# Please help.. Nails



## Ellysmom (Sep 13, 2012)

Hello everyone. I hope someone can advise me. I just bought my first hedgie.. Her name is Elly.. I am catching on pretty fast on making her a very happy hedgehog.. With a lot of help from this forum  my concern at this moment is her nails... The lady I bought her from, as I was walking away.. Said, you might want to get her nails cut... Do I take her to a vet or groomer.. I don't want to do it yet.... We are still bonding and she is still jumpy.. Thankyou for your good advise as always


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Nail trimming is tricky if you are not ready to do it yourself yet you could ask your vet to do it as part of the first vet visit. My vet used to tidy up Quigley's nails all the time just because Quigley was under the anesthetic already and his nails were long. 

Also congrats on your hedgehog!


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Trimming nails takes practice. It's inevitable, so it's better to just go ahead and do it and not put it off for too long, especially if they're already getting long. Different people have different methods, and different methods work better for different hedgehogs. In my experience cuticle trimmers work best - they allow more visibility compared to small nail clippers, and also better control, because you hold them with your whole hand instead of just your fingers. Cuticle clippers look something like this: http://cuticlecreams.com/wordpress/wp-c ... nipper.jpg

After a bath or foot bath can be a good time to do it, because the nails will be softer, which avoids the "clip" sound that can startle them. You can also keep a better hold on them when you already have them wrapped up in a towel to dry off. Some people distract them with treats, like mealies or pieces of kibble, and quickly do one foot at a time while the hedgie is munching; the treats can also help them associate nail clipping with something good so they won't be so grumpy about it. But it's really like all things with hedgehogs - the more you do it, the better you'll get, and the more your hedgehog will be used to it and not so bothered anymore.

My personal technique is to hold the hedgehog with its back against my chest (facing away from me) and sort of support it with my wrist and hand against the middle, while catching hold of a front foot with my fingers. The position keeps them fairly secure and not rolled into a ball. For the back feet, I rest them along my forearm/wrist, head facing my elbow, and kind of hold them tucked in against my side. Again, the position keeps them from going in a ball. The important thing is to keep a firm hold of the foot, regardless of how much the hedgehog squirms. If you keep hold of it and keep it fairly still, it's a lot easier than having to hunt after a moving foot that's attached to an uncooperative hedgehog. I know other people have different methods - this is what works best for my fiance and I, for all of our hedgehogs. If you find a position or method that works better for you and your hedgie, stick with that.

As you're getting a feel for it, and your hedgehog is getting used to you, you might have to just do one or two nails at a time, do it over the course of a few days or a few different sessions during the day, or whatever. So don't feel bad if you can't do it all at once, it's normal.  Try to not be too freaked out and scared or nervous about it - handle your hedgehog with confidence, hold them securely, don't jerk or be startled when they move or huff or try to pull away. If you're nervous, you won't have a good hold and your hedgehog can also sense it, which will make them more antsy as well.

The other thing is to not be worried about hurting them. Sometimes you cut the quick (the pinkish part of the nail closer to the foot, where there's bloodflow. It's not a big deal, and it happens to everyone. You can dab the foot in some cornstarch to stop the bleeding, or just firmly hold it in a tissue for a while. Your hedgehog isn't going to hate you forever because of something like that. You're also not going to hurt them by holding onto their foot when they're squirming around. Hedgehogs are _extremely _flexible, and they will put their legs in weird, contorted positions on their own that would be very uncomfortable for other animals. Usually they will squirm when you're trying to cut their nails, and if you let go immediately, you'll never get anywhere. Hold the foot firmly with your thumb and one or two other fingers - not tightly, but firm enough to keep hold of it even if they try to tug away. Ignore the squirming, hold the foot still, and trim the nails. Adjust and change your position and grip as necessary. If they're making it difficult to get to one foot, do another foot instead and come back to that one later.

Yes, it can be difficult when you've never done it before, and when your hedgehog is new and not used to you yet, but it doesn't have to be a scary experience.


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## Maddie The Hedgehog (Jul 28, 2012)

I had no idea that hedgehogs feet/legs were so flexible. I read somewhere that it said to be careful when trimming their nails so you dont twist a foot when holding. I was always afraid of breaking her leg or spraining it or something. I guess I don't have to worry now  although maddie bit me pretty hard when I trimmed too close on one of her nails and it bled a little. The bite didn't really hurt though, I've had worse. For a minute I was kinda waiting for her to let go of my finger, I thought she would never let go haha. But the best way for me to trim her nails is when she's wide awake and had enough sleep like I wake her up the evenings or later and play with her(in a quiet area), give her treats to calm her down and relax her. It works for me, and she's not a super hyper hedgehog so I can get her to stay still long enough to do a trim. Also another good tip for your hedgie is to get it used to having its feet grabbed at or held so it gets used to nail trimming. Even if your not trimming its nails, grab its paws and hold them and touch its feet often so it kinda gets used to it.


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

This is how I do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_jcYzV7 ... ature=plcp

It can be a bit tricky the first time but it's in fact not so hard (if they cooperate it's easier of course :lol: )


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Maddie The Hedgehog said:


> I had no idea that hedgehogs feet/legs were so flexible. I read somewhere that it said to be careful when trimming their nails so you dont twist a foot when holding. I was always afraid of breaking her leg or spraining it or something. I guess I don't have to worry now


Have you ever seen a hedgehog scratch at its quills with a back leg? Yeah, it's so weird looking and funny - it looks like they get the leg joint out of the socket to do it. But no, they're just really flexible. :lol:


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## Maddie The Hedgehog (Jul 28, 2012)

moxieberry said:


> Maddie The Hedgehog said:
> 
> 
> > I had no idea that hedgehogs feet/legs were so flexible. I read somewhere that it said to be careful when trimming their nails so you dont twist a foot when holding. I was always afraid of breaking her leg or spraining it or something. I guess I don't have to worry now
> ...


Yea I've seen maddie do that  lol but I was still afraid of breaking her leg or something. She's so small and fragile, I just don't wanna hurt her.


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