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Grooming Your Bird's Nails
It is easy to know when
your parrot’s nails need attention. The first sign we often recognize is
usually the presence of scratches and punctures on your own hand or shoulder
(ouch!) or we might observe our bird nibbling on his nails. Another
way to periodically check is to simply place your parrot companion on a flat
surface. If a nail is so long that it lifts the ball at the end of the toe off the
surface then your bird is in need of a manicure. Overgrown nails
can prevent proper toe alignment and, in turn, make it difficult to grip food and
perches properly. In extreme cases, seriously overgrown nails can cause lameness.
There are many handy grooming
tools to assist you in maintaining trimmed nails for your parrot companion.
Some people prefer to use
nail clippers and others prefer to use dremmel or cautery tools. Dremmel tools grind the nail down using an abrasive
wheel. Cautery products separate the nail by burning through
it. The benefit of using either a dremmel or cautery tool is that if you
trim the nail too short and nick the vein, the friction of the dremmel and the
heat of the cautery tool will cauterize the vein and stop the bleeding.
Another benefit of using a dremmel is that it often leaves a smooth rounded nail
surface instead of a rough edge.
No matter what tool you decide
to use, be sure to know what you are doing before you start. Always seek
professional veterinary help, if you do not feel comfortable in
manicuring your parrot companion yourself. At a minimum, it is highly
recommended that you get a lesson in nail grooming from your avian vet so you
know the proper techniques for restraining your bird, how to use the tools and
how short and at what angle to cut your bird's nails.
If you decide to proceed with
grooming be sure to:
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Be prepared. Assemble all
the supplies you will need including the appropriate tools, towel, and
first
aid kit containing a
clotting agent.
-
Have a friend on hand to
gently restrain your bird while you handle the trimming.
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Be aware that there is a
blood vein inside each nail. Carefully examine the nail for veins
which are easy to spot in birds with light colored nails and nearly
impossible to spot in birds with dark nails.
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If you can't spot the vein,
remove the sharp tips only. It's better to remove a little bit at a
time rather than too much.
-
Cutting too short can be
painful to a bird and will increase the risk of bleeding.
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If bleeding occurs apply
a
clotting agent to the nail with pressure until the bleeding ceases.
-
Be careful not to twist
your parrots feet and legs as this may cause injury.
-
Check your bird's nails
after a few minutes to make sure bleeding doesn't occur or reoccur.
-
Clipping your parrot
companion’s nails may leave irregular edges that you might want to buff out.
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