Note to self...

[Max713]

Don't let Kimo see himself in the mirror ever again!
While Kimo was out today, he decided to explore the bedroom for the first time. I didn't think much of it, but my sliding closet doors are full length mirrors.
One glimpse of himself in the mirror and he went agro, he danced around a little bit, with some heavy "snakey tailing". Fine and all, but when I went to pick him up he sprinted, after stopping for a second, I grabbed him. He thrashed violently, and just would not stop! He scratched the **** out of me!
Apparently the mirror really freaked him out....

He is still pretty freaked out (half hour later), and still breathing heavy... Going to try to hang out with him until he completely calms down...

Anyone else had similar experiences?

 

[Rhetoric]

aww if he was shaking in the mirror the relfection of those behaviors probably made it worse. poor baby has he been around other tegus before? mine dont seem to care but theyve seen other tegus

 

[Max713]

The only animal he's ever seen is me, and several friends.
I know, I felt bad that I didn't think about it before hand, it really freaked him out. He's calming down, but he's definitely still on edge.
His tail was going harder than I've ever seen it go, other than the first day i had him! I should have stopped him sooner, but I was curious of what he was going to do.
I hated having to hold him so tight while he was flailing! I mean really flailing, I couldn't just put him down, and there's nothing I could do to stop him, I just had to hold on, even though I felt like I was just making it worse...

Recuperating

 

[Neeko]

In case something ever happens like that you should clip your guys claws so it not as bad.

 

[Max713]

I'm really nervous about clipping, can anyone post a "how to video", or know of a good how to?
He got me pretty good... He's only 34" long, but those claws are sharp!

 

[Neeko]

I'm really nervous about clipping, can anyone post a "how to video", or know of a good how to?
He got me pretty good... He's only 34" long, but those claws are sharp!

I'd just go stealth in and clip a few here and there. making sure i would never get a toe. On birds you just towel them and cut. Depending on what you prefer you can just clip the very tip or get more. what ever your most comfortable with. im sure your local reptile store would also do it for a small fee. Ive done birds and a tegu before. Birds were umbrella cockatoo and blue and gold macaw my fingers were at risk but it was done with bearly any difficulty. Towel and clippers. 2 people would be best. just my way im sure there are other ways too or techniques.

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I use small cat nail or bird clipers for small reptiles, dog clippers for birds, bigger reptiles. make sure you can see the quik (blood inside the nail) and if you cant i would only tip the sharp part of the nail off and have quikstop ( stops bleeding in nails)

 

[corruptphantasm]

i got my tegu today and when i put him in his cage he was fine but then like 30 min later he ran head first full charge into the plexi glass door 2 times idk if it was he saw his reflection or what but it scared me and the 3rd time he ran up to it and stoped last second and just sniffed

 

[herpgirl2510]

I am still too nervous to do my guy's nails. Tonka's other owner used a dremel it only takes little at time so there is no accidently cutting the quick.

 

[Rhetoric]

I took my tegus to a local reptile place, they did them for free but now they're going out of business... I can't remember, do you have a larger rock in the enclosure? Sometimes that helps to keep the nails down. I'm not sure if I'd clip my tegus nails on my own, I don't have enough nail clipping experience lol. Not sure if you're in the PDX area but House of Reptiles in Tigard does nail trims for like $5 or something, I know its less then $10...

 

[Dirtydmc]

There's info on that from bobby here. It's the same as dogs and cats. You can't cut into the red line in the nail. You can cut up to it but if you cut into the red Line (vien) they will bleed.

 

[rrcoolj]

My basking spot is made of slate rocks. By her constantly climbing up and down on the basking spot it keeps my tegus nails worn down. There is also other things in the cage to wear down her nails like the branches and mulch help a little when she is digging. I have clipped my tegus nails but it was a bit nerve racking. I did it while she was eating.

This is a link on youtube on how to clip a tegus nails. I think it's pretty good. [video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxS4NVMHj1s[/video]