Nail Trims – Reptiles, Birds, Mammals
Like hair/fur, nails grow constantly throughout the animals life. Under normal circumstances the animals ambulatory movements typically wear down the end of the nail. Unfortunately captivity creates artificial situations. Failure to keep nails short can result in secondary problems such as pododermatitis, a condition where the bodies weight is placed primarily on non weight-bearing structures. In addition, if unkept, nails can curl around and cause soft tissue damage to the toe and foot.
Beak Trims – Reptiles and Birds (aesthetic and corrective)
Whether it is for aesthetic reasons or directly related to a medical condition, inadequate husbandry, vitamin deficiencies or acute trauma. If unattended a beak that does not align properly will ultimately affect the animals ability to eat and could cause other soft tissue damage.
Wing Trims (primaries – above, below, and at the level of the coverts)
This is a purely elective procedure in most cases and is not a necessity for adequate care. With that being said, there are many benefits to trimming a birds wings. Whether you would like to believe it or not, all birds have the potential to fly away at any given moment. While they may have no reason to leave, they are naturally curious and will often take advantage of an opportunity. Many birds, once outside, become disoriented, stressed and are unable to find their way back. Remember there is always a first time. NOTE: Please understand that even with an aggressive wing trim, all birds still have the ability to fly, albeit with decreased upward lift. It can also help decrease an overly aggressive and dominant birds’ personality. This will help the overall relationship between you and your pet.
Obesity and arthritis are the leading cause of inability for animals to properly groom themselves. This is a common problem among rabbits as a result of their anatomical posture. Under normal circumstances a rabbit will lift its hind end when it urinates and defecates. Periodically they turn around and groom/clean themselves with their tongue. In addition, they also reach back to consume cecotrophes (“night feces”- one of two normal fecal components), which is a natural and necessary part of their alimentation. Due to obesity and arthritis the animal is unable to perform these simple but necessary actions and therefore suffer from urine scald and fur/fecal matting. In order to maintain sanitary conditions they require frequent bathing and clipping.