My Robo Dwarf hamster needs his nails cut and I don't know what to do! Help ASAP!?

Question

I am quite sure my robo dwarf hamster needs his nails cut. I don't know if I should cut his nails or if I should get a vet. If I do it myself I am afraid I will hurt him, and I am 100% sure he will squirm out of my hands or try to jump. Also what kind of nail cutter could I use? His nails are getting real long. If I get a vet I'm afraid it would cost too much! Another question; how much does getting a robo dwarf hamster's nails cut cost?

Please help I don't want my poor baby to suffer!!!

Answer 1

I find super fine grit sand paper works really well. Just line the bottom of a box and let him walk around for awhile. However, if you choose to do this, you MUST really keep an eye on him. Too much time on the sand paper and it'll start to damage the feet.

Answer 2

Hamster's nails are like their teeth, they keep growing throughout life. Unfortunately our artificial environments in the cage with soft bedding often are too smooth to keep a hamsters nails properly trimmed.

If a hamsters toe nails have grown out of control they will need to be trimmed. A vet should really do the trimming, as you must be very careful not to clip in too far and injure the growing part of the nail. Also hamsters quite understandably don't like having someone hold their tiny legs while their toe nails are clipped, especially with a hyperactive hamster like a robo, you definitely will find it difficult to do it at home.

My suggestion would be to take it to a vet for the first time and learn from the vet how you can clip his nails safely at home.

I personally put my hamsters thrice a week in a cardboard box lined with sandpaper on its walls (the walls should be tall to prevent the hamster from escaping), the hamster will try to scratch his nails against the sand paper trying to escape out of the cardboard box. It has successfully helped my hamsters keep their nails trim. However do it only under your supervision and don't leave the hamsters in the box for more than 10 minutes at a stretch.

Answer 3

I would suggest going to a vet, because you don't want to try and end up doing it wrong.

You then need to put some kind of hard, rough surface in your cage to stop it's nails growing so quikly. You can get stuff like that from your local pet shop.