Question about Nails

[copswife30]

Ok we have only had Simba about a month, the breeder we got him from told us to go to Lowes and use their dremel tool to do his nails.. I just looked at him like he was crazy . First off we do not have a Lowes here we live in a small town, but I do have a dremel tool, I just do not think I could ever try to use the thing on my bird.
I did purchase a perch for the top of his cage that has the sand paper like finish on it to help keep the nails worn off some.
My question is how do you guys do them? I for one never try to clip our birds wings or do the nails, I am scared I will cut them too close or clip the feathers wrong. I have taken them to the vet or bird person that knows what they are doing

 

[Chantilly Lace]

Take him to the vet every other month or so! Don't try to do it yourself. Macaws are STRONG and you must hold them very steady and be strong too. I personally cannot do it, nor can my husband. It was a terrible experience trying, and I will not do it again. I now have 2 dremels and will not use except on Pancho, my little guy because he is not such a terrible baby like the rest of my flock.

 

[copswife30]

Yes I think the vet is the best way to go, if only I did not have to drive 45 minutes to get to him it would be much better. But I do not think using any kind of tool on a bird is a good idea

 

[jmfleish]

Dremels are easy to use on nails and much more effective. I would start playing with your bird's feet and use a plain nail file and move on from there. It's all about training. I wouldn't do it without having someone with experience show you how to do it first though. There are some great pedicure perches out there as well. You want to put them by the food dishes so they get used but not overused. I rarely have to cut toe nails anymore and it's usually just to trim them back, not because they're too sharp. Before I found the pedicure perches that I currently use, my Cockatoo's nails had to be done every few weeks just to take the nasty points off them but he also will sit in his cage and file them to a razor point.

 

[copswife30]

Yeah that is the name of the perch I have a pedicure perch so maybe I could just use a nail file if needed.

 

[Sharpie]

Working with exotics, I am comfortable with a dremel on just about anything. That said, I don't do my OWN birds' nails! I leave that to the scary mean vet who is NOT their family member who has to live with them day in and day out.

 

[tammie]

I use a dremel on mine, but I would suggest getting a heavy duty nail file, the ones they use on acrylic nails work wonderful. When you are setting around with the bird just file a nail or 2 and let him get use to it. If you work on them regularly they shouldn't be a problem.