# Nail Trimming a squirmy Hedgehog



## Lady Aurora (Dec 4, 2009)

Good Day,

I have a Hedgehog who I have had for about 3 mths. He was already 8mths when I got him so he is just shy turning 1 year old. His name is Spork.

I have been working on socializing him and getting him use to be handled, he is coming along great but as he was a rescue who knows what happened to before I got him. 
His nails are fairly long and Iwould love to clip them, but I have no clue how to do it without injury. 

A few quick notes. I live by myself and he does not get well with anyone else yet and goes into complete protection mode when others are nearby. I have tried doing it in the bath but he pulls and wiggles to much. While lying in my lap, with him half curled, I try holding onto his leg/feet when he sticks them out but this makes him huff at me and pull them back into his ball. Sometimes threatning to bit. I have even tried distracting him with his favourite veggies and meal worms. Once again as soon as he sense I am reaching for a leg it results in a lot of pulling and wiggling preventing me from being able to clip.

Any ideas? His nails are so long they have started to get caught on occassion on the carpet when I let him out of the cage. 

Spork & Me


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

Its tricky, yup. I do ours in the bath. I check all feet to see which are the longest and focus on those. Take a gentle but firm hold, and just focus on a few nails each time, don't try to do all of them on every foot every time.


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## Bt6776 (Nov 15, 2008)

When i had to first do it to spike i actually would just grab one of his little feet and he would just curl up in a ball with the foot im holding sticking out.. now well he just lays back and takes it like a man.. he knows hes been through alot worse than me cutting his nails..


actually.. try giving him a good long warm oatmeal bath.. it might take some of the squirmies out of him.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Some people have had luck clipping toe nails of an anointing hedgehog. Worst case scenario if they get really bad and need to be done your vet should be able to help you. He might want to put the hedgehog under so this should probably be a last resort.


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## Bookgobbler (Aug 13, 2009)

I live by myself and have to handle trimming by myself also. 

the best way I have found to trim the back feet of Tama is to bundle her in her blanket. Fold the blanket in a way that it covers her head and middle body but angle the opening so it is right by her hind legs. I wait until she relaxes into the position I have her in and then I gently prod one leg out and tuck the blanket under her leg so that even when she tries to pull it back in she pulls it back into the blanket and it is still outside. 

The front legs: I have her "stand" on her hind legs in the blanket and usually in this position, her front paws will be holding the top of the blanket and I can just trim.

Of course, even when I don't plan on trimming, I get her used to this position and I just pet her feet to get her used to me touching them.

At first, she would always try to bite the nail clipper but now she ignores it and just stands and takes it or squirm but no biting.


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