trying to trim baby's nails...

[Loohan]

My 3-toed boxie is pushing 2 years old and weighs 43 grams. He seems to be doing fine, but his nails are getting curved and needle-like at the ends.
Somehow i managed to clip 3 of his nails last fall, but haven't had luck since. Haven't tried a lot of the time, but lately i have been trying. He cracks me up, the way he wiggles. Without being mean to him, i don't see how i can ever restrain one of his paws long enough. I would be happy if i could just clip one nail every time i handle him. But he's not having it.
Will this get easier to do as he gets bigger? Do i need to worry about nail length yet? Part of the problem is i have to put on my reading glasses and be very focused, as his nails are so tiny and i don't want to clip them in the quick.

Maybe i should fix him up with a box lined with rough concrete patio blocks?

Also his beak is getting just a trifle long. Putting food on a terra cotta dish does no good, as he doesn't rub his face on the dish anyway.
He does on rare occasions nibble on a bit of cuttle bone, but shows no interest in a chicken bone, even if it has scraps of meat and gristle on it.

 

[ColleenT]

maybe your local reptile vet can trim the beak and nails for you.

 

[Eric Phillips]

Just an idea but I put a terra cotta dish on top of a square piece of tile and surrounded it with rocks like in this image of my juvenile. The rocks do all the filing along with the dish. I have a whole colony of rolly pollies in the enclosure too. I catch skittles snapping between the rocks at them all the time. Easy way to keep the beak trimmed.

 

[wellington]

View attachment 168499

Just an idea but I put a terra cotta dish on top of a square piece of tile and surrounded it with rocks like in this image of my juvenile. The rocks do all the filing along with the dish. I have a whole colony of rolly pollies in the enclosure too. I catch skittles snapping between the rocks at them all the time. Easy way to keep the beak trimmed.

This is a great idea and the best way to take care of beaks and nails, the more natural way.

 

[Loohan]

Just an idea but I put a terra cotta dish on top of a square piece of tile and surrounded it with rocks like in this image of my juvenile. The rocks do all the filing along with the dish. I have a whole colony of rolly pollies in the enclosure too. I catch skittles snapping between the rocks at them all the time. Easy way to keep the beak trimmed.

Good plan, Eric! Might do that someday.

 

[Loohan]

maybe your local reptile vet can trim the beak and nails for you.

Yeah, i understand there's a good one only about 80 miles away. I live in a rural county that only has 1 traffic light for the whole county. (Can't complain about that.)

OK, i finally got my little beloved manicured and pedicured. Since he's a 3-toe (which like water) i soaked him for 1-2 hours before trying. Not sure it bears scientific scrutiny, but i have this hypothesis that the water swells his limbs and scales, making them more grippable. Also incidentally it really softens up his claws.
I also used a disposable nitrile glove on my left hand, hoping this would give better traction. I doubt it helped much, but maybe latex would be grippier next time.
I want to be able to hold his limbs out without having to squeeze them real hard.

I doubt his beak is much of a problem yet. He does occasionally gouge into cuttlebone. Also i found a real hard beetle, looked sort of like a pine borer but with 2 huge fake eyes on its shell, and put it in his cage to play with. I don't think he was able to bite into it, but he tried for some time.
Maybe if i find him more beetles and possibly a few small snails he'll naturally break the overgrowth down. I may try Eric's trick, too, once the pill bugs appear.

Anyway here is what he looks like today:


You can see his nails are blunted. His hind paws have 2 big nails and 1 tiny nail each. I did not mess with the tiny ones.

A couple months ago i noticed he was losing his discoid baby shape and getting more elongated. I.e., the side edges of his shell turned downward.
He's pushing 2 years old.

 

[Yvonne G]

He's very pretty! The nails aren't too bad yet. You have to grab a leg and hold on for dear life, then clip the nails.

 

[Loohan]

He's very pretty! The nails aren't too bad yet. You have to grab a leg and hold on for dear life, then clip the nails.

Not too bad yet? I just clipped them a few days ago.

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

Aww look at that face!
Ive trimmed a couple of my russians nails and i had my sister help hold them while i held their leg and did my snipping. Maybe that would be helpful next time?

 

[Loohan]

Not too bad yet? I just clipped them a few days ago.

The pic makes it look like 1 of the nails is pointy, but that's some illusion.

 

[Loohan]

Aww look at that face!
Ive trimmed a couple of my russians nails and i had my sister help hold them while i held their leg and did my snipping. Maybe that would be helpful next time?

I imagine that will be necessary when he gets bigger. But small as he is, i have no problem restraining him with my left hand, and holding his leg out with 2 left fingers and thumb. Except that i want to do it with minimum muscle and maximum traction, so as to minimize any trauma and stress.