How do if know if my rats nails are too long?

I don't want to try to cut my rats nails myself, so i was going to get the vet to do it. But how can i tell if they are too long. I think they are, but my mam says they are fineHow do if know if my rats nails are too long?
Why are you going to try take it to the vet...? Are they difficult to handle?





Unless they are difficult to handle it is pretty easy to do yourself.





Just hold the paw up and look at the nails. you should see a redish or darkish line running down the middle.





When you cut the nails make sure not to cut too close to where this line ends or else the rat will bleed alot because that is a vein.





If you examine the nails and the nails are quite a bit longer than where the vein ends you will know it is time to cut them.





Leave about 1mm or so after the end of the vein just to be on the safe side. Use a normal nail clipper and becareful that they don't jump and cause u to snip something else.





My rat would sit patiently while I clipped his nails, I think he quite enjoyed the pampering. (AND THAT WAS WHEN I WAS A FIRST TIME OWNER!)





My current rats however would defo not sit still long enough!!


I've heard that those calcium covered bird perches are quite good for filing down long nails so get one of them and put it in the cage and as long as your rat is using it you won't even need to clip! :D





Good Luck


xxxHow do if know if my rats nails are too long?
Hi Iv'e used and emery board just on the tips but as previous answerer says its hard to keep them still, I now have a stone infront of their litter tray and water pot, and one on the floor where they come in %26amp; out of the cage door (IF you do this though make sure the stones are under a shelf so they don't drop/fall on it) I really don't need them now though I trained them to come outside on the patio with me, and this seems to be keeping their nails short, especially after they soften them messing near the pond LOL..............
Rat nails don't in particular grow long but sharp as hell. Best way is to wear the edges off with a human nail-file. It's quite a talent to keep them still long enough to trim them with cutters, and alot safer to file them down. If your rat is only 3 months, i wouldn't say they would be over-grown that quick, I've had ratty 2 years now and I've only had to file them once and that was for a show to make him spik and span!


Hope this helps x
u should give it something to file its nails itself then they dont need clipped so often. only if they start to look really long, like unusually long then u should take it to the vet.
When they start, like, curling in and it looks uncomfortable to walk. I clip my guinea pigs all the time, its not ahrd at all. She jsut fusses alot so you have to be sure to hold her still. But I dont know about a rat.
u can tell weva ur rat nails are long because they might start curling in!


da best way 2 cut a rats nails is by usin very small nail clippers so that u dont cut 2 much of da rats nails.


cut the white part of da nail,but dont cut da pink!!
Why don't you take it to the vet and ask to be shown how long they should be and then you will know in the future?
You'll know when you'll holding him/her and it puts its' clawz to you and they feel pretty sharp or they hurt.
My vet wouldn't do it, he told me to file them with an emery board like you use for yourself.
I have no idea, but it's a great question.
your mum should know best