My Bird is Chewing His Nails

[Oscarbird]

Recently I've been noticing that my bird has been chewing/picking at his feet. He doesn't have any kind of foot disease that would make him do this. (he has all natural branch perches of different widths and textures) His last nail trim was around late March, not that long ago. The nail chewing has become more and more obsessive, but there are no scabs on his feet from it. I'm not sure if it's my dry climate or him feeling uncomfortable with slightly longer nails. What could be causing him to do this?

 

[Shezbug]

I’ve heard that some birds will chew the longer tips off their nails but I’ve never witnessed it myself.
If there’s no damage being done and it’s not the only thing he does all day then maybe it’s nothing to worry about?
I’d certainly be checking the feet are definitely ok, making sure the nails are a nice length (not too long) and remembering to mention it to the vet though.

 

[Oscarbird]

Thank you! His nails aren't that long, and they don't make his skin bleed when he scratches himself. I'll mention it to his vet when we schedule the next appointment. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Zara]

My youngest hen bites her nails to trim them. She is the only one who has had her nails trimmed in the past.

I wonder if your bird is trying to sharpen his nails to better his grip?

 

[Oscarbird]

One thing I did forget to mention- his avian vet said at his last vet visit (late March) that I could always file down his nails with a nail file if I thought they were uncomfortable for him. I tried to do this once, and my bird refused. I'm not sure if I should be filing down his nails though- what do you guys think?

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

My bird gets his nails trimmed at the vet about every 5-6 weeks. He starts chewing at his nails once they get too long for his liking but I don't think he's capable of trimming them himself cause he's pretty gentle. But that's usually my sign of knowing it's time to call the vet for the next pedicure. Right after the trim he doesn't mess with his nails at all. If your bird allows you to file them you can definitely give it a try. My bird won't stay still for that

 

[Oscarbird]

I'll probably schedule the next visit sometime next week then. His vet just recommended that we file to save up on pedicure bills! Thanks for the advice @CrazyBirdChick, it is much appreciated

 

[Zara]

If you want to save on bills for nail filing, try a Hagen pedi-perch (sometimes called living world). All of my birds have these and none need their nails clipping.

Pedi-Perches

It´s no secret that I am a huge fan of pedi-perches - but only certain ones. I just want to post a thread with some info, so that I can reference it in the future instead of posting the same info multiple times and missing important parts. I stand by my pedi-perches, and only one of my birds...

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[Oscarbird]

We actually have a pedi-perch in his cage! It's the one with the smooth top, (the living world one) and it's by his food bowl so he gets the most use out of it. Maybe he doesn't use it enough... thank you though, @Zara!

 

[Zara]

Sometimes it takes moving it a few times to find a good spot

 

[Oscarbird]

Thank you! I'm re-arranging his cage sometime next week so I'll be sure to try and move it to a better spot.

 

[Oscarbird]

Oscar has a nail appointment at his avian vet tomorrow morning. I'll ask the vet about his chewing problem. He's not doing it much anymore, but I'll ask anyways

 

[Oscarbird]

Vet said that his nail chewing might just be a habit. They checked his feet for fungus and he was fine and healthy. Besides getting his nails done, Oscar also got his beak trimmed slightly, since his vet said it was a little long. We also got some more nutri berries, which Oscar was pleased about