Nails too long?

Veer

Veer

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Hi everybody,

I think my dwarf's nails are too long. see picture. she regularly sits on my hand but is not tame enough to handle and clip nails.
it's all so small and she's so agile that I wouldn't dare to do that either.
I have now placed a granite cooling stone (with the rough side up) in front of the running wheel, drinking bottle and food bowl, with the rough side up. would this be enough for wearing down the nails? See picture.(in the carrier for a pic i noticed to long nails. Didn't see it before)
Her wheel has cork in it. Maybe i can take the cork out to help with the nails?
Do you think thi can work, or shpuld i take her to a vet to have her nails trimmed? O don't want to give her the stress of not needed.
In a couple weeks i give her a new scape and i will place some terracotta tunnels in her bedding.
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It’s hard to tell from the photo but they do look as though they may be getting a bit long but not by that much I don’t think.
If you’re not able to trim them yourself & I know it is very difficult when you can’t handle them easily you could get a vet to do it for you if they really are that long.
Once they’ve grown too long things like granite tiles really won’t wear them down, they can help a little with keeping them trim before they over grow though.
I think the wheel can help quite a lot, a cork wheel won’t wear them down but running on a harder surface can.
I noticed that particularly with my elderly ham who’s nails had never over grown but once he stopped running in his wheel (a silent runner which has a slightly textured surface) due to old age his nails grew really fast.
So in the longer term a different wheel might help.
 
I agree that things to wear them down are just preventative really and not enough when they get too long. Personally I wouldn't change the wheel though. I've been using cork wheels for a few years and it really doesn't make much difference as to when their nails start to get long - it tends to be with old age when they are less active generally. There are also pros to the cork wheels.

She already has a sand bath and a granite tile and that's good but I don't think any cage changes will make a difference. They just get to an age where they occasionally need a nail trim. Maybe only the once if she is older. How old is she?

I also don't think they look really too long. A bit on the long side as Elusive says. On the right hand side it does look like one is starting to curl in a bit so it's a good time to snip a very tiny bit off the end to prevent them getting long and curled under. I think their nails get softer as they get older too. Just like humans really - teeth start to be an issue too!

How old is she by the way? I find it hard enough doing it with a Syrian and go for the slow gradual method. (Snipping one or two while they are distracted eating while out of the cage and on the sofa next to me).

With a dwarf hamster, you could try the grid method. Some people have actually used a bird feeder. Pop the hamster in there with a treat and their nails poke out through the mesh and you can snip the odd one from underneath. For a first time though, it can be an idea to take them to the vet for a nail trim. It's slightly stressful but they get over it in a few days. And you can see how to cut them as well (to avoid cutting the quick). Generally avoiding that is just taking the tiniest tip off the nail rather than any length and doing that again at a later date so they gradually get shorter.
 
I think Russian hamsters nails might grow faster & longer than Syrians, with mine the Russians nails needed trimming far more & earlier than the Chinese.
 
She is about 8 months old i think. Have to check, she is from a petshop and was about 10 weeks old when whe got her, that was around march 20 this year.
 
So she's not that old then. Our Robo is over 2 years old and hasn't had nail length issues so maybe it's more species specific as Elusive mentions. If she's only about 8 months old and has a granite tile under her food/water, then maybe just keep an eye on it for now and maybe add another item (terracotta is good as you mentioned). They do need nails for gripping onto things when claiming and they don't look overly long.
 
My female dwarfs had long nails regardless of age so i snipped the tip off whenever i could. As long as they don't curl i was never too worried and your dwarf's nails don't seem to curl from what i can see.
You can take her to the vet and they give a little gas to hamsters who are very wriggly.
 
When I discovered the long nails, I put a rough stone in the enclosure and removed the cork insert from the running wheel so that it runs on rough wood. it does not help. I'm afraid that the nails need to be trimmed, since they also curl a bit. I have tried to hold her, but she struggles free and keeps moving. I'm going to practice holding her daily now, so that she will hopefully calm down and I can cut them myself in a while. I am considering to take her to the vet to do this, but i think it would be nice if she is used to be held. or does the vet do the cut under a daze? I prefer to do it myself to save the stress of the trip. tips anyone? see pictures for the length of the nails.
 

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I can understand why you thought about removing the cork lining but I would leave it in as your hamster could hurt her paws without it.

It is a great idea to practice holding your hamster to get her used to being held. I think taking her to the vet to have her nails cut is a good idea if it is too difficult for you. Hopefully the vet will be able to especially if they have experience with hamsters. I have heard some vets give a hamster a little bit of gas if they are too stressed by having their nails cut.

By the way, what is your hamsters name? :)

There are tips on cutting nails here.
www.thehamsterforum.com

Caring for an older hamster

Caring for a hamster in old age can be very rewarding. They may need some extra attention. The hamster cage may need adjusting to remove levels and they need their teeth and nails checking plus often some supplementing with soft foods.
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com
 
I did it!
I spent almost 2 hours with breaks in between to let her relax, cut nail by nail. every now and then she pushed the blinker away, or just put her paw forward, so I had to be very careful. In between i gave her many rewards with mealworms and petting and letting her walk on the couch, and finally it worked. the nails of the front paws are all neatly short now. and that without squeaking, biting, blowing or blood.
I have now partly cleared the wooden platform in her enclosure of the moss, and I have a rough stone near her feeding and drinking place. hopefully she can keep it short herself from now on.
 
well, it seems her nails have bee growing fast, they are long again, think i have to do a new nailcut on her frontpaws soon.
 
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