General Care Discussion :: Manicure?

[eneg]

Hi All,

Atlas turned 5 in February.
His nails are so long that he can hardly walk.
I have to put the water higher then his basking platform so that he can get out. When he basks, his bottom shell is usually still in the water.
If I take him out of the tank, he can get around, but it is a struggle.
Heck, I couldn't walk if I had his nails!

So, the obvious question is - Can his nails be cut?

I have a very good reptile vet that we went to about 3 years ago when Atlas' eyes swelled up. A few antibiotic shots and that was the end of that problem.
I just don't want to go and spend $$$ to be told not to cut his nails.
So, what say you???

Thanks,

Eneg

[marisa]

Welcome. I wouldn't cut his nails just so he can walk around when you take him out of the tank (there's really no need for him to walk around).

What kind of basking area does he have? My male RES has long nails (he's been know to stand with them bent under his paws), but with his corkbark basking area, the nails actually help him grip the corkbark to pull himself out of the water. If your RES's basking area doesn't have a ramp or doesn't have one with good traction, I can see why he would have to struggle to get on it. It might be good to get him a basking area that's easier for him to get on.

The nails are secondary sex characteristics on males that really should be left alone. They have long dark veins inside that can easily be nipped by mistake and will bleed.

In short, rather than cutting the nails, I'd change what's in his environment that's making his nails a problem---i.e., keep him in the tank and get a different basking area for him.

If you have a good herp vet and still think he needs his nails to be shorter, I'd pay the money and see what the vet says.

[eneg]

Hi Marisa,

I recently moved him to a larger tank and got the largest Zoo-Med dock.
He couldn't use it. The lower end was not low enough (for him,) and he couldn't climb out.
Now I have the largest ramp (can't think of the name of it, but it's the one that has the suction cups on the side and the large green "stripes" for traction.)
I keep it at about 1 inch below the water line so that he can get out.
He can't (or won't) climb up the ramp if it is above the water line.

Between the two ramps, he went a long time without coming out of the water.
At least now, most of his shell get the heat and light. . .

Thanks again.........

[theartbook35]

I doubt anyone would be able to hold a turtle still long enough to actually clip the nails successfully, if it was safe to do so. You'd probably have to wear gloves to avoid bites. It's natural for their nails to grow long, it's how males attract a female.

If the nails are a problem though, as in a health issue, is it possible that a turtle would need a "scratching post", the way cats do? Maybe a rough surface for them to dig at, like river rocks, or cork bark, to naturally wear down the nails?

[SpotsMama]

My Spot uses the same turtle ramp and it works fine for him. He's 7 years old and just over 7 inches long. His front toenails are very long and have never been trimmed. It's natural for the toenails to be long - they are that way on wild turtles too.

The part of the ramp that's under water extends down probably four inches so it's easy for him to climb it. He gets good traction on the green stripes. The upper parts of the ramp are never below water. The highest part of the ramp looks like a diving board.

Spot is too heavy for the suction cups to support his weight by themselves, so I use a large aquarium cleaner-type magnet to help prop up the ramp. The kind I use looks like this except I think it's bigger. I leave it permanently attached to the glass below where the ramp attaches to the tank wall so it keeps the ramp from slipping down the wall.

http://www.amazon.com/Mag-Float-Floatin ... B0002568ZE

It's absolutely essential that Atlas be able to dry off completely when he basks - top and bottom. He'll develop skin and shell infections otherwise.