| From time to time a hamster's nails may get
too long and potentially even curl under the toe, this is
refered to as an overgrown nail. Some breeds of hamster do
in general have long nails so be sure to research your particular
species of hamster.
In general, the best idea is to seek treatment from a veternarian
if your hamster's nails are overgrown. However, it some cases
it is possible to treat the hamster yourself. The first way
is to line a portion of the cage with sandpaper in the hopes
that the hamster will use it to file its own nails down. Alternatively,
you can line a box with sandpaper and place the hamster in
the box for a while. Secondly, it may be possible to file
the nails down of your hamster yourself. Generally, this requires
the use of two people so that one person can hold the hamster
while the other concentrates on filing or cutting the nails
down. Standard nail clippers that you use yourself should
suffice to cut the nails.
Special care must be taken when doing this to ensure you
do not cut the nails too far at one time because you may expose
the nerve and cause bleeding. You may wish to have your veterinarian
show you how to cut the nails the first time so that you learn
the proper techniques to avoid injury.
|
