What grit of sandpaper to file down hamster nails

[Sloth30]

Hi all

Recently I notice my hamster's nails getting longer and I have read that letting my hamster run in a small box lined with sandpaper can trim it down.

I would like to ask what grit of sandpaper should I use? I don't want to hurt my hamster's paws so I need some advice. Is a 240 grit sandpaper okay?

Thanks in advance!

[cypher]

I wouldn't use sand paper at all, it will hurt the pads on your hams feet before it does anything useful for nails.
Which species of hamster do you have?
Syrian hams nails don't normally grow that fast, a sand bath will normally help keep them down & some natural rough surfaces in the cage like wood, or something like a tile turned upside down, natural stone like granite tiles, smooth stones won't do anything so not really worth bothering with.
If the nails have grown really long then they will need to be trimmed, best done at the vets if you've never done it yourself before, as things to help in the cage are only good for maintenance not really for trimming long nails.
Dwarf hams nails (especially Russians) do grow very fast & usually need regular trimming.

[Sloth30]

Originally Posted by cypher

I wouldn't use sand paper at all, it will hurt the pads on your hams feet before it does anything useful for nails.
Which species of hamster do you have?
Syrian hams nails don't normally grow that fast, a sand bath will normally help keep them down & some natural rough surfaces in the cage like wood, or something like a tile turned upside down, natural stone like granite tiles, smooth stones won't do anything so not really worth bothering with.
If the nails have grown really long then they will need to be trimmed, best done at the vets if you've never done it yourself before, as things to help in the cage are only good for maintenance not really for trimming long nails.
Dwarf hams nails (especially Russians) do grow very fast & usually need regular trimming.

I have a sapphire winter white dwarf hamster. Will rocks used in aquarium help?

[Drago]

Like Cypher has said, sandpaper doesn't really help to trim nails much, plus it can make their little feet sore! You can use pumice to help keep her nails trimmed down, but this is only a preventative as once they're grown, they'll need to be trimmed manually. Best wishes

[JLPrairie]

Sand baths can also help to keep their nails down! But it is still a good idea to find an exotic animal vet quickly so they can cut their nails down.

[cypher]

There are various different rocks used in aquariums & some can be quite sharp so you would have to be careful if you tried that, I'm not really a fan of rocks in the cage, if they are too big & heavy then your ham could hurt itself trying to burrow underneath & with several small ones I would worry about paws getting trapped & injured.
With a WW the chances are you will have to either get the nails clipped or learn to do it yourself, once clipped then the things I mentioned before will help to keep them trim but they may still need clipping now & then.

[Sloth30]

Thank you so much for the advice everyone! I will probably try to find a vet asap. A little afraid to cut the nails on my own as I have never done it before. My hamster also tend to bite me when I hold her usually so it is probably going to be quite difficult if I want to do it on my own.

[FelicityAnn]

Originally Posted by cypher

I'm not really a fan of rocks in the cage, if they are too big & heavy then your ham could hurt itself trying to burrow underneath & with several small ones I would worry about paws getting trapped & injured.
.

I've used a pile of rocks in one corner that go right down to the bottom of the cage, so she can't burrow under them. I was afraid of a collapse, too.
I was lucky enough to find some sandstone rocks, which are quite rough, and are fairly flat, too, so they are very stable. I've put them under her drinking bottle, so she uses them every time she needs a drink.
So far, so good...

[cate_anne]

I would say 240 grit is too rough. I just used this method and used 1,000 grit, you can get this type of sandpaper for car bodywork repairs, it's very gentle I believe it is possible to get up to 2,000 grit!

[Pebbles82]

Don't use sandpaper! Their pads on their feet are quite sensitive and they can get a painful disease called bumblefoot. Clipping is the way to go - yes it's a good idea to have the vet do it. It's only the very tip of the nail that is clipped or it can cut the quick and be painful and cause bleeding. To keep them shorter, something rough like a piece of granite or the base of a terracotta plant pot under the water bottle and/or food bottle can help.