Hedgehog Manicure and Pedicure

 

The hedgehog mani/pedi is the trickiest part of taking care of Peggy. She just does not like me holding her feet and it can be an epic battle of wills to trim her nails.The picture above shows her nails a little on the long side when I first got her. There is the option of going to a vet which works for some pet owners. For me it is too expensive and she needs a trim too often (about every two weeks to a month) for it to be practical. I am also fearful of taking her to a vet because they put her under for the procedure and I worry that it will be too much stress on her little system.

So, for the home trim you need a few tools and a lot of patience. I have learned to try and do a paw every other week to maintain her nail length without a long session struggling to trim all four paws. You will need nail trimmers (I use a small pair of trimmers for people) and styptic or cornstarch in case you accidentally nip the quick. I roll her on her back and wait for her to uncurl... and wait... and wait. Once she uncurls I gently grasp a paw and trim down to the white part of the nail until there is a short white section left. Generally she will roll up before I finish the paw and I wait again to try and finish the paw.

Nail Trim Tips

• Start with a pair of small nail clippers that cut well and styptic
• Try and do one paw every week or so to maintain the length without stressing her or you needlessly with long sessions
• Roll her on her back and gently grasp a paw when she unrolls
• If you choose to go to a vet ask a lot of questions to ensure they are using the latest and safest methods to put your pet under

EDITED TO ADD: I have started using small animal nail clippers which have more of a scissor action and cut all the way around the nail so that I don't need to have her nail perfectly parallel to the snipper of people nail clippers. I find these do the job much better and are more precise for the work.

   

Another trick I use is to feed her a treat per paw to get her to uncurl and relax. She now associates rolling on her back with getting a treat and will smack her lips and lick looking for one! It is very, very cute.