[ian aldred]

Hi I attempted to trim my leopards claws as they are looking a bit long , managed to do a few ,I didnt cut them too short infact I think I need to take more off , problem is both claws bled . The bleeding stopped quickly but I have more to take off and I have other claws to start . Is it safe to continue .

 

[Hell67]

i wouldnt cut anymore off if they bleed it usually means you have cut them to low,maybe just use a nail file next time.

 

[ian aldred]

Thanks I will leave it , will have to go out and purchase more slate for their indoor enclosure .They have a good gravel area in their outside section but only been going outside the last month so there claws have overgrown .

 

[fantapants]

how long are his nails?? the leos and sucs tend to have much more heavy duty claws than the meds, my biggest females claws look WAY to long, but thats the way they are meant to be. in the wild they have to deal with some extreme terrain, and their claws are designed with this in mind.

i have never used clippers on the claws, if they are a little sharp or long then i use a heavy duty file to shape them. and i only do a little at a time. be carefull that his claws dont carry on bleeding, or worse develop an infection. if they are bleeding then thats a direct path for bacteria. keep them clean and leave them alone for now.

 

[hull-beardie-fan]

yeh you should just clip them to take the ends off... otherwise they will bleed as youve clipped the vein ... nothing to worry about but yeh just the ends off or file them next time :2thumb:

 

[Andy n Claire]

i am a first time trimmer i need to do both my horsfields and i may be geting another 2 nite thats lived in a viv so no doubt will have hers to do 2,ne tips would be aprechiated if ne 1 fancys pming me many thanks
also my tank needs his beak triming how is this done please

 

[fantapants]

i wouldnt suggest ANYBODY uses clippers on a torts claws. we tend to guess at what they should be like in comparison to the rest of the body, but they dont live by the same rules as us! it can be very difficult to see the blood supply as there nails often arent the slightest bit see through! use a heavy duty nail file, and DONT force the issue. a set of claws will be worn down eventually given the right range of activity. and a beak will eventually wear down given the right graze for that type of animal. on the odd occasion an animal does need atrim i would suggest getting a vet to show you how to do it first time. alot of people think there torts claws are long and they arent. i am going into the back now so will take some pics of just how "overgrown" healthy claw growth can be.

 

[fantapants]

ok, my camera just died so pics are not gonna happen.

back claws will be longer than front claws. females need to dig nest sites so claws are really important for excavation. claws are also important for getting a grip on terrain. they shouldnt have pretty pedicured feet, with uniform claws. thats not really natural. gracie is 13" long and her claws on the back feet are almost an inch long. they may look a little untidy but they are ok, i know they arent over grown because she had a vet check just a few months ago. bertha is 11"long and her claws are almost 1.5cms long. dorris and borris were kept in a bathroom for three years so had nowhere to keep there claws trimmed. when i got them i used a nail file to try and straighten them out a little as they had gone curly, they were that bad.

Dorris also has a very rapidly growing beak, but its kept down with a bi-monthly filing that lasts about 15 seconds. its a little longer than the other torts beaks but as it doesnt affect her eating, or anything else, its left alone. by the end of the summer her beak will have worn down and hopefully all of the claws will be ok.

make a pile of rocks for your tort to climb over with weeds stuffed into the gaps, will have the same effect and keep them trimmed down. for the first timers though, i would really suggest getting a vets opinion as to whether your tort needs doing, then if they do, the vet will be happy to show you the right way to do it. its not difficult if you have a good trusting tortoise. but if you do it wrong, your tortoise may never trust you again.

 

[Andy n Claire]

WOW! all this advice from that i dont think im going to atempt to do it,a friend i speek to said his claws are long i will try get a pic he is only about 5 inches long and 4 inch wide will take pic of beak and claws give me ten min to upload em

 

[-EJ]

There is a product called septic pencil or septic powder which is use for shaving. If you cut too deep just dab some of this on the nail and it helps the blood clot in addition to being an antiseptic.

Ed

 

[Andy n Claire]

no i wont lol tank is eating so i am leaving him to it,tank is the tort were having problems with,as he never eats he has had 2 days off food now he is eating so im not going to bother him,he is wired he eats when he likes he is like atypical toddler lol.
were squirt the baby he on the other hand u ant feed him enough,

will post some when i can sorry!

 

[fantapants]

There is a product called septic pencil or septic powder which is use for shaving. If you cut too deep just dab some of this on the nail and it helps the blood clot in addition to being an antiseptic.

Ed

a styptic pencil. my Husband uses them and he said they hurt like hell. i have never been brave enough to use it after hearing him moan about the stinging. they are only cheap tho, get them from boots and they do work a treat on minor cuts and nicks.

 

[Shelley66]

The thing with claws is that if they grow long, then the blood vessels grow long too... Same with dogs nails, . So if they really need trimming you should only take a tiny bit off at a time, this makes the blood vessel shrink back in time, so you can take more off.

I must be lucky, because non of my torts have ever needed their claws trimming, may be that is because they are in the garden most of the time.

 

[ian aldred]

Oops I will leave her claws well alone . I am so glad I asked befor I did any further damage , the bleeding stoped quickly and reading your message Ali they are within the growth range so I was completly wrong in attempting to trim .I wrongly assumed it was the correct thing to do . I will add more slate to her area and as she can go out now in the sunshine she has a path to help wear down excess growth .Thank you for all the replies from a very relieved owner and tortoise .

 

[Andy n Claire]

i have just been to see a tort as i was hpoing to bring her home and compared to tanks claws and beak ,this was atrocious her beak was actually curling under her chin and her claws were over grown,she was in a viv with a herman hatchling,i was appalled