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Old 06-19-2009, 08:40 AM   #1
Katty_Sheldon
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Default Dwarf nails

Hi,
i think ill take Sheldon to the vet to cut his nails, because they are long now and starting to curve a little, and i read it should be done.
His feet are so small!!!
I want to ask if you have been to the vet to take care of dwarf hamster nails? What should i expect? Will they put him to sleep? How can they keep him calm?

It will be our first vet trip so im really nervous. First i will call the vet (on monday) and ask if they do that at all (they say they deal with small animals and rodents so i guess they should).

It just looks so weird that they can cut something so small and tiny... ill be more nervous than the poor hamster i think.
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Old 06-19-2009, 12:23 PM   #2
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

You should not allow the vet to knock your hammy out to cut his nails. Hamsters are very susceptable under anaesthetic and it should only be done in medical need. A friend recently lost hers after they did this to cut nails. I would really try and do it yourself. Even one nail a night means they are soon done. If you get someone to help and use cuticle trimmers or small nail scissors it is not so hard.
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Old 06-19-2009, 01:11 PM   #3
Katty_Sheldon
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

Ugh this will be so stresfull. OK i wont let them touch him, haha First ill try myself by the advice here on forum, i saw some good advice. Ill go to the vet only if its really impossible but i guess ill give them a call just to check if they really make them sleep or if they have experience with dwarf awake. Ill try from next week so expect some crazy messages i guess (like OMG one nail yesss!)... thanks!!!
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Old 06-19-2009, 01:14 PM   #4
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

I would go with whatever the vet says, rather than go with the web... Maybe phone and ask for advice?
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Old 06-19-2009, 01:25 PM   #5
Katty_Sheldon
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

Yes i guess ill phone them on monday and ask if they have experience with this. If they do and they dont drug the hamster (lol...) then ill be happy to let someone more experienced (vet) to try. Also i finally found a nice forum about hamsters in my city, so ill ask for advice about vets there. It is not urgent so Sheldon can wait for me to find the best and most safe solution.
I was just interested if someone went to the vet and returned safely after nail clipping haha and also how was it done
I am really unsure about doing it myself so luckily i have time to find out if there are capable vets around. Also i found some good advice here like stones etc. for them to scratch, so ill see
Thanks!
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Old 06-20-2009, 03:12 AM   #6
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

I would always follow advice on the web (well, on forums like this anyway) cos the people n there have most of the time all been there and done that! They have the experience of looking after a little one so know what to advise when something like this comes up. I know this site has offered me some good advice... sometimes vets dont know everything!

Anyway, when I was worried about my Syrians nails, I read somewhere to get a terracotta pot for them to climb and wear their nails down on....well I got a terracotta dish from the garden centre (a round flat one, like a bowl) and put sand in it. My little girl used it as her sandbath for a week and while she was diggin away in the sand she was filing her nails down on the rough terracotta surface!

Maybe you could try this?
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Old 06-20-2009, 07:04 AM   #7
Katty_Sheldon
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

I think i will it sound at least like a great prevention! Sheldon loves sand baths so that wont be a problem thanks
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Old 06-21-2009, 03:47 AM   #8
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

I too am having the same problem with cutting piki's nails. I did manage to get one cut using some nail scissors but he doesn't like being held up on his back for a long time as he wiggles a lot. and i dont really wanna do em all in one go.

I did ask at Pets At Homewhere I got him about nail clipping service but they only seem to cater for syrians and not dwarves

I might try the terracotta idea though, as I did try sandpaper wrapped around one of his wooden toys then i noticed bits on his feet were being rubbed raw/balding so i took it out and now they've gone back to being furry feet now!
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Old 06-21-2009, 05:31 AM   #9
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

Hello cee,
i decided for the sand paper at first too, but i got so scared he would hurt his feet that i removed it even before he tried it. It seemed to me it could cause too much damage!
I did the terracotta, i have a really small terracotta bowl and its now laid in a corner. I put sometimes a treat in there and i heard him trying to dig trough the terracotta, so i think it will be a good prevention in the future But i will have to see the vet. Luckily i found a nice dwarf breeder in my town who has a lot experience with one vet clinic, where she said they know how to do this stuff really well. So ill call them and go there as soon as my exams are over.
I think that it will be a lot of stress for the poor hammie, but hey better clipped nails and bad mood for a few days then me holding him all stressed out and cutting of his fingers. I think he will survive it.

I know a lot of people have bad experience with the vets and that they manage to do the nails on their own, but im just not that sure of myself. So im all happy i found a vet. And it has one more plus... ill see the vet for the first time for such a small and usuall thing, so if something goes wrong at least ill know where im taking the hamster.

Good luck, its really scary to see those small cute furry feet!!!
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Old 06-25-2009, 04:12 PM   #10
danielle
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Default Re: Dwarf nails

I've got baby nail clippers that I've used on my dwarves but I read about people nibbling their (human) baby's nails down rather than cutting them so I tried this with the hams and this was far less stressful for them and without the risk of them getting hurt. Might not be for everyone tho!
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