Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I didn't see any posts on this (could be I overlooked it). Some say it's necessary, others not. And if so, at what age? Any special techniques would be helpful too....
Thanks,
Sarah.

I don't see any benefit to the monitor in having it's nails cut. I can however see that it will cause a ton of unnecessary stress and, would never advise doing it. I imagine most folks on here aren't doing too much regular handling of their monitors either as that is also just more unneeded stress.

cheers,
Steve
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Steve

Nail clipping is best done with a dremel tool and takes 2 people to do, I have done this on beaded lizards and it also cauderizes if you get into the blood vien. On the dwarf monitors I keep they wear their nails down enough on the rock stacks they cruise around on so it isnt nesseasry. The larger monitors perhaps need to have this done. It was never something I looked forward to on helodermas but had to do it annually.
Robert
www.herphatch.com

When kept like they should be (proper cage setup) the nails shouldn't need clipping.

Dirt substrate acts like sandpaper when they dig, burrow. Strategically placed rocks also keep the nails in check when the monitors move about them.

There isn't a certain age or size of the monitor in which nails should be cut. My opinion is that they should only be cut if they're curling under the toe to the extreme that the animal is walking on the wrong side of the nail (top). If they get to that point the cage setup needs to be redone because it's not working like it's supposed to.

To cut a monitor's nails would be stressful to it, even with the tamest of the tame. How many dogs & cats actually enjoy having their nails clipped? Freak a monitor out and you easily undo years of hard earned trust within minutes. And it will take you months to gain it back.

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

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