# Trimming Rat's Nails



## IGotTheMusicInMe

I have rather fair skin, so when my rats have run all up and down my arms and over my chest, it looks like they've mauled me. I'm thinking I could clip their nails (maybe when they're bigger, they're like 3, 4-ish months now and their claws are still so teeny weeny) and wondered if anyone had any advice to offer on that. I'm trying to train my girl Scootaloo to associate the clippers with treats; every time she sniffs at it, or shows any interest in it, I give her a nibble of bread.


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## CherriBomb

Personally I have tried it and its too difficult for me. I know some people are successful. I have very fair skin as well and have rat scratches all over me. If you can get ahold of your rats and hold them still long enough to clip then by all means try it out. My rats move too much and I was terrified I would clip an entire toe off if they jerked at the wrong moment. if you can wrap them in a towel and have someone help you I think it could work very well.


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## Isamurat

I trim my rats nails fairly regularly. There is a knack to it, however i would say the main part (and the most difficutl) is to not get stressed or worried about it.

First off is to decide what to use, most people use nail clippers or those designed for animals, personally i prefer human nail scissors as i far prefer the visibility you get (nail clippers obscure more but aren't pointy). If you go for scissors you need to always keep the point into yourself or air, not the rat, so a sudden move won't stab the rat (however the chances of you being stabbed are higher lol).

Next step is to get prepared, take the rat into a quiet room with no distractions, ideally unfamilier smelling. Make sure your calm, i tend to have a towel on my legs too (in part bacause i'm normally prepping for a show and cleaning tails too). Take a few treats out of reach and put on a high necked top without any hidey holes for rats.

Then sit down somewhere without many escape options, get hold of your rat firmly but gentley with your 'other hand' (if your right handed use your left etc). Trap them against yourself facing your dominant side in the bend between your stomach and legs with your arm and wrist and push out their front paw the furthest from you holding it securely in your fingers. Cut one or two nails when they aren't struggleing. Let them have a break if it's there first time and maybe a treat. If they are really fighting then let them move around, just stay with your hands on them and talk calmly, be prepared to reposition just know you'll get there in the end. A lot of getting them used to it is patience.

For the other front paw its a bit harder, you need to trap them against you in the same way but hold the paw nearest you, it can take a bit to get the right position and they will struggle more on this one.

For the rear paws turn them round and trap them nose into your arm. YOu can flip there back foot under and snip it upseide down or hold it out to the side, which ever suits (be careful with the first one if they are struggling, don't hold too tightly as they could hurt themselves). turn around to do the other side. Sometimes an easy way to do the rear paws is to have them walk on your knee with jeans or similar on, part of the nail goes through the jeans whilst the foot stays on top. Cutting level with this seems to take off just the tip. I would be warey if the nail was short though.

When looking where to cut alway aim a bit above the quick, this is a pinky bit of the nail with a vein in it, the bit you want to cut is quite translucent and often ******. Don't cut too close even if their nails are short (but sharp) as it's easy to nick.

If you do accedentally nip the quick and the nail bleeds there;s a few things you can do. Using cornflour (or in a pinch normal flour) or stypatic powder is a good one. If this doesn't work (and i've been there both times i have nicked a nail) you may need more drastic actionA tip my vet showed me was to get a soldering iron and 2 people. One holds the animal very firmly, the other touches the tip of a heated up soldering iron to the tip of the nail. This cauterises it and stops the bleeding without hurting the rat. It's a very good trick to know in an emergency. I believe if you don't have a soldering iron carefully heating up some metal until it got very hot and using that might work, but i feel a lot safer with the soldering iron, it's more controlable and your less likley to burn yourself or the rat.


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## Drowsy

Corn starch also works excellently to stop any bleeding. We've had to use it on our dogs more than once before.

I trim my guys' nails, and they are about three months old. The earlier you can get the used to it,t he better. and the trick to mine is _treats._
I always treat them after. Lots of nummies (that are good for them.)
so each time they get better and better about it.

Also you can buy a bird perch meant for sanding nails for them, if you don't want to clip their nails.


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## HeatherElle

We trim ours with baby nail clippers but I'm not really comfortable doing it. I want to put something in their cage for them to run on instead, I'm just not sure what.


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## cagedbirdsinging

I have a fire brick under their water bottle so that they have to crawl over it which helps file those bad boys down. Of course, this is only for healthy rats that can climb about without any issues.


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## TachisMom

We took out one of their ramps and replaced it with a big rock that we washed the heck out of lol. Honestly, it has worked great!!! They have to run up it regularly, and it has trimmed their nails back. I dealt with the same thing (and to a point I still do, as even dull claws are still claws), but it has gotten much better without the stress of clipping their nails.


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## Isamurat

I’ve tried rocks and bricks before, but found that the rats preferred peeing on them than filing their nails, or that they seemed to give mine super sharp but short nails (I think the rats were doing it on purpose lol). Saying that they definitely work for some people. 

I actually don’t find nail cutting that stressful any more, in the years I’ve been doing it I’ve caught a rats quick twice and a rabbits quick once, both were stressful, the rabbits very much so, but quickly resolved with the animals being far less bothered by it than me lol. In fact last night I cut 10 x 6-7 week old baby rats claws for the first time and they were pretty good with it (one did stress poo’s and one rat that squeaked any time he saw the scissors, but was fine if he couldn’t see them lol), plus 1 adult. I must say though I truly appreciate the fact 2 of my adults and 1 of the girl group trim there own nails. It is a brilliant habit and one that a lot of the rats in this family line seem to share, so I’m hopefully my new babies will learn it once they move in with the big group.


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