Any pet requires care and close attention to itself. Parrots always require a special approach. Communication with the owner or relatives, good nutrition and good health are important for them.
One of the most important factors in the favorable existence of a feathered pet is the condition of its paws. Each owner of this animal should periodically trim its claws. This article is all about how to trim a parrot's claws, why it is necessary and methods of prevention.
Why do they cut their hair?
The life of budgies in the wild is very different from life in captivity. In nature, birds constantly fly, jump from branch to branch, sit on rough tree branches, so their claws themselves wear down as a result of friction against natural materials. In the cage, all the perches are smoothly polished and made of unnatural materials, when interacting with which the claws do not grind down. Small budgies, medium-sized cockatiels or large macaws need to have their nails trimmed.
Too long claws cause severe discomfort to your pet for many reasons:
- marigolds can cling to tissues on which the bird lands during flight, in which case the pet can dislocate a paw or twist a claw;
- the parrot feels pressure to move on flat surfaces and cannot sit comfortably on the perch;
- a pet can harm itself by trying to scratch its paws with overgrown nails;
- paws also cling to the bars of the cage.
In addition to natural growth, there are situations in which nail growth becomes too strong due to various diseases or problems in the body. Among these:
- liver diseases;
- curvature of fingers or other deformities associated with previous injuries;
- parasites (most often mites);
- poor living conditions;
- poor and unhealthy diet, which disrupts metabolism;
- lack of vitamins and minerals in the body.
Why do you need to trim your parrot's claws?
A feathered pet at home cannot afford the activity that being in the wild promotes. For this reason, claws, deprived of natural abrasives, begin to grow, interfering with movement.
The need to trim a parrot's claws
The parrot is a neat bird. He constantly smoothes his feathers and cleans his head.
Overgrown nails can get stuck, which can lead to foot injuries. Gait is disturbed, which leads to the development of limb diseases. A long nail may break, causing pain to the bird.
Preparation for the procedure
Before trimming a parrot's claws, you need to calm it down and set it in a positive mood. It is best to carry out the procedure at a veterinary clinic, but it is possible to do it yourself. To do this you will need special animal clippers. You can buy them at a veterinary store.
If this is not possible, then use a regular manicure set. But be sure to treat it with antiseptics before and after the procedure. You will also need cotton wool or cotton pads, a towel or gloves, and a product that stops the bleeding. During preparation, it is very important to determine exactly where the cut needs to be made, because birds have capillaries in their claws that cannot be touched. In order to do this, you need to shine a flashlight on your paw, so all the vessels will become visible.
What are the consequences of growing claws on a parrot?
There is disagreement among parrot breeders about whether or not to trim your parrot's nails. The main argument of opponents of this procedure looks like this: in its natural habitat, no one runs after a bird with scissors.
Proponents of cutting nails of small breeds, including budgerigars, give several reasons why this is necessary:
- Overgrown nails prevent the bird from walking and sitting on the perch.
- If the bird wants to scratch itself, it will hurt itself with an overgrown claw.
- If a bird sits on a fleecy fabric - a blanket or carpet, during a sharp take-off it runs the risk of tearing out a claw caught in the pile, or even dislocating its paw. As a result of such an injury, the bird may become disabled or die.
- Large breeds of parrots can bite off the overgrown part of the nail themselves; budgerigars do not have this opportunity, since their beak is not of sufficient size.
Important! In the room where budgies are kept, it is not advisable to lay carpets or hang fleecy fabrics outside the cage, on which the bird can get caught and injure itself.
Trimming a pet's nails should be done safely for the bird, using special tools and antiseptics that are prepared in advance. The parrot's nails need to be cut as the keratinized tissue grows back.
How to trim claws correctly
To trim your pet's nails, grasp him in such a way that his wings are pressed against his back. To prevent bites, raise the animal's head. Bend your finger and cut off the excess length in one motion at an angle of 45 degrees from the floor. The procedure must be done carefully and so that your fingers do not get under the blade. It is best to treat your pet with a treat after this.
It is easy to determine whether the claws can be trimmed by looking at the parrot's gait. If it is uneven and your nails rest against the surface, then they cause discomfort. Usually the claws are cut when they reach 5 cm.
Necessary tools for cutting
To trim your nails you will need:
- “ nail clipper ” (You can buy it at a pet store. If you suddenly can’t get it, you can use small scissors (manicure scissors are great) or nail clippers.);
- cotton wool;
- hemostatic powder or powder (If you can’t find it anywhere, then there should be at least a solution of hydrogen peroxide. It is not recommended to use potassium permanganate when bleeding, it can cause a burn. As a last resort, if you can’t get any powder, dilute a very weak solution of potassium permanganate. );
- gloves (Many people don’t use them. But trimming is stressful for a budgie, so it can bite hard. To avoid being bitten, trim your budgie’s nails while wearing gloves.).
What to do if your parrot is injured
No matter how hard you try to do everything carefully, bleeding can happen in any case. For example, if the paw or the stratum corneum of the claw with capillaries in it is touched. In this case, you need to press a cotton swab moistened with hydrogen peroxide to the bleeding area. You can also use a manganese crystal or a special agent that stops the blood.
After the procedure, the feathered pet will be scared and stressed. To alleviate its condition, it is better not to contact it for a while, because it will feel that you are a source of danger.
Natural claw sharpening
Parrots use their claws to move across various surfaces and to capture and hold food. In nature, the paws of parrots are subject to constant stress: birds run on the ground and stones, climb trees, pick and hold seeds and fruits. Constant contact with hard, rough surfaces quickly wears down the claws.
In captivity, parrots lead a sedentary lifestyle. Their paws come into contact only with perches, metal and plastic inside the cage, smooth table surfaces and upholstered furniture when walking. Lack of contact with rough surfaces prevents the normal grinding of the growing stratum corneum. The situation is aggravated by the absence of ropes and ladders made of natural materials in the cage, as well as the presence of plastic or polished wooden perches of small diameter.
Prevention
In any case, it is impossible to trim a parrot's claws without scaring him or causing discomfort. Therefore, you should generally avoid excessive regrowth. There are special devices for this in pet stores. Sharpeners for claws and beaks are made from chalk and other natural materials. With their help, pets can get rid of overgrown length themselves.
You also need to replace all the plastic elements in the cage with wooden ones. Their surface should not be smooth. It is best to add pebbles to the bottom of the home. It is necessary to let the bird fly around the apartment more often. It is very important that the pet’s perch is at least 15 mm thick, because it is by sitting on such a branch that the parrot can wear down its nails naturally.
Structure of a parrot's claw
To determine which part of a budgerigar's claw to cut and whether the nails can be cut in a certain area, you need to learn a little about their structure.
The claw is divided into 3 zones:
- base of the nail;
- the end of the vessel;
- edge of the nail.
The first two parts cannot be cut off. It is necessary to visually divide the parrot's claw into 3 parts and cut off the very edge, in which there are no blood vessels. To avoid injury, you should find out in detail how to trim claws correctly.
Is it possible to cut down
Some parrot owners try to solve the problem of excessively elongated horny formations on the paws of their charges by cutting them down with manicure files, or even needle files.
This would seem to be a good solution, since trimming with a nail clipper or nail clippers leaves sharp edges on the nails, while using a file can achieve a better result. However, experienced parrot owners do not recommend doing this under any circumstances, and veterinarians even prohibit doing this.
Important! Filing down claws
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An extremely painful, unpleasant operation that provokes a state of shock in the bird.
Trimming the claws of a pet parrot
Self-confidence is the key to a successful procedure for trimming your cockatiel's nails. If there is a feeling of fear or your hands are shaking, you should consult a specialist. In any case, expect that the bird will struggle, and the procedure itself may be painful. To carry it out, you need to purchase special veterinary nippers. They are sold at any pet store. You also need to take care of your own hands and wear thick gloves. A means to stop the bleeding would be useful; anything can happen.
In order to trim the claws, you will have to turn your feathered friend over. He will bite and get angry, be careful not to wring the cockatiel's neck. You may need the help of a second person, one holding the bird, the other cutting off the long claws. Only the tip of the claw is removed; if you examine this part of the body well, you can see a darkening in the middle, this is a blood vessel. If you cut it, hemorrhage will begin, which will have to be stopped urgently.
Slowly you need to cut the claws one by one at a certain angle. Some people prefer to file down their feathered pet's claws. Veterinarians prohibit sawing. Such actions destroy the structure of the claw, causing delamination and discomfort for the cockatiel. When cutting with pliers, keep hemostatic powder on hand. It is poured onto cotton wool and applied to the wound. The medication should not be allowed to come into contact with other areas of the skin, as it can cause a burn. Pain when cutting is a cause for concern. Cockatiels are very shy and remember unpleasant sensations during certain actions. In the future it will be difficult to carry out this procedure, since the parrot will panic at the sight of the forceps.
After a pedicure, many pet parrots become offended by their owners and even become depressed. That is why it recommends preventing the growth of claws. Well, if a cosmetic procedure could not be avoided, you will have to put up with your feathered friend using treats. Cockatiels are vulnerable and sensitive creatures. They are afraid of pain and cannot understand a person when he does certain things, even for good. That is why it is better to prevent a problem than to fix it!
Trimming a cockatiel's nails is no different from a pedicure for a budgie. In any case, you need to be careful and pay attention to the location of the blood vessels. Only then will the parrot not feel discomfort from the procedure.
Stress relief
Nail trimming is often a very stressful time for parrots. The bird may not only get scared, but also be offended by its owner. Therefore, you definitely need to prepare your bird’s favorite treat in advance. After pruning, the bird should be left alone for several days, no other procedures should be performed, and it should be protected from possible distress. Little birds (wavy birds, lovebirds) will definitely appreciate a gift in the form of a caged toy.
This is interesting: Haircut with hot scissors at home
When to cut
Some budgies bite their own claws if they grow long. But there are only a few such individuals. The rest of the parrots need help in this matter.
How do you know when it's time to trim your nails? It's simple. Let your parrot fly. When he lands on a flat, hard, horizontal surface, you should watch his paws. If the tip of the finger - the part from which the claw begins to grow - does not touch the surface and the fingers seem to be at an angle due to the size of the claw, then it is time to make the claws shorter. If the fingers touch the entire surface and when the parrot walks, the fingers do not fall to the side (do not bend), but stand straight, then it is too early to shorten the claws.
Rules
There is blood flow inside the claw. If possible, you should not touch him.
If you accidentally touched it and started bleeding, it’s okay. Stop the bleeding using a prepared hemostatic agent. Dip the nail clipper into the disinfectant container and continue the procedure.
It is necessary to cut off the tip of the claw at a distance of 1.5-2 mm from the bloodstream.
Trimming the claws of an unaccustomed bird alone is quite difficult, so it is better for you to look for an assistant in advance.
Be extremely careful when cutting. The parrot constantly twitches its paws and another finger may accidentally get caught between the blades of the scissors.
What is good about a special nail clipper? The fact that it allows you to cut off only one claw, without the possibility that you will accidentally touch the neighboring finger.
