Sliced up wrists

[PsyKoViggy]

Yes, well..
I woke up today with my wrists being in a lot of pain, and they are covered in scratches and some blood, same with the sides on my hands.
Would you say this was a good indication that i need to do something about Till's claws?
His toes and claws are so tiny i wouldn't dare try and trim them, but is there a way of filing them?
I'v already had 3 people ask if i'v been self harming

[zakkhogan]

It may just be that they are sharp aposed to long, you have to be careful when cutting not to cut them too short, maybe ad some more rocks and ruff surface into your tank to dull the ends down....

im fairly new at this myself so, definatley wait to see what others say

[Shadowfax]

Oh no -- I think your skink has been molesting you in your sleep! What did you feed him, b/c I think he's trying to kill you!

On a serious note, you can actually clip them with fingernail clippers, that's what I do. I don't seem to need to do it too often though, Maya's hide is a big log with a rough outside that he climbs on a lot and his slate basking rock seems to do some filing too.

[Lucifer_Spades]

There was a consensus on a thread awhile ago that if need be a light rasping down with some fine grit sandpaper was ok to do.
That's what I would do if I were too worried about how small the claws were.

[Tattoo]

How about wearing a long sleeve shirt when you handle your skink? I have had to do that because my skin reacts so badly to the scratches whether I clip the nails or not.

[PsyKoViggy]

He doesn't like being restricted to sitting on my hand when hes outside his viv and will huff a little and walk up my arms, but is a bit clumsy so something slips a little and scratches at my wrists to steady himself.

A rock sounds like a very good idea, i'll try and get one on friday, thank you!

[Fatal_S]

If length is a problem, cut them. If the length is fine but they're too sharp, trim the tips or use sandpaper/a rough rock. Until they're dull, go with the long sleeves. It'll protect you and give your skink something to hold onto as it climbs along your arms.

If you chose to cut or trim the nails, give them a bit of a soak in warm water first. This should reduce the likelihood of splitting the nails. Cat nail cutters are recommended over human cutters, but people use both with success. If you haven't cut before, only cut the tip off, so you don't hit the quick and cause bleeding.

Good luck with whatever you decide. And maybe think about seeing a head-shrink about this wrist slicing habit ^.^

[SailleSkinklover]

Try a local HomeBase and buy a nice big basking brick, (like you'd use for patios or walkways outside) I got a huge red one for Chuffers and he loves it! Its rough enough that his nails get pretty dulled hauling himself up onto it!

[Zach]

Oh no -- I think your skink has been molesting you in your sleep! What did you feed him, b/c I think he's trying to kill you!

On a serious note, you can actually clip them with fingernail clippers, that's what I do. I don't seem to need to do it too often though, Maya's hide is a big log with a rough outside that he climbs on a lot and his slate basking rock seems to do some filing too.

As mentioned, some type of rough substrate helps. Our roommate uses excavator clay (actual reptile substrate) and his claws are are REALLY filed down naturally.

[NomadOfTheHills]

I use lots of big, rough rocks for basking spots.