Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How does one determine if your turtle's nails require trimming? I have read that some do trim their turtle's nails, but I don't know if that's something I need to do. With my Great Danes, they need to be done regularly (every two weeks), otherwise it can cause problems with their alignment and when they are growing, with their development. My birds' nails I do about once per year, or as needed (some require it and others do not).

I've noticed that Mishima's nails have gotten longer in the past few years (old man that he is!)- it doesn't seem to bother him at all, and his beak is fine. My old Blue Capped Cordon Bleu finch (20 years old) requires it now, when he didn't as a youngster. Do turtles usually need this more so as they age, like birds?

Cheers,

Kasie

Cute Boxie!
Your boxies nails really could stand a trimming. His nails ideally should be half as long as they are pictured. It gets to a point where he is not walking correctly and his nails may get him entangled in carpet, vines etc. In the wild they would be worn off from foraging over a variety of substrates.

There are many, many different ways to trim your boxie's nails from using a rotary Dremel tool to using a special nail melting tool, special reptile nail clippers, etc.

However, I like to keep it simple and most vets will just use the method described below. They all work.

I like to just use a nail clipper that is commonly used to cut small sized dogs for a safe nice clean cut. Easy to find and inexpensive to purchase. Don't try to cut too short as you will hit the quick or small vein. ( Having a STYPTIC PENCIL or POWDER available would be prudent) With light colored nails you can easily view the nail portion. It's always better until you know your boxie and different procedures to cut them a little longer; and with him half as long should be safe. Any procedure such as nail clipping can be stressful for you boxie so you may want to do the front nails one day and the back the next day.

You can file them if you desire but I don't as I feel is further stresses the boxie and they will wear smooth in a week.

Ric

Thanks! I am familiar with how to do it - I used to be a vet tech. It's just that they never bother him, so I wasn;t sure if it was something I had to do. They never get caght on stuff and he walks normally. They haven't always been this long - they got this way the last few years (probably 1-2 years) as he's gotten older. I believe it has to do with being so old that they are sorta gnarly...but they (fortunately) haven't been a problem for him thus far/yet. I'll trim them tonight.

Cheers,

Kasie

give him some hard stuff to walk on, like rocks and he'll wear them down on his own.
beautiful 3-to btw.
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I hadn't trimmed nails until one day I looked at Shell E our first box turtle and realized she wasn't walking on her feet. She seemed to walk just fine, wasn't getting nails caught but she was walking on too much nail. She'd been indoors for 2 years by that time without a rough surface to walk on because she was recovering from a dog chewing.

When they walk on their feet, I don't trim nails, when they begin to walk on nails.. I'll do it then.
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