Little De Death
New Member
So a few weeks ago I trimmed my chameleons nails I read online it was okay I only cut the tips now she can’t hold on to beaches as well will they get sharp again?
Trimmed nails
- Thread starter Little De Death
- Start date
CamoChameleonsHuman
Chameleon Enthusiast
No. Where did you "read" this?
Little De Death
New Member
The guy at the pet shop when u went to go get crickets said sum bout trimming them if they get to sharp
Little De Death
New Member
Some werid website I forgot the name of
CamoChameleonsHuman
Chameleon Enthusiast
Don't believe everything you read on the internet. I hope she learns how to live this way though now.
SharpShooter
Avid Member
Some websites claim the earth is flat!
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Talk about stress overload, that couldn't have been easy or quick unless she actually did shutdown from the stress. Forgive the expression but I'm sure she fought you tooth and nail over it. How long did it take you?
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/claws.164268/#post-1419619
You dont trim nails unless you have an improper setup.
You dont trim nails unless you have an improper setup.
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Surprised to see you recommend bamboo to wear down the nails. I'm struggling to think of another type off wood smoother or less abrasive than that.
Genuinely curious, why bamboo? Are you roughing it up with coarse sandpaper or something first before installing?
AmandaS
Retired Moderator
So i heard that female chams grow their nails longer when about to lay a clutch ( courtesy of @kinyonga ). Im merely wondering, if they grow their nails longer and then they get shorter again while not gravid, why wont this chameleons nails grow too??
Again, not saying they will, just wondering how you guys know they won't??
Again, not saying they will, just wondering how you guys know they won't??
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Never heard of that, genuinely curious to hear the reasoning... @kinyonga
As for healing, root damage and their relatively slow metabolism limits how fast they can heal, true for pretty much any reptile to one degree or another.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
Its really really hard, so it busts off the needles. You are right it doesnt wear down down the nail, but if you poke something very thin and sharp at at a piece of glass long enough...
Basically you want something harder than pine/bark, i bet even hardwood dowels would work.
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
If it can get infected if they lose the nail, is it the same if they get trimmed too close?
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
90% of the "Pet Store Employees" have no idea what they're talking about, they have everything from the wrong food to a horrible setup. When I got Coda, They couldn't even tell me the gender!
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
They told me to powder the tarantulas feeders...
I've never heard of a chameleon getting an infection through a nail being cut or broken if it doesn't involve the nail bed in all he years I've been keeping chameleons.
As for them regrowing after being clipped...I can only say that it only makes sense to me.
Don't know if they are shorter again after digging to lay either...never bothered checking!
Guess I have something else to add to my list of searches now! I can't help myself.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
I think we can all agree that routine maintenance should not include nail trimming. They are not dogs.
If you have a proper setup, the nails will wear down naturally.
With properly worn down nails:
they will not get stuck and pulled out on screens
they will not split/crack from being too long and thin
you will get red divots when they walk on you, not 5 spot blood patterns like a bad tattoo
With my tegu i got around tail trimming by replacing his entire basking area with old slate roofing tile. It works great, it reflects heat, transmits heat, and wears down nails wonderfully.
If you have a proper setup, the nails will wear down naturally.
With properly worn down nails:
they will not get stuck and pulled out on screens
they will not split/crack from being too long and thin
you will get red divots when they walk on you, not 5 spot blood patterns like a bad tattoo
With my tegu i got around tail trimming by replacing his entire basking area with old slate roofing tile. It works great, it reflects heat, transmits heat, and wears down nails wonderfully.
