# cut to short



## hemigirl (Jul 15, 2013)

ok I know there is several threads on this. I just cut sonic's nail to short boy do i feel horrible. It's bleed I tried cornstartch and he is moving so much it keeps coming off. Will it stop bleeding on its own? Please help. Also if he licks or sniffs the corn stratch will it hurt j=him>


----------



## hemigirl (Jul 15, 2013)

Also, should I take his wheel out of hos cage for the night? I finally got some cornstartch on it and snuggling him while I apologize like crazy. He seems ok but I don't know I'm worried it will start again.


----------



## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

It'll stop bleeding on its own. If you just cut the tip of the quick you can leave his wheel in. If it's a pretty deep cut...you can probably still leave the wheel in, just clean it (and his feets) frequently the next few days to prevent infection. 

Don't feel bad, we've all been there.


----------



## hemigirl (Jul 15, 2013)

I literally started crying and panicking. I was tearing cupboards apart to find my cornstartch. Hits very short now. Makes me never want to cut his nails again. I hope it isn't hurting him to badly.


----------



## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

I confess, I trim Pig's nails a couple times a week (in rotation) and about once a month one of us ends up bleeding. I've slipped and cut my own hand with the clippers or he'll move at the last second and I'll get his quick. It's probably a similar pain to you cutting your cuticle or having an infected hangnail. A bit tender and sore for a couple days, but not the end of the world. And Pig and I have gotten better with practice, so don't let it get to you.


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

And from now until the end of time, you'll have your cornstarch out and ready every time you clip his nails... 

You can fill a little pillbottle or other small container with corn starch and just chuck it in with the rest of your hedgehog-equipment as part of "his" first aid gear.


----------



## hemigirl (Jul 15, 2013)

His hedgehog equipment owns my house now. LOL. Oh I will definitely be keeping it near by now. I just checked on him and it is just red from the blood but other than that didn't see no more blood and none came on me like before. I think I was more panicked then him and more scared. Thanks for making me feel better.


----------



## ceopet (Sep 20, 2013)

I've done this too  It seems like it's something all hedgie owners experience. He should be ok, you'll just want to make sure you get his feets extra clean like everyone else has said. 

I am a weirdo and actually pic my cuticles off.


----------



## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

Because we are so careful of the quick, serious cuts are pretty unlikely. That said, slips (and herky-jerky hedgehog feet) are certainly possible and a badly cut quick can be dangerous. A lot of blood can be lost in a hurry.

A minor nick will probably only bleed a few drops and can be stanched with toilet paper. If the paper 'dissolves' and sticks to the nail, just leave it. I've nicked Sophie three or four times and she's lost maybe six drops of blood. So far, I've not even needed toilet paper. If the nick is very minor, the blood will pool in the nail and quickly clot.

The cartoons on this page actually show pretty well the steps on how to handle a quick that bleeds more than a few drops. They show a bowl, but I keep a 9" square baking pan in her stash of stuff. If I cut her, I would dump 1/4" or so of flour in the pan, set her in it, and let the flour clump. If the animal is not panicky, then I would keep them in it for more than "a few seconds". If the cut were serious enough to take this step, then I would proceed slowly and take my time, if possible.

http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-a-Dog's-Quick-from-Bleeding

This is another reason that nails should be trimmed regularly - NOT left as big 'few times a year' projects. The quick will advance down long, untrimmed nails, with the result that they cannot be properly trimmed and much more likely that a quick will be cut and that it will bleed more than necessary.

To restore nail health, long nails may need to be trimmed bit by bit with extreme regularity, which should result in the quick receding.

I know that some dog owners and vets recede the quick by deliberately cutting into it, a practice that I have yet to hear a decent excuse for.

Do not return an animal to the cage until the bleeding is stanched.

.


----------



## hemigirl (Jul 15, 2013)

Thank you everyone, he seems great tonight. Running around like crazy tonight and last night (of course after I went to bed last night). I didn't wash off the corn startch after I put it on though I just left it there. :S Thank you very much for the pictures that sort of helps me feel better I even saved it to my favorites. I always try and keep his nails so they aren't long.


----------

