How to Trim Bearded Dragon Nails

Not every person likes to have a dog or a cat as their pet. Some like to adopt a bearded dragon as their not-so-furry baby.

And needless to say, whether you have a dog, a cat, or a bearded dragon, the amount of love and care are the same for each one of them. If you are a new pet parent, then you need to learn more than a few things about them.

Like what to feed them or how to groom them. And when you don’t have clear answers to these questions, your virtual family steps in. So today, we, your virtual family are going to tell you how to trim bearded dragon nails.

We know how much this information is going to help you. So, let’s begin discussing it by having a look at our list of contents first.

How to trim a bearded dragon’s nails?

Tools used for trimming beaded dragon nails

When is the time to cut the nails of a bearded dragon?

When is the time to cut the nails of bearded dragon?

Looks like all of your bearded dragons’ nail theory is going to be solved today.

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“A house without a pet is like a kiss without a hug.”

So, we were talking about the amount of effort and research that goes behind taking care of a pet is unmatched. We often don’t do some things for our own kids that we do for our pets. Not because we love them less than we love our pets, but because every pet is unique in its own way. And also, because they cannot tell you that you are doing it all wrong. They cannot speak to you.

You have to understand their needs and how to make sure you are not just doing the best you can but that is also the right thing to do. Because putting efforts in the wrong method will ultimately go in vain. And we are here to make sure you don’t do that while cutting the nails of your tiny-miny bearded dragon.

Trimming bearded dragon nails

Here’s how you can trim bearded dragon’s nails.

While you might be shocked to hear this but cutting a bearded dragon’s nails is pretty easy and simple.

Here are all the steps that you need to follow to understand how to cut a bearded dragon’s nails. Make sure to memorize all the steps or write them down somewhere so that you don’t forget anything and end up hurting your beardo.

The very first step is to calm your bearded dragon so that they don’t get anxious and anxiety becomes a barrier in your task.

You will probably know how to di this but in case you don’t, here is how you can calm your bearded dragon whenever required;

Give it a bath in warm water.
Feed it with some treats.
Stroke its head a little
Cover its enclosure with a cloth or a blanket.
Keep your hand in front of its face. Make sure your hand is at rest and you are not touching its face.

Do you know that a reptile has a third eye on its head, well you surely do since you own one. Also, this third eye alarms them when there’s any kind of danger and the reptile or bearded dragons go into survival mode. If you won’t be careful with your calming technique, this is something that can take place with your beardo.

And so, if your dragon is jumping due to anxiety or is in a playful mode, make sure to grab him from above or behind with your hand so that they can stop jumping and remain calm.

And now, when you are done with calming your beardo and preparing it for a trim, grab his foot whose nail you are about to start cutting.

You cannot simply do that. Even this step has its own techniques and cautions

Here’s all of them mentioned for you.

You can’t keep your hand in front of the dragon’s face anymore.

Lift your hand and let the beardo knows you are coming to cut his nails. This will help your bearded dragon to remain calm since they will be knowing what’s being done to them.

Don’t hold the foot tight or make your grip harder. This can hurt your bearded dragon or can make it conscious that can further delay your trimming process.
In case holding your bearded dragon softly is not helping you out and your beardo is jumping or not letting you cut his nails easily.

You have to stop this process immediately and calm the dragon and repeat the procedure once again.

And now its time to finally trim the nails. Here what you have to do.

When finally, your bearded dragon is calm and is allowing you to trim the nails firmly go for checking them out thoroughly and see where’s the black part of the nail and where is the white part.
It is because the white part is directly connected to the skin whereas the black part is the nail that is thinner and has grown too much which is why it needs to be cut.
Now, take your trimmer to the thinner aka black part of the nail. Make sure your thinner is away from the white part because if you cut the white part out, it might cause bleeding and pain to your bearded dragon and not to forget, he will never trust you again with his nails.
Cut the black part out and leave the white part as it is. If it seems difficult, leave a little bit of the black part of the nail as well and cut it from the middle.

In this way, you will not only save your beardo from bleeding but will also cut short its nail to some extent which will be helpful.

Repeat the cutting process with all the other nails and feet.

Don’t forget, if your beardo is panicking again, stop the trimming and calm them down before continuing the process.

Once you are done with trimming and grooming all of the nails and feet of your dragon, reward your beardo with some treats for his patience and cooperation and pamper him so that he can trust you more the next time.

That was a well-informed and detailed analysis on cutting a bearded dragon’s nails, isn’t it? Can we say that bearded dragons are too special and pampered that we have to be very specific and well-educated on how to trim their nails?

Oh yes, they surely are.

The Task isn’t Over Yet!

“Good things happen to those who groom themselves and also their pets.”

You just got done with learning how to trim a bearded dragon’s nails, but if you are doing it for the very first time, this information is not enough for you.

You need to know things in detail and we are going to provide you with them.

The next thing that you need to learn is what are the tools used for trimming beaded dragon nails?

Yes, it requires more than just a trimmer.

Here’s the list:

Starting off with some treats, we know treats are not any kind of tool but they are surely required to begin with the process otherwise you might nit be able to calm your bearded dragon and win his trust.

If you don’t have any bearded dragon’s treats available at home, go with his favorite food or fruits.

Cut them into pieces and keep them handy in case you have to feed them in between the trimming.

Rubbing alcohol. Why do you need this one?

Because your trimmer or cutter can have germs before and after chopping off the nails of your dragon. If it has your germs on it then it can be harmful for the beardo so you must clean the trimmer with rubbing alcohol before cutting his nails.

And after you are done, make sure to clean the trimmer again with some rubbing alcohol because a bearded dragon’s nails carry a lot of bacteria and keeping the trimmer without cleaning it is not a very wise decision.

Also, you will also need a cotton pad of some tissue for the cleaning.

A blanket or cloth. You know why you need this one, right?

To cover your bearded dragon and help him calm down so that your attempt to groom his nails don’t go in vain.

Using a thick blanket to cover the beardo and block any kind of light or sound reaching that makes him uncomfortable helps a lot in calming the anxious or jumpy bearded dragon. Also, don’t keep him covered under the blanket for too long. His temperature will rise which is not good for the dragon.

And finally comes the main component of the whole operation, a nail trimmer.

You can buy a special nail trimmer for a bearded dragon or you can use a normal human nail cutter. Dog or cat nail trimmers will also do the job perfectly.

You can get these clippers either offline or online and whichever cutter you use, don’t forget to disinfect it before and after using. All of the things mentioned above are literally present at our house all the time. So, it isn’t a huge task anymore.

A blanket, a nail cutter, rubbing alcohol and if you own a bearded dragon then having their favorite snacks and treats is also obvious.

So, congrats that you don’t have to rush to the market to buy anything just to cut the nails of your little monster. We know if you are an experienced pet owner, you might not need everything that is mentioned above.

But keeping these essentials handy won’t harm anyone as well since its better to be safe and prepared than sorry.

There’s more to it?

“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.”

Wondering what’s coming next? The pretty obvious question that any new bearded dragon’s owner thinks is, what is the ideal size of a bearded dragon’s nails or How long is a bearded dragon’s nails?

Isn’t it? we know how to do it. we know what to use.

But how to tell that your dragon needs to get his nails trimmed? What is the right size and time to groom your beardo’s nails? Since you are new dragon parents understanding the need of cutting nails of a not-so-domestic animal is as crucial as understanding their diet and other habits.

Don’t worry, we have got your back and you are about to get all the remaining information on this topic.

When Is It Time To Cut Their Nails?

That’s pretty simple to guess, the first hint you will get when you have to cut off your beardo’s nails is when they will start hurting you. When bearded dragon lives in wild surroundings, their nails stay within their limits automatically due to the rocky and hard surroundings.

If you live somewhere similar and your dragon gets to play with and upon a lot rocks, then his nails might not grow too long too soon. But if that is not the case, your bearded dragon is not only going to grow his nails huge but they will also cause you trouble.

Especially, when you have kids at your home. While playing with a beardo, feeding them, picking them up or cleaning them, their huge nails can injure you. Because spending time with your pet should be enjoyable and not full of blood, scratches, and pain. If your playtime with your dragon ends up being like that, it’s a sign that the nails need to be cut short.

Keep an eye on them and see if their nails are big enough to scratch you. Also, you don’t have to do this all the time. Their nails don’t grow up too fast. You have to groom your beardo’s nails twice or thrice a year depending upon how long they have grown in that time.

The second reason hint that the nails will give you is when they are growing to large and are getting into the toes of your dragon.

Yes, huge nails can get into their skin and can cause them trouble.

Check the way your bearded dragon stands. See if their nails are too long when they are walking or standing and whether they are hard on the surface? The best way to find it out is to see if their toes and nails are perfectly perpendicular to the ground or not?

If yes then they don’t need to be chopped off. But if their toes and nails are bending over due to their size or their length, it’s time for you to trim them. And now, you are almost ready to call yourself a pro for knowing the theory behind bearded dragons and their nails.

Why almost? Because there one last thing you need to know and there are chances that you might be wondering it as well.

See below to know what we are talking about.

Why Do They Ed Their Nails Trimmed?

So, tell us you were also thinking about the need to cut their nails.

Is It Really Necessary? Why? Here Is The Answer.

One of the major reasons why we need to trim their nails off is because of our own safety.

Yes, we as owners need to be careful and stay safe while taking care of our pets and if a bearded dragon has too big nails, he can peel off your skin when you pick him up or play with it. Another reason that justifies cutting off their nails is for their own benefit.

If their nails are too long, they might force the toes of the dragon to twist over that will not only be uncomfortable for your beardo but will also cause them difficulty in crawling, climbing or digging. To eliminate this problem, you have to make sure all of their nails are upright and perpendicular to the ground.

Not only that, but cutting off their nails is also done to ensure they are not clutching or get caught into anything while they climb onto something, due to the unusual length of their nails

And another major reason of trimming enters here. If their nails are caught in something there are chances that they might forcefully pull their nails out which can rip off the entire nail from their toes. This will further lead to not only extreme bleeding or pain but that nail will not grow back to normal ever.

So, you can call it a permanent injury.

Done and dusted.

Congratulations on finding answers to so many questions like how to cut a bearded dragon’s nails. Why cut them? Tools required to do the job and how to tell they need trimming.

Now go and spread your newfound information.

Conclusion:

Animals are a lot more sensitive than we think. Not taking proper care of them is definitely not an option when you willingly adopt a pet.

Not only for their well-being but sometimes you have to take care of them for your own reason. Just like we discussed above how a bearded dragon’s big nails can slaughter you.

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