Do hamsters need their nails clipping?

[LadyWellian]

DD says her hamster's nails are starting to curl. Haven't examined him myself yet. So do their nails need cutting? If so, how do you do it? And is there something we can give him in his cage so he can keep them short naturally?

Thanks!

Hey, I've had quite a few hamsters and didn't have to cut their claws but I do with my rats now and again. You have to be REALLY careful though. You can use nail clippers or scissors but it can be fiddly. The main thing is to only cut a tiny part off because there is a risk of cutting the 'quick' in the claw and it will start bleeding and is painful for the animal.

It may be best to take the hamster to the vet for the first time and they can advise on how to cut the nails safely if there is ever a problem. There are rodent logs that you can put in their cages for them to climb on, they could help.

Thanks Enchantica. I'll have a look at the little fellow and see how they look. Sounds a bit tricky so you might be right on the need for professional advice.

LW f you are out there - did you do this?
DCs hamsters are very old now - almost 2, and so not long to live - they and very nervous and don't like being handled, so I really don't want to stress them by taking them to the vets, but am concerned about the length of their 'nails'