How do i know how far to cut down my hammies toenails?

Question

like i dont wanna hurt her by accedentally cutting then to far in.

plz help mee

Answer 1

As long as there is plenty of hard surfaces in your cage such as a plastic platform or a piece of wood which a hamster can run around on then their nails shouldn't need to be trimmed at all as they should just get worn down naturally from scrabbling around.

However, if your hamster looks like it's in pain or the nails are really big, I would definately recommend taking it to a vet. Most animals have a vein running through each nail, if you cut through this it can cause serious problems for your little pet. Also with hamsters being so small and twitchy it could be very awkward job to do yourself. A vet should be able to tell you if the hamster's nails are ok.  

Answer 2

Can you see the pink quick inside the nail?  This is only possible if your hammie has white-ish nails.  If she has dark nails it will be hard to see.  If you can see it, then stop cutting before you reach it.  Make sure you give yourself some wiggle room in case your hammie moves at the last minute.  Be VERY CAREFUL, as you don't want to chop a toe off!    I'd only cut off maybe 1mm of the nail.  Another option is to take her to a vet to have them do it.  It only needs to be done if the nails are unusually long.

Another option is to get some sandpaper (pretty fine grade) to use as a big nail file.  This site also had some interesting ideas regarding gluing some to a wheel so your hammie will grind down her nails while running in it (I might employ that with my own rodents...) http://www.hamsterific.com/LongNails.htm...

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

i dont think you should cut her toenails. maybe file them. idk if she is a dog but i know that if you ccut an animals nails too far, they bleed. and it is VERY painful for them.

Answer 4

Toenails don't usually bother hamsters because they use them to groom. But if they do seem to hurt your dwarf, you can clip its nails with regular nail clippers. Pick a good time when your hamster is a bit sleepy but in a good mood, feed it a treat, and quickly clip its nails.

Answer 5

Well,You shouldnt cut her toenails by yourself.get a vet.or maybe someone from a petstore could give you some advice.But i know what to do.A safe way to do it is to line your hamsters wheel with sand paper.She will run and at the same time it will shave the nails.It does not hurt a hamsters foot.Or if u want to do it faster get baby nail clippers or small animal nail clippers.Cut ONLY the small part of the nails,never the thick.it has blood vessels in the thick area and your hamster will bleed if u cut it to far.Just snip some of the thin part of the nail.Good luck! PS: make sure your hamster will be still.OR get a vet to do it.