# Clip the claws, or not?



## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

Hello,

I've recently begun to wonder if a pigeon's claws can be clipped, or not. Some of George's favorite places to sit on me are on my shoulder, my right forearm, and on the top of my head (where he proceeds to make a little nest out of my hair). His claws do absolute murder to my scalp, and I have more cuts on my arm than I can count, from him trying to keep his balance on my arm. 

Is it possible to clip his claws a bit? If so, can somebody direct me on how it should be done, to avoid cutting things I shouldn't?

Laura


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Laura, 

You shouldn't clip the claws unless they are hindering the pigeon in any way. Are they curling under or starting to grow out of line?

You can clip the nails but you have to be very careful...Just the tips should be cut off and if your bird has white nails, then you could see where the vein is. Another option is to file the nails down with an emery board.

Hope this helps


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Laura,


Yahhhhhh..we all go through this!

Brad's mention is best - at most, just use a little Emery Board for the 'tips' and do not go too far.

You can get them some Bricks of some kind to perch on also in their favorite places ( aside from your head) so the texture of the Brick will wear their Nails or Claws in their way, keeping them from getting too long...

But too, they need those 'pointy' ends for gripping things in many situations.

Count your blessings too, if this was say, a Condor, then their playful affectionate landing on your head...would be a lot more troublesome...!

Usually they can be coaxed to become Shoulder-Birds, instead of Head-landing-Birds...or they outgrow it anyway...

Good luck...!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Hi Laura, I don't think clipping their nails will help with the scratches and scalp pain (boy, that can really hurt) because you would have to do a drastic cut to do any good and that could really hurt the pigeon. They need their nails to help hold onto perches. Plus, nails can bleed really bad and is sometimes hard to stop.

I also want you to know that I admire you for your thoughtful posts. I know your parents are proud to have such an articulate daughter, and a caring one as well.

Maggie


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Just think of it as signs of affection, Laura 

One of our pigeons and our little dove both tried to get on my head a few weeks back, with the result one fell off and snared and destroyed my spectacles in the process. 

What can you say, though, when next minute there's a cute little bird on your shoulder preening your ear 

John


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

The only time iv clipped a pigeons toe nail is when it had over grown and it bothered him when he walked so i clipped the tip of it a tiny bit and then he was fine but there vains are so close to the tip that theres a chance of making them bleed.Well im already used to clipping nails for birds and the clipping of wings so i wont make it bleed but if you never did it before you could cut it but well as the others said its just best to file them down or give them a file post.


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you for your helpful advice, everyone!

I don't think I'll attempt to clip George's nails, as there seems to be too much of a risk of cutting the veins. I figured this would be the answer - my experiences with clipping the nails of rescued rodents, and their squirming causing me to cut a little too far, had me feeling a little uneasy about the idea.

Great idea with the brick, Phil! I'll sit one on each of his roosting areas in my room. Won't he have fun inspecting those!

Thanks for your comments, Maggie. I think you made me blush! 

Laura


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## Mistifire (May 27, 2004)

I clip my birds nails when they raise her toes up higher it looks uncomfortable, I use a bright light and cat nail trimmers, they seem easier to use than other types. If you need to trim them and are worried about the vein you can trim a little bit and let it be for a few days then trim a bit more, the vein will move back a little each time to put a barrier between where you clipped.

If it looks like it is hurting your bird to have long nails I would clip them anyways, a little pain from a nail clipped too short may be better than constant joint pain from stress on the toes, and if they get too long and get cought on something they may break which would be more painfull. 

Just keep some QuikStop or simillar near by if you try it. If you dont feel comfortable and it needs to be done some vets or petstores have more experience with nail clipping.

If they are just too sharp for your comfort I would use a nail file and round the tip a little.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Hey Mistifire - you told me something new. I didn't know the vein would move back. Thanks.

Also, flour or cornstarch are great to use on bleeding feathers and toes. Just apply and hold the wound a few seconds.

Maggie


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

I recently placed a brick near the feeding/watering stations for Beaksley. He has certainly turned into a head rooster. 

I think I will go back to using V0-5 hairdressing cream. The Aqua net has been burning my scalp again ... HOWEVER, the cutting process when the claw is embedded into the scalp ,I still believe does stimulate the hair re-growth process!


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Victor said:


> I recently placed a brick near the feeding/watering stations for Beaksley. He has certainly turned into a head rooster.
> 
> 
> I was going to suggest the brick to keep the nails short. I have them everywhere they like to roost and they keep their nails short and not so sharp.
> ...


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

Well, I now have stationed bricks strategically near his favorite spots. After an initial curious inspection (where he pecked each of the bricks and seemed to shake his head in disbelief after he realised none of them were food) he seems to have taken a liking to them. He won't come down from his bricks!

Thank you so much for the advice! I already noticed a bit of a difference this afternoon. Or maybe my scalp has just become numb!

Laura


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

(Sorry for the double post!)

It seems that, despite my vigilance with the bricks, George's nails aren't getting any better. This morning I noticed that one of his nails was broken. While I was petting him, I picked at the nail a little and noticed that it was still a little attached, and he moved his foot away whenever I lightly pulled on it. 

Should I clip this nail off, or should I let it come off naturally? Should I clip the other nails, too, in gradual increments (so the vein has time to pull back)?

Here is a picture of the broken nail, and one of his whole foot (excuse the fuzziness - my camera is a cheap one!):


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Laura, 

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but George's nails look kind of brittle and deformed. Perhaps this is a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Does he get vitamins, grits or calcium supplements?

If you do cut the nails, just clip the ends off, they look pretty long so that if you just cut the tips off, you should be fine. Then you could file the ends down to smooth them off.


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

George gets a bird vitamin supplement in his water. For his food, I have the grit and seed in one bowl, because he doesn't eat the grit otherwise; this bowl is filled with half seed, half oyster shells, and then mixed.

The bit of nail has fallen off on it's own. I'll attempt to clip the ends of George's nails tonight, and then file them.

Do you think George needs some more grit, rather than more seed? I always worry that he's not getting enough of the oyster shells. He does everything he can to avoid eating it.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

rialize said:


> George gets a bird vitamin supplement in his water. For his food, I have the grit and seed in one bowl, because he doesn't eat the grit otherwise; this bowl is filled with half seed, half oyster shells, and then mixed.
> 
> The bit of nail has fallen off on it's own. I'll attempt to clip the ends of George's nails tonight, and then file them.
> 
> Do you think George needs some more grit, rather than more seed? I always worry that he's not getting enough of the oyster shells. He does everything he can to avoid eating it.


Sometimes young birds don't eat grit as older birds do. Do you have any regular red pigeon grit? This is the basic one pigeons use to grind the seed in the crop. The oyster shell grit is eaten when bird needs calcium and other minerals in the diet, especially breeding hens.


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

I don't have any regular pigeon grit, as the feed stores around my area don't have anything for pigeons, and my parents are iffy about buying over the internet. 

I do have some orange-flavored cuttle bone. Can I grind this up and give it to him?


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Laura, 

Check in your local yellow pages for feed and supply stores or farming feed and supply stores. Most times you can find a store and they usually sell pigeon feed and grit.

If not, then yes you could grind up a cuttlebone and offer it to George, not too sure about the orange flavoured kind, a regular cuttlebone would probably be accepted better.


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