clipping nails-HELP!

[sean]

i just clipped my finches nails and as terrified as he was i was more scared. anyway, i think all is well but i'm scared about one thing:

on two of his nails i just barely nicked the quick. the nails never bled, i only nicked the quick enough so that there you could see a tiny speck of red on the end of the nail. I applied some "kwik stop" with a dry cotton swab.

i just read the directions for the "kwik stop" and it says to use a moistened cotton swab. what an idiot i can be. the powder appeared to mostly adhere to the nail anyway. does this sound okay?

if anybody could help with their expertise i would really, really appreciate it.

[bonnies_gouldians]

My experience with kwik stop has been using a dry q-tip or just my finger tip to apply it. Both ways have worked fine. I never liked using it with a damp/wet swab because I don't think it worked as well...then again, I always held it on the bleeding nail for at least five seconds or so, that way the pressure would help the powder adhere to the toe/blood better and help stop the bleeding faster.

Hope that helps
Bonnie

[fairestfinches]

Sean,

When we clip nails we keep blood tops handy just in case. The poweder in our is applied dry and we normally just dip the toe into the powder. Sometimes we have to do this more than once to stop the bleeding. It sounds like in your case since it wasn't gushing you got it the first time around. Getting more powder on the rest of the foot is not unusual.

Another way to stop a bleeding toe nail is to keep a box of matches handy. If you get a bleeding toe you light a match and then blow it out after a second or two and use the match head to cauterize the quick and stop the bleeding. I prefer this to blood stop myself, but it's not for everyone.

I shouldn't need to mention this part. . . But, you have to be very careful when using the match cauterization method.

Sean

[FeatherHarp]

I seem to like using QuickStop dry also as the blood sticks to it better. Also cornstarch or flour works if you run out of the other stuff.

I hate trimming nails....I try so hard not to make them bleed but sometimes it just happens.

[sean]

thanks for your replies.

i had matches handy but didn't think that i needed them and was too scared to use them anyway. even holding my finches scares me because i am afraid of crushing their tiny bodies.

anyway, its been 3 hours and h looks ok. he hasn't been chirping or singing--just sitting quietly on his branch. on the otherhand, his feathers are slick and not puffed. i'm just praying for the best.

[bonnies_gouldians]

he's probably fine Sean, just scared, mine don't sing for a few hours after I handle them, sometimes not until the next day! Truely a stressful time for all involved. I have the sandpaper perches, concrete perches, and natural branches in my cage all in an attempt to help with those little nails and dread the day that may come when I have to do their nails!

[sean]

well, its been six hours or so and he is still alive so i think my little bro would have bleed out by now if there was a problem.

btw, in the finch info center this is an entire section warning against the use of those sandpaper covered perches. crystal (the chick who owns this sits) cited a few journals that did NOT find it effective in slowing the growth of finches' nails. actually, the same studies found that the use of sandpaper perch covers caused an increase in the prevalence of foot disease.

just some food for thought. i am hardly the finch guru.

[bonnies_gouldians]

seriously!? I had no idea, Thats not cool at all. Are the concrete ones okay? They feel really smooth compared to the sand paper perches...

[sean]

i don't know about the concrete perches. I checked the website for you and here is an excerpt:



Dowel perches should never be the sole perching option for finches since they do not allow for ample foot exercise, may increase the pressure placed on one point of the foot due to their regularity in cross section, and may increase the potential for bumblefoot by aggravating the feet5. Ideally perches should be made from clean, nontoxic hardwood branches that have never been sprayed with chemicals or other pesticides, are free from wood rot and mold, and are variably sized with irregular cross sections.5 Do not use perches that are excessively large or flat, and NEVER use sandpaper-covered perches since these may predispose birds to foot problems without having any beneficial effect on nail length.2,5 I highly recommend using manzanita branches, which are available at many pet stores. To prevent contamination by feces, perches should be positioned in such a way that they are not stacked directly above each other nor above the seed or water dish(es). Because wood is impossible to disinfect, perches should be replaced as they become fouled by feces.5



the woman who runs this site is a vet student so i think she really knows what she is talking about. and she backs it up with journal citations which adds credibility.

[sean]

by the way, thanks for anyone who posted ideas and support. He is almost back to his normal self--with a little less flying around and very lite eating. all in all though, he is doing better.

[bonnies_gouldians]

I am glad to hear your little guy is doing better and thanks for getting that info for me. The concrete perches are pretty uniform and smooth so I will be looking for some more natural branches for them. I have a few different sizes of perches in the cage so I dont think they are stuck on the same diameter perch all the time, and out come the sand perches!

[franny]

I also heard that the sand perches might be harmful, but the concrete ones would at least not allow them to ingest the silica, and would not be as hard on their feet I would think. But they are still better for beak scraping and wearing down nails that a regular branch, I would think.

Best option might be the concrete perch next to the waterer, and all others of natural wood.

Sean, I feel for you... I haven't had the nerve to trim my GBs toenails, and am actually paying someone else to be the bad guy! Glad that it worked out ok.

Just edited this to let you all know that the lady from Craig's List did come and clip my pair's toenails. She was excellent at catching them, and it was done before you know it! For anyone in the Vancouver area who hates to do clipping, I'd highly recommend her. She was pretty reasonable in my book (but then I only have two birds). And worth every penny! I didn't have to be the bad guy!

[bonnies_gouldians]

I feel the same way about trimming nails, its not fun at all! I will definetly be taking up that idea and placing the concrete perches only by the water and food dishes, the rest will be changed out to better quality wood (I also have a stiff rope one that one of my females seems to really enjoy, I think its good for her feet, its soft rope but its bigger than the other perches so it gives those toes a work out!)

[L in Ontario]

I trim all my finches nails (and parrots' nails and wings) when required. Each cage has 1 cement perch and a couple of wood branch perches of different sizes. It's not often the finches need nail trimming but it's not difficult. Just have to remember to 'take your time'. Hold the foot (bird) up to a bright light and you can easily see the quick.

I have flour nearby if I cut too short by accident. Only happened once when I was trimming my parakeets nails.

[BillD]

has anyone used a pedi-paw to trim their nails? I'm thinking of getting one for my felines and wonder if it might be used for finches?

Please let me know.