I just cut my tort's nails.

seanang168

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For 21 years, I didn't do anything about the nails as I wasn't sure how to do it. But I noted that the nails were getting far too long and yesterday I just did it on my girl after running through some YouTube videos.

Before cut
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After cut
LRTKoIa.jpg


 

seanang168

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@gaveau yohann My human nail cutter was a tad small but by taking small snaps, I got it done. :) I think you should have a proper pet nails cutter ?
 

wellington

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I used toe nail clippers. They made it easier then finger nail clippers. The larger size fit the nail easier.
If you give some flat rock tiles to walk on it might help keep them trimmed.
 

seanang168

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52df5ML.jpg

Before cut

I0IgJ8k.jpg

Nail cutters

Ok. I just gave my female tortoise a pedicure again last night. This time round I am more equipped with a proper small pet nails cutter. In the last cut, I used a human nails cutter scissors and it went misaligned after use. And of course my tortoise thanked me with a pile of feces and a big squirt of either egg whites or pee. Interestingly, there is no need for me to cut the male tortoise nails yet.
 

Markw84

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A thought to keep in mind when feeling you need to clip nails...

Many female tortoises develop fairly long nails. They use these nails to be able to better excavate a nest. Look at their hind feet. They are extremely poorly configured for digging and being able to life any soil out of a nest they are constructing. So the long nails actually are creating a way for them to take quite a nice bit of earth out of the nest despite the shape of the foot. If your tortoise is ever going to be digging a nest, be careful about "trimming" those digging tools.
 

seanang168

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Yup Thanks @Markw84 . I know that the long nails probably is for that purpose as the male has seen little growth in his nails so far.
 

Loohan

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I use
Guillotine Cat Nail Clippers
which work real well on my little boxies.
One word of advice: if your close-range vision is not so good, wear your reading glasses! I once accidentally cut way too high on one nail, almost up to the skin, and i felt terrible as my baby bled on my hand. Not that he seemed to notice, and it grew back fine.
Once you slip the guillotine around the nail they tend to wiggle and jerk.
 

Tortillo

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My Tillo’s middle finger on his right hand has already been missing since i got him a month ago. Chances of growth?
 

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Loohan

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My Tillo’s middle finger on his right hand has already been missing since i got him a month ago. Chances of growth?

Must have been ripped out by the root. Maybe he got it caught on a wire or something climbing around.
Not that i'm an expert on the subject.
 

TortoiseRacket

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image.jpg My friend at my local reptile shop does it for me. When I got one of my tortoises, it had a broken nail so we had to take it off because it was causing her too much pain. We used quick-stop to stop the bleeding. She pouted for a day but after that she was fine. She now has a stub for a nail but it’s growing back and she seems a lot happier.
 

seanang168

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@Tortillo, One day, I saw that my lady tortoise was bleeding on her thumbs on both of her front legs. Both nails were like torn away. I suspected that a bird must have flown into my house and attacked her. About two years later, I could see that the nails are regrowing out of the thumbs again, albeit very short.

@Loohan , for cutting nails, hold up the tortoise to a light source and look through the nails. You could faintly see an opaque portion at the nails. Dont cut beyond this opaque portion. It is almost like trimming the tips of the nails only. Cutting up to the skin line is over cut.
 

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