By: Samantha Khela
Trimming or clipping a bird’s nails is essential for the wellbeing of your pet bird. Not only are there benefits for yourself (avoiding sharp claws on your skin!) but there are ample benefits for your bird’s health as well. A quick nail trim here and there can help prevent foot problems with your bird, create comfort for your bird’s feet, and ultimately give them a better quality of life!
You will need the following materials to trim your bird’s nails:
- Styptic powder (i.e: Kwik Stop), or alternatively flour or cornstarch
- Hand Towel, or a small blanket
- Specialized Bird Clippers, or Small Human Nail Clippers.
To trim your bird’s nails without causing injury to your pet or yourself, follow this step-by-step guide on how to trim your bird’s nails:
Have styptic powder, cornstarch or flour ready.
It’s very easy to trim your bird’s nails too deep, and cut into something called “the quick” (the vein in a bird’s nails). No matter how careful you may be, accidents do happen! Birds are fragile and relatively small creatures, so blood loss can be extremely dangerous. Always have a styptic powder (i.e: Kwik Stop), cornstarch or flour handy whenever you groom your bird.
Use a small towel to wrap your bird.
Whether you have an untamed bird or the sweetest little feathered friend, even the most obedient birds can be scared of nail trimming. Cover your bird with a towel when trimming nails to reduce your pet’s anxiety. Having a towel also improves your grip on your bird, so that you can trim their nails seamlessly and efficiently.
Trim only the tip of your bird’s nail.
When you are cutting a bird’s nails, you want to only trim off the sharp point of the nail, and not into the quick. To locate this, you want to only cut off the white portions of the nail and not where you see the vein. For certain birds, it may be hard to locate exactly where the quick is. Bird Sitting Toronto can help if you aren’t comfortable with this task, feel free to call/text us for assistance and services.
Work quickly but carefully.
Let’s face the facts: no bird enjoys getting their nails clipped, and no human enjoys doing it to their birds! To reduce stress for yourself and your pet, work quickly to trim the nails and then release your pet. Being restrained in a towel and being held down is no fun for any bird, so if you notice your bird is in distress, release them and try again. If you feel like you’re having trouble, we’re here at Bird Sitting Toronto to help! Give us a call/text and ask about our nail clipping services.
