Bearded dragon claws?
I have a one year old bearded dragon. Do such lizards obligation their nails trimmed? His claws seem long but I don't know how long is too long or if they should be disappeared the heck alone.
Also, IF they do need to be trimmed from time to time, how do I recognize where the speedy is? I am very familiar with cats and trim their claws regularly, but I know zilch about the tiny, black claws on a bearded dragon.
Helpful answers only please!
the single thing i would suggest is ask someone who works with reptiles they would know.sorry i couldn't be of more lend a hand.
i would suggest filing the staple down with a nail filer. Its probably the safest way.
Answers: Yes, I've have bearded dragons, water dragons, iguanas, and other reptiles and THEY ALL have needed their nail clipped.
The nails can be trimmed very carefully by using fastener clippers to just clip off the tips. You must be very cautious not to cut into the vein that runs down the middle of the nail though. If you cut in the capillary the dragon could lose a fair amount of blood if you can't get it to stop! I've hear that some people just use either a staple file to dull the tips, or run the claws along some sandpaper to dull the tips.
The dragons nail are thick where they join the toe, and it is surrounded by this thickened area that you will clearly see the vein that runs down the middle of the claw. The extension of the claw tapers off into a very fine, nearly triangular point. It is the very tip of this fine point that you want to cut off.
I place my dragons on the bathroom counter when I trim their nails. In this channel I can stand over them and get at them from a number of different angles and for difficult nails I can hold them drop one foot over the edge of the counter so I can get at each toe efficiently. My dragons are very used to this routine and mostly just sit calmly on the counter while I move around them picking up one foot at a time and adjectives the tips off their nails. I trim their claws approximately every two weeks.
When you have your dragon placed a moment ago the way you want it- or while the dragon is being held by someone else gently pick up one foot. Grasp one toe benevolently but securely in your fingers and place the nail clipper at the completely tip of the nail and gently clip off the sharp point. Continue clipping the nail on each toe on each foot until you are done. If the dragon struggles or becomes agitated at any point please linger until it has calmed down again as you do not want to scare or injure the dragon.
If you do accidentally cut into the vein when you are trimming a pin It is very important to stop the bleeding and to disinfect the wound too. I realize that a small amount of blood loss probably wont hurt them but If a wound continues to bleed for a period of time in need stopping it could get serious. So make every effort to stop bleeding when it occur.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
