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Thread: Towelling

 
  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Casper's 2nd best friend's Avatar


    Parrots

    Casper, a blue fronted Amazon. Loves banana. Hates plastic bags and red coats.

    Towelling

    Casper needed a pedicure so we got the clippers and a towel put him on the floor and tried to do everything by the book. Casper hasn't read the book, instead of cowering in the corner he came straight at me and took a chunk out of my finger.
    He was fine once we had got him wrapped in the towel, let us get on with trying to uncurl his toes which were screwed up in a tight ball while he just lay on his back and enjoyed the game.
    All tips welcomed!
    "A busy beak is a happy beak" - David Strom

  2. The following user likes this post:

    kendrafitz (04-26-2016)

  3. #2
    Nobility Member
    Mare's Avatar


    Parrots

    Sassy Goffin's girl, she IS Sassy Amigo, male umbrella cockatoo Chip! The cockatiel! The sweet, sweet Jellybean!
    I shouldn't laugh.. . Sorry you got a chunk taken out! Amigo doesn't mind me trimming his nails although, he does try to take them from my hands. I've found it much easier to trim Sassy and Amigo's nails when they are inside their cage clinging to the cage sides. I'll just keep the clippers handy and when I see them on the side of the cage, I'll sometimes only get one or two at a time but eventually they all get nipped.

  4. The following 3 users like this post:

    Casper's 2nd best friend (04-26-2016), mdg1109 (04-27-2016), The Pinkertons (04-26-2016)

  5. #3
    Senior Member
    kendrafitz's Avatar


    Parrots

    Rosie, our Greenwing Macaw (Hatchday 4/1/12)
    Oh no! I'm sorry, but the picture is just funny and it made me laugh. Silly Casper. I can just picture him charging you and then curling his toes in protest. I hope your finger heals quickly.

    I can't towel Rosie, so no tips there. Although it sounds like you got him now. Rosie has sand perches which take care of her nails and beak for the most part. I have never clipped her nails. I have filed her beak and nails here and there with my nail files. She likes to chomp them, but I can get the periodic sharp pieces down in a couple sessions.
    Rosie & Kendra


  6. The following 2 users like this post:

    Casper's 2nd best friend (04-26-2016), The Pinkertons (04-26-2016)

  7. #4
    Nobility Member
    spiritbird's Avatar


    Parrots

    Lineated Parakeet named Kobe (M) and (F) named Tango Maine Coon Kitty named Christine
    What have you done to clip nails in the past? This is the reason I have a groomer come here to do the nail clip. She is very good at it and there are usually no issues. She only charges $10. per bird too.

  8. The following user likes this post:

    Casper's 2nd best friend (04-26-2016)

  9. #5
    Senior Member
    Casper's 2nd best friend's Avatar


    Parrots

    Casper, a blue fronted Amazon. Loves banana. Hates plastic bags and red coats.
    Quote Originally Posted by spiritbird View Post
    What have you done to clip nails in the past? This is the reason I have a groomer come here to do the nail clip. She is very good at it and there are usually no issues. She only charges $10. per bird too.
    If his beak needs doing as well we take him to the vet so that Casper can hate him instead. Doing just his nails, one of us usually gets nipped so I thought I would ask what others do. I expect that the smaller the bird the harder it is, although they are not as strong they wriggle a lot quicker and you are afraid of crushing them.
    We have all sorts of abrasive perches but they don't seem to work with Casper. His beak was allowed to become seriously overgrown before he came to us, almost touching his throat so now it is a bit tricky to shape without hitting a blood vessel. Another reason why we let the vet deal with it.
    "A busy beak is a happy beak" - David Strom

  10. The following 2 users like this post:

    mdg1109 (04-27-2016), spiritbird (04-26-2016)

  11. #6
    Banned



    Quote Originally Posted by Casper's 2nd best friend View Post
    If his beak needs doing as well we take him to the vet so that Casper can hate him instead. Doing just his nails, one of us usually gets nipped so I thought I would ask what others do. I expect that the smaller the bird the harder it is, although they are not as strong they wriggle a lot quicker and you are afraid of crushing them.
    We have all sorts of abrasive perches but they don't seem to work with Casper. His beak was allowed to become seriously overgrown before he came to us, almost touching his throat so now it is a bit tricky to shape without hitting a blood vessel. Another reason why we let the vet deal with it.
    I do nails myself , toweling is the first thing I get my birds used to. In case of emergency or vetting, they can be swaddled without a struggle. Beak trim if needed I would leave to vet. Nail trims are never an easy task around here.
    Last edited by The Pinkertons; 04-26-2016 at 07:18 PM.

  12. #7
    Senior Member
    PlaxMacaws's Avatar


    Parrots

    B&G (Jack) | MM (Maynard) - RIP | Hy (Zaf) - RIP | GW (Salsa) | NC (Bozley)
    I don't towel my guys. With the exception of Salsa, I trim everyone's nails here while they're perched. Salsa would be glad to remove a few of my fingers if I brought a set of clippers too near him. But he's thankfully obsessed with snipping down his own toenails and grinding his own beak tip... that's right, he entirely maintains his own beak and nails and does a remarkable job at it! When he first came to live here -once I realized he would resort to defensive maiming to keep the clippers away- I used to employ Mare's technique of grabbing his toes through the bars in order to snip his tips. But soon thereafter I learned that doing so wasn't necessary with him.

    Zaf, on the other hand, has always suffered from a rapidly growing lower beak... and when I say rapidly growing, I mean RAPIDLY! I need to trim his lower beak every 2 to 3 weeks or it will project forth like a half-pipe and begin fracturing. As for his upper beak, I can get by with snipping its tip every few months or so. Zaf will not gnaw on wood much at all.

    In any case, as Suzanne indicated, it is always a good idea to desensitize a bird to the towel wrap process. We can never know when a broken blood feather or other injury requiring restraint might occur.
    He wanted to live. He was my Heaven... He's gone!

  13. The following 2 users like this post:

    Casper's 2nd best friend (04-26-2016), spiritbird (04-26-2016)

  14. #8
    Senior Member
    kendrafitz's Avatar


    Parrots

    Rosie, our Greenwing Macaw (Hatchday 4/1/12)
    For us toweling is an issue. Rosie is a VERY strong willed girl. My vets tech is the only one able to towel her and she HATES it. We went as an emergency visit once and saw a different vet/tech. No go, they could not towel her. By the time they gave up she was a stressed out, panting mess. They actually seemed fearful of her by the end. It was UGLY.

    She now associates toweling with bad things being done to her. No matter how often I play peek a boo, put a towel over my head or dry off in front of her. I am able to touch the towel to her beak sometimes. Anything else and she goes full on attack. Not attacking me but the towel and it is useless. If I put a towel or blanket on my head she will run over and fling it off. I have tried to put us both under a blanket or towel and she wanted no part of it. We have been working on this for 4 years now and no go.

    Thankfully she takes care of her nails and beak herself. Just the once in a while beak chip or sharp edge.
    Last edited by kendrafitz; 04-26-2016 at 09:08 PM.
    Rosie & Kendra


  15. The following user likes this post:

    Casper's 2nd best friend (04-26-2016)

  16. #9
    Banned



    Quote Originally Posted by kendrafitz View Post
    For us toweling is an issue. Rosie is a VERY strong willed girl. My vets tech is the only one able to towel her and she HATES it. We went as an emergency visit once and saw a different vet/tech. No go, they could not towel her. By the time they gave up she was a stressed out, panting mess. They actually seemed were fearful of her by the end. It was UGLY.

    She now associates toweling with bad things being done to her. No matter how often I play peek a boo, put a towel over my head or dry off in front of her. I am able to touch the towel to her beak sometimes. Anything else and she goes full on attack. Not attacking me but the towel and it is useless. If I put a towel or blanket on my head she will run over and fling it off. I have tried to put us both under a blanket or towel and she wanted no part of it. We have been working on this for 4 years now and no go.

    Thankfully she takes care of her nails and beak herself. Just the once in a while beak chip or sharp edge.
    Oh my!

  17. The following user likes this post:

    Casper's 2nd best friend (04-26-2016)

  18. #10
    Senior Member
    Casper's 2nd best friend's Avatar


    Parrots

    Casper, a blue fronted Amazon. Loves banana. Hates plastic bags and red coats.
    Rosie and Salsa are smart birds - both intelligent and well groomed

    I have tried filing Casper's nails with an emery board but it just gets snatched from my fingers and thrown away. He doesn't really like having his feet touched even accidentally. The phrase "sorry, did I touch your foot" is often heard here after a ferocious parroty growl.
    "A busy beak is a happy beak" - David Strom

  19. The following 3 users like this post:

    kendrafitz (04-26-2016), Mare (04-30-2016), PlaxMacaws (04-26-2016)

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