Dec 18, 2010)

Brillo just will NOT cooperate! His back toenails are getting so long, and nasty! Every time I try to clip them, he balls up! We even took him to the vet today to let professionals handle it, and they couldn't get him to cooperate! 

One of the techs said I should put him in a box with sandpaper on the bottom, and drop some crickets in there so he can run around and it would trim his nails that way, but wouldn't the sandpaper hurt his little hedgie feets? 

I'm at a loss. I've tried pinning him down in the bath, but that gets super violent, not to mention I'm afraid I'll take a toe off. Short of sedating him for clippings, I don't know what to do! 

Help!  He hasn't had a real trimming in over a month!


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## jdlover90 (Jun 14, 2010)

Trimming the nails is definitely a hard thing to do. What I do to trim Quillys is keep him on his back, and once his little tosies pop out I have to grab one firmly and he gets it after a while...lol but it took a few hours.....


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

I don't have any neat tricks to share about nail trimming, but I wanted to say, do NOT listen to what the tech told you.

Hedgehogs walk on the pads on their feet, their nails actually don't touch the ground, and if they do, they are already way too long. So walking on sand paper is like you walking barefoot on sharp gravel. If you do a search for sand paper in the upper right corner, you'll find other threads of people who thought they could attach sand paper to their wheels, and the cons that everyone came up with.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

My Pete hates having her nails trimed, but I found two things that work for us: 

1. I put her in the sink without water and while she is trying to climb out I grab a foot and trim the longest ones. I hate doing it that way because she is really afraid of the sink, but it has worked. 

2. I scruff her and ask my boyfriend to cut the nails. It works wonders and it only takes 2 minutes to get them all trimmed, but it depends of boyfriend being willing to help which doesn't happen that often as he is afraid Pete will start hating him. But it's really easy. 

Good luck!


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

Sweetie's nails can be trimmed only when he's in the water (let me tell you that he is STRONG), so i'm afraid i don't have any other clues...


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

No help here but I can definitely commiserate with you...I am just drying off from our Nail-Trimming-Hegie-Rodeo (as browndog would say). Everything works with Snarf just once...then he figures it out and is waaaaay too smart. I have waited until he fell asleep in his hedgie bag...have snuck a foot out while he was sleeping and got an entire foot done...I have done one foot in the tub...tonight I was determined to do the last two nails - back right little foot - DETERMINED!!! Didn't matter...he knew what was up and curled just enough...I am soaked and full of holes. :roll: Little rotter.

Tomorrow...I scruff and BF trims. He's such a wuss tho' (BF, not Snarf)...he hardly has any feeling in his hands so it's good, as Snarf can't really hurt him like he does me, and bad, cuz Jamie's scared of hurting him...and his hands are big so I dunno...I told both of them - tomorrow NO MATTER WHAT!! They both gave me 'the look'.

:roll:


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## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)

Mealies are the only thing that works with Herc. I put him in a footbath & give him a mealie. Then, while he's distracted I cut one or two nails. If you only get a couple of nails a night that's still better than none.


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## Kenzi (Aug 29, 2010)

I quickly made this video the other day. Ebba is easy to trim though she was getting impatient because she had just had a bath and was feeling kind of over stimulated.

Also, pardon the blurriness.. I am still learning about my camera's settings :?


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Nice video Kenzi! You make it look easy.


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## Kenzi (Aug 29, 2010)

PJM said:


> Nice video Kenzi! You make it look easy.


Thank You  EBBA made it look easy.. just wait for my vid with Mila.. its a whole different ball game!


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

i have 3 that refuse to have their nails clipped. REFUSE. ball up into angry balls from **** refuse.

so to the vet they must go. & even then the vet has to iso them. (put them under...) so here is what i do to make the trims last longer & therefore a) less stress & anesthesia for my hedgies & less expense for me: i have the vet use a Dremel on their toesies instead of just clipping. 

sounds weird, i know. but the first time Henry's nails were done, the vet in Oregon did them this way & Henry was so happy...& it lasted quite a while (his nails grow way too fast!). there were no ragged spots or splits. & they were nice & short & out of his way & didn't get caught in anything. 

i will say the way vets shape the nail with the Dremel is different from vet to vet. i prefer one way to others. but anything is better than the long talons!

some small vets don't have Dremels. i got my own for under $40 at Lowe's. not only did it come in handy for taking to the one vet that didn't have it...it is amazing around the house! it was a total win. 

something to consider if there is no safe, sane way to win the fight!


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

rivoli256 said:


> i have the vet use a Dremel on their toesies instead of just clipping.


If you went :shock: when you read this...I routinely use a Black & Decker dremel on my clients' feet (senior citizens) and took a nursing course on how to do so.  True story. 

Dremels do a MUCH better job smoothing the area - esp with dry nails that tend to split!


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

MissC - I Dremel my own feet all the time too! :shock:  :lol: I have 2 stubborn calluses & a few minutes with Mr. Dremel & his carbide bit & no one ever has to know. MWAH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!

now if only i could train my other 3 hedgies to let me Dremely their tosies in their sleep. *sigh*
:lol: :twisted: :lol:


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