# Nail biting?



## margolia.wind (Oct 4, 2010)

quick question - I've found a similar question on the forum, but not an answer, really, so I hope it's alright to ask.

I noticed that Mopsa's nails had definitely not been trimmed recently as soon as she got home from the breeders.
I have been trying to get at them subtly but as our relationship is very new still, that has proven a bit haphazard thus far. I got a few front nails while she was in a ball and she didn't seem to mind, but I can't get at her back legs at all.
I wasn't too worried. Her nails aren't curling yet and we're going o the vet on Thursday who I thought could help me until she calms down enough to let me do it.

However, today while she was in her playpen, I noticed her start to chew on her back nails - particularly the long ones. I discouraged her - though she hissed at me - and gave her a treat to eat instead. My roommate and I tried to hold her still to get to her back nails but she panicked and we had to stop for fear she'd leap onto the ground

Is this dangerous? Is she just trying to bite her nails shorter or whill she hurt herself while I'm not there to distract her? Can I wait until Thursday to get the vet to help me out for my first time or should I force the clipping on her? She is so new here that I really don't want to do things that will upset her so much if I can avoid it, particularly as she is calming down so much every day...


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I've never seen a hedgie try to bite their own nails, so I'm not sure if she's trying to do that to shorten them, or if something else is irritating her.

Are you sure nothing is stuck to her toes, like a splinter? Maybe that's why she has been getting so stressed out about getting her feet touched.

If you're really worried, you can scruff her and have a look at her feet.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

My girl Zoey will often nibble at her feet. Found out she was just cleaning them. Which is why she always had beautiful nails & almost never poopy boots. Is she really biting them, or do you think she's cleaning?
Nail trimming is difficult. On one hand, you don't want to stress them out. On the other, they have to have their nails cut. There are different methods used & I think you just have to try them & decide which is going to be the best for you & your hedgie. 
For me, I trim a couple at a time, when the opportunity presents itself. Usually after I just wake them up, when they are coming out of the ball & eating a mealie. And before they really know what's going on. Some others do much better in the bath. Others, scruffing. Unless the nails are curved under, you have some time to find out what is best for you & your hedgie.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Well going on what PJM was saying, I'd say she was probably cleaning them more than chewing, I haven't come across anything about a hedgehog chewing their own nails because they are too long, usually its the opposite that they don't chew on them and they get too long and curl back around into their foot. She was probably cleaning that, its not rare nor common but some hedgehogs do clean their feet. I somehow manage to end up with my two who keep their feet in almost pristine condition, might be a little dirty but I've only done 1 foot bath in 6 months, and even then it was Hester and it was just one foot had a small piece of loose fleece glued on with poop. I've seen them step in their own poop, walk around with it on their foot, Hester's wheel most days looks like she ran through chocolate frosting, but her feet will be clean or near clean.

I personally use a bath to trim nails, Hester doesn't like being touched at all so it distracts her enough for me to firmly grab her back leg and trim them down somewhat. Its a good method if your hog likes to ball up, as they won't ball up in the water. Though last nail trimming with Hester she's learned a new trick in the bath. I go for a foot and she basically sits down and hides her feet on me. Sadly and not a fan of it, I learned if I run the water she'll become too distracted with escape to do that trick. Nail Trimming is probably the hardest aspect of hedgehog ownership.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Another trick you could try if the others don't work is the burrito method. You use their blanket and have it around them when you pick them up and their back feet peak out and you can sometimes get the back ones like that. I do this for my big hedgie when he won't let me do it in the bath and tucks his feet under lol. When I have him in the blanket I have my hand wrapped around him with my palm facing up, then I can kind bring my arm back towards my chest and clip the back ones. For me personally I always end up having the hardest time with the front for some reason. I have to rotate tricks depending on mood and such lol


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I don't know why I always forget about the burrito method! It sounds so yummy! Mmmm....hedgie burrito. :lol:


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Hedgieonboard said:


> Another trick you could try if the others don't work is the burrito method. You use their blanket and have it around them when you pick them up and their back feet peak out and you can sometimes get the back ones like that. I do this for my big hedgie when he won't let me do it in the bath and tucks his feet under lol. When I have him in the blanket I have my hand wrapped around him with my palm facing up, then I can kind bring my arm back towards my chest and clip the back ones. For me personally I always end up having the hardest time with the front for some reason. I have to rotate tricks depending on mood and such lol


I find the front ones the hardest as well. I got lucky with Lily, she usually is good about me trimming her nails, and I can trim the back ones with having her just sit in my lap and grabbing a foot. But her front ones....She's a bit antsier with them, and I'm slightly more nervous because her mouth is right there. She's only ever bitten me three times (twice because of food, the third because she'd had a stressful day at the vet and I kept bugging her), but I'm still surprised I haven't been bitten during nail clipping yet!


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## margolia.wind (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks everyone!
I looked at her nails today (not long enough to be allowed to cut them but...oh well) and they definitely are not shorter, but are very clean so probably you are right and she was just cleaning herself...which is rather sweet of her, I think.

I tried a few different methods suggested here yesterday with my roommate again but it freaked her out so much that I had to stop because it was painful. Maybe we'll have to trust each other a little more before I can make success here - which seems fair enough. Her nails aren't curling yet and as we're seeing the vet Thursday, I think it'll be okay.

When I got the front ones before it was because she was in a ball and only sticking out one leg, but now she only stays in a ball for such a small period of time that it doesn't really work - which is not a bad sign for different reasons, I guess.

But I guess I won't panic about her biting off her own toe or something revolting like that. what a relief. Thanks SO much, everyone.



> usually its the opposite that they don't chew on them and they get too long and curl back around into their foot.


Just a possibly obvious but curious question - why is it that they have developed in a way that means that they can't cut their own nails/will develop infections? It seems like a terrible means of survival, you know, to depend on someone cutting your nails?


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Sometimes in the end all you can do is clip a single toe per night. If it hasn't been said one trick to do is while bonding and playing with him, play with his feet, it'll get him use to having them touch and hopefully help to the point where he won't mind you cutting the nails. But as said, it can be one of the most challenging parts of owning a hedgehog.



> Just a possibly obvious but curious question - why is it that they have developed in a way that means that they can't cut their own nails/will develop infections? It seems like a terrible means of survival, you know, to depend on someone cutting your nails?


Well there's many factors to that, the main one is the fact we've removed them from their natural setting, in the wild they'd be running over the ground and rocks, which would wear them down over time, especially since they tend to do 5 to 10 miles of movement in the wild. The other factor is our guys are hybrids of two species, African & Algerian and been breed smaller than their originals, I think it was Nancy who said when AP hedgehogs first became pets that it was common for them to be something like 800 to 1000 grams in weight, but then small became the standard and thus through breeding, they were bred down to the smaller sizes we have today. But its probably more the 'removed from nature' part over anything.


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## starby (Apr 25, 2010)

This is a video of Wimbley chewing/licking his feet. In this video he is only doing his front feet but he does his back toes with equal enthusiasm!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ZebraMuzak# ... WcmIXHFpu8

The first time I saw him do it I was surprised to see him stick his whole foot in his mouth and one time he accidentally bit his foot and it bled all over... but he must have learned his lesson because that has only happened once!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Wimbley is adorable.  It's nice when they clean their own feet although gross to think about. :lol:


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## margolia.wind (Oct 4, 2010)

That video entirely made my day - unspeakably adorable!
Thank you so much for sharing.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I loved that video! So cute! It's going to be my happy place.


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