Transcript for “How to Trim Your Hamster's Nails Yourself “ Video
English Transcript for the “Hamster Care: How to Trim Your Hamster's Nails Yourself “ Video on YouTube
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3C2oujOo_Y
[Video Description: The video is presented in bright rainbow colors. Each slide lasts about ten seconds and has white text conveying the following information:
“Hey there, Ham-Parents! So I've received a few requests on my Instagram account about trimming Q-Tip's nails, so I asked my partner Ray to film me clipping Q's nails to share with you. But before we look at that, I think it's important to share some information about nail care and the circumstances under which you should trim your hamster's nails.
Natural Maintenance
The first thing to keep in mind is that natural maintenance is the key to a stress free trimming! Providing your hamster with items that help trim their nails naturally is a great way of maintaining the length of your hamster's nails. Using clippers on your ham's nails can be stressful for them-- especially if done in a way that accidentally causes harm to them. Therefore, putting items and toys in their homes that encourage the gradual wearing down of the nails is preferable before trying to trim them yourself.
So what can you give your hamster to help with this? Things with a rough natural surface are ideal, such as sterilized rocks, wood, and sand.
[Image Description: A slide with three images framed in white squares against a gray background. The images have text under each one identifying the objects. The objects are, from left to right, a gray granite rock, a wooden log toy with holes cut in various areas to crawl in and out of, and a selection of brownish red volcanic rocks.]
Keep in mind that not all woods and sand are safe for your hamster, so be careful when choosing what to put in with your hamster. You should also always be sure that any natural items you collect from outside (yay for free!) are clean, are a safe species of wood, and are free of any bugs and mold/fungus. You can sterilize rocks with boiling hot water and soap, and you can bake wood at 200°F for about two to three hours to kill off any insects/arachnids and their eggs, bacteria, or other nasties hiding on the inside of the wood. For more information on sterilizing wood, please see a link in the description below to a video on this subject. :] [smiley]
[The next sentence is in all caps for emphasis.] D NOT USE SAND PAPER IN YOUR HAMSTER'S ENVIRONMENT!! Many people suggest this idea as a "great" way to trim nails, and they will suggest you line the wheel with it or place it in strategic areas in the home like under a water bottle, but this is very bad for your hamster. While the sand paper certainly will trim the nails to a certain extent, it also causes significant damage to the pad of your hamster's paw. It can cut it up and lead to bumblefoot, bleeding, infection, severe mobility issues, and more. Please don't do this to your hamster!
Length of Nails
So why should you cut your hamster's nails anyway? And how do you know when it's the right time? After all, if I just said there are ways to avoid clipping, shouldn't that be good enough? Most of the time, yes, prevention methods will be enough. However, sometimes hamsters just don't keep their nails trim enough on their own no matter what great materials you give them. For example, Q-Tip could have all the rugged edged rocks and toys and sand in the world, but she still prefers to scratch the smoothest surfaces like glass and cardboard. lol She's such an odd duck. :D [big smiley]
So sometimes you have to trim them yourself to keep your ham healthy and happy. :] [smiley] The time to trim is when they begin to look a little too long; here are some demonstrations of a good length and a length that is way too long.
[Image Description: A slide with a gray background showing three photos framed in white with white text underneath explaining the length of nail. From left to right, the images are as follows: A close-up photo of Q-Tip (a white Roborovski hamster) and her paw on a blackberry, demonstrating a good length of nails; a photo of a Syrian hamster poking out of a cage with nails that are too long; and a photo of Q-Tip lying upside down in a white person's hand, demonstrating the length of her nails after just being cut.]
Nails that are too long grow pretty wonky and can interfere with your hamster's well being and health. Sometimes they impact the pad of their paw-- that is to say, they can pierce the soft flesh of your ham's pad if not managed. Nails going awry that don't pierce your hamster's foot can lead to walking difficulties, and, if untreated, those walking difficulties can lead to arthritis and other issues such as lack of excercise. The best way to prevent this is to maintain a healthy length of nail.
If you think your hamster's nails are getting too long, you can either take them to the vet or you can do it yourself. If you decide to go to the vet, I would suggest you have them show you how to trim the nails yourself since you may need to do this fairly regularly and those trips will become a bit costly. Also, keep in mind that visits to the vet can be pretty stressful for your hamster, and being able to do small things like this yourself will help minimize that impact. :] [smiley]
What NOT to Do
When trimming, there are some things you want to avoid doing. One of those is using clippers that are too big. Clippers made for cats and dogs are definitely too large and will inhibit your ability to clearly see where you're clipping on the nail. Even clippers marketed toward hamsters can be way too big! I use small sized nail clippers for humans, and you can also use baby nail clippers. :] [smiley] I would avoid using toenail clippers since they're too large.
The other thing you want to avoid doing is cutting into the quick of the nail. The quick is where the blood vessels and nerves are inside the nail, and cutting into this is very painful-- just think about a time when you may have cut your nails too short or had a nail rip into the middle. It hurts, right? So you want to be sure that you're careful to avoid that area on your hamster's nails.
[Image Description: A blue slide with an illustration of a hamster's toe and claw. There is text above in white that reads "Here's an illustration of the inside of your hamster's nails." To the left of the illustration is more text in a darker blue square that reads "The quick is a mass of blood vessels, soft flesh, and nerves, so it's important to avoid clipping into it." The illustration demonstrates, with labels, the claw, the pink quick inside the claw, the white area before the quick, the toe, and fur.]
[Image Description: Another blue slide with the same illustration of a hamster's toe and claw with all the same labels. The claw is longer and curved here. There is an additional label referring to an area on the claw that reads "Cut here."]
[Image Description: Another blue slide with the same illustration of a hamster's toe and claw with all the same labels. There is an illustrated nail clipper cutting the area where the "Cut here" line was in the previous slide.]
[Image Description: Another blue slide with the same illustration of a hamster's toe and claw with all the same labels. The nail has been trimmed in this one, and there is white text in a darker blue box that reads "After Trimming."]
If you do accidentally cut too short and get the quick, don't panic! Stay calm and apply a bit of styptic powder, cornstarch, or flour to the nail to help stop the bleeding; it helps to have these on hand and open for you to access quickly just in case. Be sure not to become frantic yourself because you'll only upset your hamster more. Calm energy is the best for this situation. :] [smiley]
Trimming
Now on to the actual trimming itself! There are a few ways you can do the trimming, and there are videos out there demonstrating those techniques; we'll discuss those briefly, and then I'm going to show you how I do it. Before you get your hamster out and begin, it's a good idea to have everything ready: the clippers should be ready, the lights should be on, your glasses should be on, have flour or cornstarch nearby in case of bleeding, and have some treats on hand for right after you finish!
One way is to distract your hamster with food while trimming. This is demonstrated by AprilsAnimals in a video called "How to Trim Your Hamster's Nails," and in it, you'll see a small hamster sitting on a person's hand gripping and eating a yogurt drop while the ham-parent trims the front nails. This is a great method for you if hamster is willing to eat out of your hand. You will not have as much control over the hamster's paws, though, so you'll need to be careful about aiming to avoid the quick. A variation of this could be if your hamster is happy eating in your hand while lying on its back!
Another way that some people use is scruffing. Scruffing refers to gently but firmly grasping the loose skin around the back of the hamster's neck (like you can do with cats and ferrets). While this does allow you to pick your hamster up and control her to a certain extent, I've found that it's pretty stressful for the ham, and it doesn't allow you much room for keeping the paws still while cutting.
So how do I do it then? Well, I put Q-Tip on her back! :] [smiley] This is something we practiced quite a bit before trimming to get her comfortable with being on her back, so you'll want to allow time for your hamster to get used to this new and vulnerable sensation. You'll need to be patient and very gentle in this process; giving your hamster belly rubs is a good incentive to keep her happy in that position. You can also try introducing a treat to nom on while she's in that position.
This is best done when your hamster is relaxed and maybe even a little sleepy-- not, for example, at night when she's wide awake. If she's running around a lot or wiggling quite a bit, take that as a sign to try this later. The more relaxed and calm she is, the faster and easier this process will be for both of you. :] [smiley] Sometimes, if Q-Tip is too fidgety, I'll let her run around on our couch to tucker herself out, and when she starts to snooze a bit, I'll pick her up to start trimming then.
Once Q-Tip is in place on her back, I gently place my thumb over her chest to keep her still and use my thumb and forefinger to gently and firmly grip her paw in between. This allows me to spread her toes a little, too. Once she's in position, I often rub her a bit reassuringly; this also lets her relax a bit. Once I know she won't squirm too much, I proceed with clipping. You'll want to get closer to your hamster and ensure that you're looking at the right spot before you clip. Try to be as quick as you can without rushing through so you can let your hammy go before she starts getting too anxious. When it comes to her back paws, I usually turn Q-Tip around and place her against my chest so I can better grip and see her nails. It helps a lot to have a contrasting color behind her nails so I can better determine where to clip.
Keep in mind that sometimes you'll need a second person to help you! My partner and I aren't quite so coordinated, but some friends of mine have great success working together as a team! :] [smiley] It's also okay to just trim a little bit at a time instead of getting all four paws at once. This is especially true if your hamster is particularly squirmy and reluctant to be trimmed. :] [smiley]
Another piece of advice I have is to do this when your hamster is in estrous ("in heat"). During this time, I've observed that Q-Tip is not only much more cuddly, but she is also more open to being on her back and having her belly rubbed. :] [smiley] You can tell she's in estrous by looking at her vaginal area where there will be a small amount of white discharge. This cycle occurs every three to five days, so you'll have plenty of time. :] [smiley]
Another important thing to note is that I usually bribe Q-Tip after the trimming with lots of yummy foods! :D [big smiley] Giving her something positive to associate with the experience has helped her a lot! She's more tolerant of the whole thing now even though she's still unhappy about the process. :] [smiley]
All right! So now that I've talked to you about it, let's show you the process! :D [big smiley] Q-Tip was a little more fidgety here than when I usually choose to trim her nails, so keep that in mind. And although I'm muting the sound here, you should know that I talk to quietly to her throughout the process, telling her what a good girl she is. It may just be my thinking, but I like to think it helps soothe her a bit. :] [smiley]
[Video Description: Two clips of Q-Tip having her nails clipped and getting her belly rubbed.]
All done! Time for treats! Let's get her to associate yummies with this whole annoying nail trimming thing. :] [smiley] I often give her oats, but banana chips, mealworms, pears, fresh banana, or apples are some good bribes that catch her attention quickly and allow her to calm down. :] [smiley] Be sure to only feed food safe for your ham's species!
[Video Description: A clip of Q-Tip pouching a bunch of oats on a white person's hand.]
A Final Note
Many people feel understandably uncomfortable seeing their hamster upset by a nail trimming; this is a natural feeling to have. However, nail care is essential to a hamster's health, and sometimes trimming is necessary despite your discomfort. Some people don't seem to understand this and have gone to the length of describing nail trimming as abuse when seeing a hamster distressed by a clipping.
Maintaining your hamster's nails is definitely not abuse; allowing your hamster's nails to grow to the point of physical mobility issues or even injury because you can't handle seeing your pet unhappy with being cared for is what's truly abusive.
You wouldn't stop giving your hamster her medicine if she were sick and just didn't like it because you want her to be healthy. In the same vein, you shouldn't neglect your hamster's nail care just because she doesn't like getting a trim. I promise the stress from the consequences of neglecting that care will be more severe than the occasional trimming itself.
So that's all for now! Just remember: natural maintenance is your first step! Trimming your hamster's nails should only be done if these other ways aren't working. :] [smiley] Be safe with the quick, and try to make this experience as least stressful as possible. :] [smiley]
Don't worry if you feel nervous or scared to do this; it took me some practice to get to feeling comfortable with trimming her nails. :] [smiley]
[Image Description: A final blue slide with white text next to a white heart. The text reads ‘Hope this helps! Happy hamming! Love, Jessi.’”
The video ends with a subscription/like request next to a cute, close-up photo of Q-Tip tucking herself in between some cardboard rolls and a gray couch.]