FINCHforum

I posted onto another thread before I realized it was not in the health section:

In reading the various threads on clipping nails, how do you see the quick in dark colored nails?

I was clipping my societies nails today. The light nails were easy to see the quick, but the dark nails...I just could not see the quick. I put a 40w lamp so it illuminated the foot from behind, but I still could not see the quick. I was so worried about cutting into the quick that I just trimmed it a little, and called it done.

I noticed that the nails on my 3 societies were different. The chocolate pied, seems the closest to not needing to be trimmed, but the light fawn and chestnut/blond both needed their front center and back nails trimmed down, and just a little on the front inside and outside nails.

I don't have STIFF bars on my cage, 1/2" square poultry mesh is flexible, so I can't install the concrete/sand perches. Any other idea for something that would help the birds self maintain the length of their nails.

If you can use natural branches from outside and select branches of varying shapes/sizes, this seems to be best.
Also (and I know not everyone can accommodate their birds this way) the more room they have to fly and exercise via taking off, landing, on various perches, the less their nails need to be trimmed.
The birds I have in the 6' flights nearly never need theirs trimmed, whereas the birds in the breeding cages usually need a trim by the time they are done breeding.

PS: With the dark color, I would gauge how far the quick is on the light colored nails and just clip a bit longer than on those.

This is how I do it when I clip my dog's nails - I have never clipped into the quick before

Thanks Tiffany
I think I will go out to the oak tree w a pair of pruning sheers this weekend, and look for a few branch to try.

Fooey
I think I injured my zebra.
I clipped his front middle nail, then put him back in the cage.
Now he appears to be favoring his left leg. He lifts his left leg off the perch more than he used to, and I noticed that he does not put the front middle toe around the perch.

I put him into a hospital cage w a cardboard floor. Maybe he will get better w/o the commotion of the other 2 birds, and less distance to go to for food and water.

When I clipped his nails, I noticed that there was a small red spot (about 1mm square) on the side of 2 toes on his left foot. It wasn't bleeding, but it was red like it was ready to or it was raw. I don't think this has anything to do with his favoring his left foot.

If you clipped the nail a bit short, this should heal fairly quickly. He may just be favoring the foot because it is tender right now.

Sally
You are right in your comment.
I did clip off quite almost half of the nail. It was pretty overgrown. Luckily I could see thru the nail and could see where the quick was. But maybe I still cut too much off at one time.

I think you have to hit the quick to make the foot tender--otherwise, you are just taking off hard nail, like our own nails, no feeling in that part.

Regarding trimming dark nails, just look at how they're growing. I have a number of waxbills that needs trimming on a regular basis, all with dark nails, and I rarely have a problem. You can usually tell from the growth pattern where the nail-only part starts if you look at them in good light.