nail clippers - 2008/01/08 09:43My little one is pretty good with letting me clip her nails (except when she's in huffy mode and becomes a gatling-pooper), but I have one problem that seems to be growing... she likes shiny things and tries to bite them. I'm using regular human nail clippers - the type that the airport security people were busy ripping the nail file parts off of starting late 2001.
As you might imagine, she becomes all interested in what mommy's doing with the shiny object near her footsies and starts investigating with her nose and tongue. Despite being repeatedly informed that licking or chomping the clippers is dangerous, she persists. I'm really patient and haven't even so much as nicked anything other than her nails, but it seems like this is a set-up for a beautiful disaster.
Other than going really slowly and constantly being prepared to release the clippers at the very last second instead of snipping, I've tried shielding the clippers from her sight and distracting her with mealies. But the mealies last only so long and she can wiggle to a point where she can see the clippers no matter how I hold her...
Any ideas?
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
zorra578
User
Posts: 409
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/08 11:15I find clipping Quentin's nails while he is pooping or peeing on my mom's desk keeps him distracted enough. Jessica Des Plaines, IL
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
aislinsadia
User
Posts: 509
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/08 11:15Clipping nails during bath time might be enough to distract her, have you tried that yet? I guess you have the opposite problem that most of us have- your hedgie loves the clippers *~*Steph*~* Cotton, Noodles & Cocoa (hedgehogs), Kuruku & Kimiko (kittehs), Sushi & Lily (Ryukin Goldfish), Rosy & Ruby (beagle sisters), and Archie & Rocky (African Dwarf Frogs).
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
jick
User
Posts: 296
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/08 13:01Switch to a different set of clippers... maybe the clippers smell or taste good. Check out Ham's Blog !
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
HamorHollow
Admin
Posts: 2187
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/09 01:30Look in the baby department of your local store. There is usually some type of coated clippers that looks like an animal.
-KKelly Sosik-Hamor Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. | Do you want to buy a baby Hedgehog? Please fill out out questionnaire. | Hedgehog World - A Community for African Pygmy Hedgehog Owners and Breeders
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
smhufflepuff
User
Posts: 182
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/09 09:40...clippers that look like an animal. hmmm... I wonder if there are any hedgie clippers? That would be too cute.
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
Hedgehogmadhatter
User
Posts: 561
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/09 15:19I have a pair of clippers that look like a bunny but they did a horrible job on Isabel's foot and she refused to let me trim her nails for a long time afterwards. Harley hasn't had his nails done yet but it's coming soon.
Have you thought about putting a washcloth over him and using that to, distract him, cover up his face and hide the clippers a bit. I tried filing a hedgehog's nails once with an emery board but that didn't work out so well.
lol
~Sara“The fox has many tricks, and the hedgehog only one, but that is the best of all”
Archilochus (Greek lyric poet and soldier, 675-635bc)
There's no love like HEDGEHOG love!
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
mschwindt
User
Posts: 96
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/10 01:20I can't emagine trying to file hedgie nails
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
Hedgehogmadhatter
User
Posts: 561
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/10 14:58mschwindt wrote: I can't emagine trying to file hedgie nails
Well... I never claimed to be the sharpest crayon in the box. I tried it because I had a hedgehog who was a wiggler and I was worried I would hurt him. “The fox has many tricks, and the hedgehog only one, but that is the best of all”
Archilochus (Greek lyric poet and soldier, 675-635bc)
There's no love like HEDGEHOG love!
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
pricklesnquills
User
Posts: 262
Re:nail clippers - 2008/01/10 19:35Hedgehogmadhatter wrote: mschwindt wrote: I can't emagine trying to file hedgie nails
Well... I never claimed to be the sharpest crayon in the box. I tried it because I had a hedgehog who was a wiggler and I was worried I would hurt him.
I picked up some baby nail clippers where the metal part is mostly enclosed in plastic.
What does she do?
Attack the plastic!
Guess the good news is sucking on plastic instead of chomping on metal is a tad easier on her teeth. And since they're new clippers, they're sharper and the snipping goes a bit quicker.
But, gosh! What a silly little hedge. You know, she chomps on the clippers, then moves her foot to her mouth, sucks/chomps on her foot for a bit, and watches me while she's doing all of this. To me, it feels like she's saying, "nope, sorry, you can't have my foot right now; I am *very* busy with it."
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
I picked up some baby nail clippers where the metal part is mostly enclosed in plastic.
What does she do?
Attack the plastic!
Guess the good news is sucking on plastic instead of chomping on metal is a tad easier on her teeth. And since they're new clippers, they're sharper and the snipping goes a bit quicker.
But, gosh! What a silly little hedge. You know, she chomps on the clippers, then moves her foot to her mouth, sucks/chomps on her foot for a bit, and watches me while she's doing all of this. To me, it feels like she's saying, "nope, sorry, you can't have my foot right now; I am *very* busy with it."
Yay! Silly hedgehog. But no you can clip her nails safely. When I trimmed Harley's nails for the first time he just let me do it. He fussed a bit then just gave up. It was the strangest thing. Also he only needed his back feet trimmed. His front toenails are very short. I wonder if he wears them down on the wheel.
~Sara“The fox has many tricks, and the hedgehog only one, but that is the best of all”
Archilochus (Greek lyric poet and soldier, 675-635bc)
There's no love like HEDGEHOG love!
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
Hedgehog Forums 
