Clipping nails

[LeeLee2015]

Hi newbie here with green cheek conure, I need to clip his nails, is it easy?? he's a very nervous bird. Mind you i am nervous trying it, what kind of scissors or is nail clippers best?..I know to wrap him in a towel thanks.

 

[Kyoto]

I don't know about your area, but here where I live it's only $26 to get a vet to trim my birdie's nails. I'd rather pay than risk doing it myself, especially with black nails. Now, my budgies had clear nails and I could see the quicks, and they would just let me take a clipper and nick off the ends, but I wouldn't do this on your own without the vet at least the first time.

 

[Flboy]

26? Our vet only charges 5 bucks! Hmm, U.S. To Canadian, 26=5? But seriously, trick is to set appointment for a nail clip! Tech vet daughter, you call in and say hey can you check my new bird and clip nails? 80 bucks later, or call in and say hey my bird needs her nails clipped... 5 bucks!

 

[Kyoto]

It's hard to come by competent avian vets here... and I get her nails trimmed by a vet who sees avian species (long time caique owner looking to get certified) but he isn't certified yet. The cost at her "official" avian vet for a nail trim was even higher.

Everything costs a little more in Halifax I think ><. Basic bloodwork from our regular vet to make sure Kyo is healthy (by the ONLY actually certified AAV vet in my province) is $500 - $600, where most places it's closer to $200 to $300. This is because everything has to get sent away to labs in other provinces.

Sucks, but I love my baby and want the best for her. All I can do is hope she stays healthy.

 

[TacoNTiki]

Yep, about $26 here too on the western side of Canada and I think about $35 for wing clip. Everything is so much more expensive in Canada.

 

[TacoNTiki]

On a side note, it's $90 to get in the door to see a vet here, avian or regular. I love our birdie kids too and constantly hope they stay healthy because for every time I hear "go see the vet" it's half a day's pay of my part time job.

 

[MyFlock]

I bring mine into the local pet shop to have them clipped $8 to 10 bucks. Worth every penny and the peace of mind that I have that I don't have to do it myself.

 

[Shae26]

I do my cockatiels myself because they all have pink feet, but I take my conure and lorikeet to the vet for nail trims to be safe, as I don't want to risk clipping too fair up their nails and hurt them. Black toes suck lol.

TacoNTiki, i'm in Australia and I definitely feel you with the expensive stuff! I had to take my youngest cockatiel 2 hours away to an avian vet a while ago to have a possible respiratory infection investigated.. She ended up being fine, but my wallet wasn't. $180 for the vet visit and tests plus $50 or so for fuel. Ouch.

 

[StarryEyedGirl]

I wrap harley up in a towel and file his nails rather than clip because I don't want him bleeding. I know at his vet to get nails clipped, beak filed and wings clipped it's 55 for all of it as a package. So that's what I did and had his check up done. But now I file his beak and nails myself. He doesn't like it to much but allows me to do it.

 

[thekarens]

It cost us $100 to have 4 birds done last weekend.

Normally I do the birds myself. I just clip the tip and use a file. We wrap them in a towel and have a papoose thing so they can't struggle.

 

[Dopey]

There are videos on utube that show you how to do it. Just clip the tips (take the point off) and it will be fine. Before you do it though make sure that you have the stuff to stop the blood flow whether you use the Styptic powder or corn flour out and ready.