Bird - Beak and Nail Care

Do I need to be concerned about my bird's beak and nails?

Most birds are naturally very active during the day and would normally encounter a huge variety of perching textures and perch sizes in their wild environment. This, along with ordinary preening and grooming, wears the toenails down and helps maintain consistent length and health of the toenails. In captivity, the bird typically has perches of the same size and smooth texture. This leads to an imbalance in the rate of nail growth and wear. Without trimming, the nails would become excessively long. Overgrown nails may become caught and cause injuries to the bird.

The beak is a multipurpose instrument used for eating, preening, grasping, climbing, self- defence, touching, playing and communication. The beak is also constantly growing but tends to stay a relatively constant length because the bird is always wearing it down as it eats. After a bird eats you may see it wipe and clean the beak on an object in the cage such as a perch. This provides a wearing action for the sides of the beak. Your pet may also grind its beak together which further wears down the beak. Providing your bird with pet-safe toys and chewing activities will not only help wear down the beak down but will provide hours of entertainment for your bird.

The beak and claws are made of keratin over a 'cone' of bone. This keratin is formed from amino-acids produced in the liver from dietary components. As a result both poor nutrition and liver disease will produce poor quality keratin and, therefore, overlong or abnormally-shaped beak and nails. Whenever an older bird is presented with overgrown nails/beak we should ask ourselves why this has occurred and look for the underlying problems. It is not enough just to trim.

The beak is an intricate structure designed (as stated above) to keep itself in shape by the action of eating. Therefore overgrowths represent more than a simple excessive growth - the beak's self-shaping mechanisms have failed. It is not sufficient to simply cut the beak - it must be re-shaped so it can then maintain itself again.

Cutting the beak too short causes pain and may make problems worse - e.g. damaging the sensitive plates at the corners of the beak will cause the bird to favour the other side.

Therefore many veterinary surgeons no longer use clippers or cutting tools. Instead a dremel grinding tool is used to re-shape the beak. As this is a delicate procedure it is usually necessary to anaesthetise the bird for this procedure.

Can I trim my bird's nails at home?

The 'quick' is the blood and nerve supply that grows part way down the middle of each nail (birds have a very long quick). In light coloured nails it is visible as the pink area in the nail. In dark or black nails it is completely hidden. When cut, the quick may bleed profusely. Since birds do not have a very good clotting mechanism, it is important to be careful when trimming the nails. If you choose to attempt nail trims at home then you must have a clotting agent at hand. A pet store or your vet may have a safe pet product available. Powdered clotting agents seem to work better than liquids but a silver nitrate stick is what many vets use.

The nail should be trimmed a little at a time to help lessen the chance of cutting into the nail's quick. It takes good judgement and practice to trim nails properly. My advice would be to go to your vet for all you bird's beak and nail trimming. If you are having a go and bleeding occurs, remain calm, restrain the bird safely and securely and use finger pressure to pinch the toe just before the nail. This will provide a tourniquet action while a clotting agent is applied to the cut end. Cornstarch or flour may be used in an emergency but is not an adequate substitute under normal situations.

Your vet can trim the nails safely during regular health examinations and is prepared to deal with any bleeding that may occur. Some vets may use an electric grinder on the nails as with the beak.

What else can I do at home to help the beak and nails?

Do not use sandpaper perch covers. They do not keep the nails short and could cause terrible sores on the bottom of the feet. For the larger birds, a single cement perch may be a beneficial aid in safely wearing the beak and nails down, though it is important to monitor the bottom of the feet as pressure sores and abrasions may develop if the perch is not of the width or the birds spends to long on it. For smaller birds such as a finch, budgie or cockatiel, cuttlebones, lava rock and mineral or iodised blocks may be helpful. A key point is to use natural branches (apple is particularly good) rather than an artificial perch like a dowelling rod - the natural branch will have a varying diameter and so there are no points of continual contact with the skin of the feet giving potential ulcers. These perches should be placed throughout the cage, not just as a single perch- birds will often perch where they are most secure (eg high up) rather then where they are most comfortable. Also many birds enjoy having a good tear or nibble of the bark and with apple this is particularly full of valuable minerals and trace elements. Otherwise a good quality diet is essential as diet is the basis of good health.

Any changes in the rate of growth, colour, texture or the way the beak or nail grows should be brought to the attention of your veterinary surgeon immediately.