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Thread: Cutting Claws???

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Canada, Québec, Pointe-Calumet.
    Posts
    1,493

    Default Cutting Claws???

    Hello,

    I have a simple question!!!

    Do we have to cut the Tegu's Claws?

    Thank you
    Ben3233

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    london
    Posts
    260

    Default

    yea you probably do because if you dont and theres like no rocks or something to grind them down they can bend back into your tegus foot and cause iritations and loss of toes.(thats what ive read)
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  3. #3

    Default

    I'm of the opinion that if you have to cut claws, you as the keeper are doing something wrong, and not giving the animal the choices it needs to live a semi-normal life in captivity.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    london
    Posts
    260

    Default

    so you would just let them grow out, hurt you , and withought anything to grind them down hurt itself?

    it the wild tegus travel far and wide looking for food and while they do that all the rocks and stuff grind they're toenails down.

    in captivity to grind they're nails down you would need alot of rocks or something hard.
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  5. #5

    Default

    No, in captivity you give them the means to do so. I don't see cypress mulch and a resin log you buy at Petco to be a proper set up. If your doing things right, you shouldn't have to cut claws on any Reptile, if you need to, I would take a long hard look at your husbandry and the tools you use and find out where your going to wrong. After all, do you just want to keep your animals heart beating, or do you want to give it the tools and choices it needs to live a slightly "fulfilled" life?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    489

    Default

    EricIvins
    No, in captivity you give them the means to do so
    Why would you leave a message that clearly seems to be putting someone down for their reptile care and then not making suggestions to help them out?
    So tell us stupid people here what are the correct means?
    Your message comes of as you being some sort of expert but if that were true you'd be more helpful and putting people down is not being helpful.

    Brat!
    Tegu's are like potato chips,you can't have just one!
    I now have 4.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Harrison, ME
    Posts
    224

    Default

    Ben,

    I have been wondering the same thing. After handling Tegster, my son looks like someone has used a cheese grater on him. :lol:

    We've also have heard, or read, you can trim their nails. We make sure to touch Tegsters toes when handling him. Just in case we actually do have to trim the nails someday.

    I pictured laying a sheet of fine grit sand paper in the bottom of his tank where he is always digging. But I didn't think it would be good on his belly. And he would probably shred the paper anyway.

    Any great ideas out there (besides cutting)?

    Tegster
    Renee

  8. #8

    Default

    i strongly disagree with cutting claws. letting them wear naturally is easy, i use large slabs of rock in my enclosures, they are the best basking platforms. logs also help a ton. im working towards switching all my tegus to dirt. my yearling black and white is o about a foot of dirt and he is always digging and reshaping the landscape of his enclosure. yes he still has long claws that are kinda sharp, but to trim them would handicap his ability to dig and do all of the interesting things he does. if you are that worried about scratches then wear long sleeves or just dont try to manhandle them. restraint is the #1 cause of deep scratches, let them climb you if they eant and let them climb off of you if the want. dont try to hold them in place like a puppy.


    this is one of my old vivs

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Harrison, ME
    Posts
    224

    Default

    Tegulevi,

    Great idea. I saw a post this morning showing another enclosure with natural rocks as a part of the basking area.

    I'm not great on a computer so I have no idea how to link that post to this message.

    Anyway, the substrate around these rocks was completely different than the substrate in the rest of the enclosure. And I could see how the tegus might scrape and try to re-arrange it around the rocks. That would definately work to wear down claws.

    My son, 10 years old, is really careful about not restraining Tegster. He is just so scratched up because Tegsters claws are pin point sharp. I find I still have to remind him to put on long sleeves and a turtleneck shirt before handling his tegu.

    When we build a custom enclosure we'll use the rock trick for basking and claw maintenance.

    Tegster
    Renee

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    489

    Default

    Just a side note here.Bobby Hill of Varnyard shows how to trim Tegu nails on a different site.
    Now he is the second largest breeder of Tegus in the states,why would he show how to do it correctly if its not supposed to be done?

    Brat!
    Tegu's are like potato chips,you can't have just one!
    I now have 4.

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