How do I trim my squirrels nails

[dkhutto]

Hello everyone, I have a questions for all of you squirrel owners. I have a squirrel named Kipper. She is almost a year old now and I have had her since she was 3 weeks old. She is my baby! :) She LOVES to be out and loves to climb all over me, she doesn't get out of my sight much! Only thing are those little nails are like little razors and she keeps me all scratched up on my arms, neck and shoulders. I have taken her to the vet and had them trimmed but they had to put her to sleep and it just breaks my heart. She doesn't like strangers and she hated it there and was so scared. So I use to treat her to peanut butter and would cut them while she was holding on to the cage and enjoying her treat....well, she's to smart for that now. She realized what I was doing and now she will lick a little peanut butter and get on the shelf...I would love any ideas as to how to get them cut or something to put in her cage to keep them trimmed a little. I can't get anyone in my family to hold her while I cut them. Like I said, she is a mama's girl and holding her and cutting them is almost impossible!! Any ideas would be appreciated!!! Thanks! :thankyou

[joyceb11]

I know what you are saying about being all scratched up :eek I also get scratched up. I have trimmed Georges (my baby) nails a couple of time, I guess I am lucky because George will let me do what I want to him, I just wait until he is laying down and trim them with a finger nail trimmer and I only trim the very end off (the clear part). You can always wrap her up in a piece of fleece and do one paw ay a time, there is a link on here some where on how to wrap squirrels up in a burrito wrap. But I stopped trimming his nails and I wear a long sleeve shirt with finger less gloves. I hope this helps a little, and good luck.

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

What i did was get my Squirrel good and hungry,then feed him his favorite treat while he's on the back of chair and snip sneakly one tip of his toe nail with a baby clipper.He sometimes leaves and sometimes stays so i can get maybe two a day.:) I took me about ten days ,but it was less traumatic as to wrapping him up and holding him. I try not to rush things. By the time i finish it was time to trim again maybe. (Kiddin)

[farrelli]

Some people also just provide rough surfaces to climb on. I would really recommend not anesthetizing her again for this purpose. They don;t do well with it and often die. That's too high a price foe something so minor. Many people just have robes and such that they wear during play time.

[DarkLies212]

After a while, I stopped feeling Ambrose's scratches unless he got one real deep. Also, what helps is sweatpants and a hoodie :grin3

[Rhapsody]

I use Rescue Remedy to help calm my squirrels at least 20 minutes before I am going to clip their nails.
You can get the spray at Henry's Healthy Pets or Chris's Squirrel & More.... online.

[grampyngramy]

I would never clip Butters nails. We lived with the scratches. They need their nails, I know Butters would sometimes try to jump from a table to someone's shirt, or even when he tried to climb up me to get to my shoulder if his nails where dull he may fall. But that is me.

[dkhutto]

Thank everyone. I am glad to know I am not the only one with this problem. I think I am going to try just to trim a few a day! She is such a sweetie but just hates her nails trimmed and she can't be outsmarted much!! Lol I really appreciate everyone's response. Thanks so much! :wiggle

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

Thank everyone. I am glad to know I am not the only one with this problem. I think I am going to try just to trim a few a day! She is such a sweetie but just hates her nails trimmed and she can't be outsmarted much!! Lol I really appreciate everyone's response. Thanks so much! :wiggle If you can get one each day that's awesome. Try to get the troublesome ones first.

[Madamelipstick]

If you have one of those wheels that every one is always raving about. You can buy a sandpaper insert that will keep the nails from being so sharp. I haven't gotten one yet but I have one on the way.
Hello everyone, I have a questions for all of you squirrel owners. I have a squirrel named Kipper. She is almost a year old now and I have had her since she was 3 weeks old. She is my baby! :) She LOVES to be out and loves to climb all over me, she doesn't get out of my sight much! Only thing are those little nails are like little razors and she keeps me all scratched up on my arms, neck and shoulders. I have taken her to the vet and had them trimmed but they had to put her to sleep and it just breaks my heart. She doesn't like strangers and she hated it there and was so scared. So I use to treat her to peanut butter and would cut them while she was holding on to the cage and enjoying her treat....well, she's to smart for that now. She realized what I was doing and now she will lick a little peanut butter and get on the shelf...I would love any ideas as to how to get them cut or something to put in her cage to keep them trimmed a little. I can't get anyone in my family to hold her while I cut them. Like I said, she is a mama's girl and holding her and cutting them is almost impossible!! Any ideas would be appreciated!!! Thanks! :thankyou

[pappy1264]

These are what I use in my squirrels cage, they work great to keep nails trimmed (you can take a scrubber sponge to them when they get icky, just don't completely submerge in water). Saved my arms from Peanut, as he is not one you could easily trim his nails! lol http://www.birdsupplies.com/safety-pumice-bird-perch/?gclid=CKqix_Gi0b4CFWkQ7Aod4VMApA

[czarina]

What size do you use, and does it really work?!?!?!

[amandaleet1972]

I got cat clippers at Dollar Tree. Surpringly, they are very good- just as good as the 15-20 bucks you might spend at a pet store..
I only do the very tiniest part of the fronts and have never had an issue with falls. My guys don't mind it and it saves my furniture, I don't care about the scratches on myself, and even WITH the trimming they are still able to scratch me but it doesn't hurt as badly.. I ONLY trim the very last part of the claw, the white hook area- they still have PLENTY of grasp, but everyone has their own opinion on doing it.

And I do it, b/c never have I had one who seems to trim his own... sandpaper thingies, tree limbs... they don't seem interested.. since my cages ARE big bird cages with perches though, I might try some of the sandpaper perch covers but I am more afraid they would simply chew at them..

[amandaleet1972]

I use Rescue Remedy to help calm my squirrels at least 20 minutes before I am going to clip their nails.
You can get the spray at Henry's Healthy Pets or Chris's Squirrel & More.... online.

But isn't it alcohol based? Is that not a problem? Or do you use the spray, or-- I tried Bach's remedies for myself and it's pretty much alcohol, no? I know ppl who use it for larger animals.. It's ok for squirrels?

[Madamelipstick]

As a former bird owner. Do NOT buy the perches with the sandpaper. Another one of those sound good ideas that aren't. They will rub the pads of your littles feet raw and then you really have a problem. I tried to trim today. My problem is I can hold but no one will trim. I can trim but no one can hold them like I can. I need a clone sometimes. I think Im going to try the wheels and then buy the sandpaper that comes with it. Ill just use it for them when they need their nails done. Its Ms. Maggies Personal wheel.
I got cat clippers at Dollar Tree. Surpringly, they are very good- just as good as the 15-20 bucks you might spend at a pet store..
I only do the very tiniest part of the fronts and have never had an issue with falls. My guys don't mind it and it saves my furniture, I don't care about the scratches on myself, and even WITH the trimming they are still able to scratch me but it doesn't hurt as badly.. I ONLY trim the very last part of the claw, the white hook area- they still have PLENTY of grasp, but everyone has their own opinion on doing it.

And I do it, b/c never have I had one who seems to trim his own... sandpaper thingies, tree limbs... they don't seem interested.. since my cages ARE big bird cages with perches though, I might try some of the sandpaper perch covers but I am more afraid they would simply chew at them..

[pappy1264]

The one I posted is pumice, been using it for well over a year with Peanut and no issues (except keeping those nail tips blunted so he doesn't make me bleed every time he steps on me....I have very thin skin!) I have also used them for years in my flyers cages, as well.

[lovesmice]

I am not sure if ML is talking about the WodentWheel, but using sandpaper inserts on them is no different than using a sandpaper perch as it can injure the pads of the feet, too. In fact it might be worse due to the running. Also, the inserts need to be replaced FREQUENTLY because many rodents use their wheels as a potty.

My mice fortunately have never needed their nails clipped, but my daughters have had other rodents that did. Like amandaleet1972 says, you do not need to get expensive clippers in which I have found baby clippers to be effective. Guinea pigs are one rodent that often require nail clipping by their humans, and the GuineaLynx has a very good "how to" page on nail clipping you might find helpful. (Many of the ideas are listed such as using food as a distraction, burrito wrap, doing it over a period of days and using 2 people.) It has photos as well as instructions for one person:

http://www.guinealynx.info/nails.html

If all else fails I like what DarkLies212 said to do. Just wear hoodies and sweatpants.

[Madamelipstick]

I doesn't bother their feet? Wow Ill have to try these then. Much easier than clipping. Hoodie doesn't work year round, way to hot for that.
These are what I use in my squirrels cage, they work great to keep nails trimmed (you can take a scrubber sponge to them when they get icky, just don't completely submerge in water). Saved my arms from Peanut, as he is not one you could easily trim his nails! lol http://www.birdsupplies.com/safety-pumice-bird-perch/?gclid=CKqix_Gi0b4CFWkQ7Aod4VMApA

[pappy1264]

nope, it is not scratchy feeling like the sandpaper. But it works well, and I have been using them for years with my flyers and about a year+ with Peanut (going to order them for all my cages!) I have the one for an amazon type bird, I think it is considered the large, not the extra large.

[Rodentia]

I used to trim my girl's nails but for a few days afterwards, she was very unhappy. Now I put on sweat pants and a special fleece. She loves to climb and jump all around me, up and down, round and round. She knows her special fleece and gets excited when she sees me put it on. The kids put on a hoodie and she cruises all over them too. When I used to trim her nails, she would slide off of us and fall off. Another thing she like to do is laps back and forth on the back of the couch which is not as much fun with short nails. She has learned that when I wear shorts, she slides off (and leaves behind scratches) so she does not play on me like she does when I have on the sweat pants. Trimming her nails was very stressful so we have all adapted to life with nails.

[Madamelipstick]

Do you have a foxer?
I used to trim my girl's nails but for a few days afterwards, she was very unhappy. Now I put on sweat pants and a special fleece. She loves to climb and jump all around me, up and down, round and round. She knows her special fleece and gets excited when she sees me put it on. The kids put on a hoodie and she cruises all over them too. When I used to trim her nails, she would slide off of us and fall off. Another thing she like to do is laps back and forth on the back of the couch which is not as much fun with short nails. She has learned that when I wear shorts, she slides off (and leaves behind scratches) so she does not play on me like she does when I have on the sweat pants. Trimming her nails was very stressful so we have all adapted to life with nails.

[czarina]

Pappy1264:
Thanks, will try it. I to have birds and all the$$$$$ I have spent, nothing worked. But this one only has tha abrasive
action on the bottom, where the nails actually grip, and the principal seems sound to me.

I too, have thin skin, or I should say what little skin I have left!
Thanks!!!