Ask Lafeber

Claw maintenance

Good afternoon, My best mate is an Eclectus Parrot named Rocky….. well his whole name is Sir MisterRocksteady. My question is about Claw maintenance, he is 4 years old (in 2 months) now and im finding right foot, forward close to body claw is curling…. its seems to be curling tight, i would say the curve is twice as tight compared to the opposite side … I often trim his claws as he is everyone’s mate and likes meeting new people and if not careful new dogs (no joke, loves them) …although not an issue yet at all, i can see it becoming one. Its already pushing that toe forward off the perch….. Is this common? Am i trimming his Claws wrong? (thats an Art in its self btw) I do have a good vet, but what could they even do other than remove the nail….. Any ideas? i could provide photos on request. All other nails, feet and toes are in great working order…

Hi Jim,

Sir MisterRocksteady sounds like a wonderful bird! When a claw starts to curve too early, as in too close to the toe, this is often due to some type damage that may have happened and just was not visible. I personally have found that the claw needs to be re-trained by cutting it above where the curve is beginning. However, this generally means cutting it much shorter than usual and can result in bleeding. So before you do anything, I would suggest you take him to an experienced avian vet for an opinion on this. If the vet agrees to the higher cut, they can do this and be prepared should there be an issue with stopping the blood flow. A bird safe styptic powder is often enough, but sometimes a hot cautery is necessary.  Then it is best to put him in a carrier with a towel over to make it dark and just let him sit quietly for 15 minutes or so. Make sure there is no water around him for up to an hour, because if he dips his toe in it, the bleeding can start back up. Again, do not try this short cut at home. It may take a few of these extreme cuts before the nail decides to curve normally again. Plus he won’t like it very much so better for him to be cross with the Vet!

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda