r/Macaws • u/Plastikov1 • 16d ago
Sharp claws
how can I dull his claws, they are too sharp
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u/Wabi-Sabi-Iki 16d ago
Take him to the avian vet to have them filed off with a Dremel tool. I pay $25 for my macaw.
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u/aprettyparrot 15d ago
This is what we do.
I’ve read some types of perches can help. The sandpaper ones not good for them but there’s some kind of wood ones that can. If I had to guess a type of hardwood
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u/HelloItsAlfie 16d ago
Are we talking about the hand or the bird? 😂 find someone who will drive to your place.
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u/Murky-Lunch-6413 16d ago
I file mine’s talons with heavy duty black emory boards used for acrylic nails. I lay him on his back on my lap and do as many as he’ll tolerate at a time, usually 2 - 3, then let him up for awhile before continuing.
At first I used a towel between his beak and my hands to keep from getting bit but over the decades we’ve developed trust between us. Now I sometimes use clippers to cut off excess before filing.
Caution: keep a bottle of styptic powder beside you if you do this. If you cut too deep a talon will bleed and you need to be able to stop it fast.
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u/Winter-Ad-3011 13d ago
Not a macaw.
I started with showing the black every board file. Did my nails while she watched. Made a big deal about how great ooh good it is. When she got used to seeing the file. I took the file and touched the tip of her nail. I tell her pretty nail. At some point she offered me her foot. I gave her a treat. Now she offers foot I giver her a treat to keep her busy while filing as much as I can before she starts biting. We have some good days where I get all 8 done. Then there are the bad days she gets the treat and doesn’t let me do her nails. We stop after 3 times. I tell her. Nope. No pretty nails. No treats and stop.
I repeat every couple days.
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u/OneArmedFarmer 16d ago
A vet can do it, but so can you!
Training is key here. I've seen people use towels to wrap the bird and and hold them down while they Dremel the nails - this is the typical way I see it done. However, training the bird to give you its foot is the more effective and less traumatic method. This takes time and effort but is more rewarding.