Looking for dog nail-clipping tips, please!

[Mary Plummer]

Hello everyone, and Happy Friday!

Does anyone have some good tips on nail clipping? It's extremely traumatic for Mr. Blue, and his dew claws are in desperate need of it. With my husband's help, I got one trimmed, but then he started crying so much I just didn't have the heart to try for the other one. Once right after we brought him home, my hubby accidentally cut one down to the quick, and he's really been nervous about it ever since. I figure we'll try the other one again tomorrow, but thought I would ask here for some tips from you before trying it again.

Thanks for any advice you can give me on this - I hate hearing him cry like he did! It really does make me feel like a big ol' meanie, even though his dew claw nails really need it. All of his other nails look great; I think all our walks on the sidewalks helps keep them trimmed.

[Marty]

I either let the vet do it, or take them to PetsMart. I tried with Winnie as a pup, but no go. I can offer you this website on dremmeling, but will say the noise scares them...To me, it is easier to take them out and have someone else do it. They actually behave much better....no credit to me!

http://homepages.udayton.edu/~merenski/ ... index.html

[Mary Plummer]

...he said "Why don't we do that, too?" so I think we'll let the vet's office do it from now on. It's truly horrid to see him so afraid of something we're doing. He did get a few small treats for it, but still...

[Traci]

Mary, I'm no good this time....the last time I clipped a dog's nails, I ended up in the ER. Long story. Since then, I leave it to the vet's, it is a new issue for me.

But, from experience, it helps to have the proper restraint, be very adept and quick at hand, and get it over with as quickly as possible. Soft words, rubbing the ears, offering a treat, and of course, keeping him used to the idea more frequently, helps. Be sure the actual clippers are sharp and not dull, because dull blades make for a bad experience and of course, take longer. You could also try one paw one day, the other paw a day later, be creative

If you're hesitant and can't bear to hear him cry, you'd both probably fair better with a quick trip to your vet's, they can accomplish this in mere minutes, your in, you're out. Just call in advance, and they could be ready for you.

[k9Karen]

The only help I can offer is with not cutting the quick. Get a good, bright penlight (the smaller the better). Put it directly up to the inside of the nail shining the light toward you. You should be able to see the quick by using the light. Adjust the angle of the light until you can see it. Sheltie nails are strange - some are white and some are black (on the same dog). I can easily see the pink quick in the white ones, but I use the light on the black ones. It also helps to have a dog, like most shelties, that are easily intimidated by their "person".

[Mary Plummer]

...Traci, about how you ended up in the ER! Fortunately, Mr. Blue's nails are all white, so I can see the quick easily. Unfortunately for nail clipping, but not for most things, Mr. Blue isn't at all intimidated by me. Of course, hearing him cry like he did tonight makes me think that's not completely true I think, for just the one dew claw tomorrow, I'll come up with some really good treat for him, and just go really fast.

[Traci]

Probably one of the worst experiences I ever had. 8 month-old sharpei, oh just a cutie, sweet as all get-out (so the owner says)..in for a routine nail trim and microchip. Vet and I start with nail clipping...one nail and the dog goes ballistic, turns around and attacks me....vet backs off, looking for the rabies pole....meanwhile, I'm trying to lasso the dog for fear he's going to lunge at me or the vet...sure enough, he turns and lunges for my neck. As a natural instinct, my arm came up first and he took a nice little chunk out of it....long story short, 40 minutes later, three vets, three techs and one lassoed bloody dog and bloody tech on the floor, (no the quick was not cut, but his self-mutilation and the subsequent mutilation he did to me, hence the blood)

That was my second rabies series. The owner had lied to us and said the dog had been vaccinated for rabies. Upon checking, the dog had never been vaccinated for anything. I'm used to the rabies series, but not the excruciating pain and uselessness of an arm for several weeks.

Incidently, the owner was never allowed to use our services again. They actually had to gall to blame us for the incident (the dog was being trained for guard duty, unbeknownst to us)

[momPaws]

omygosh, Traci- that was terrible! Do the rabies shots hurt...they say they do

Mary- i am a sucker for Honey like that too...when i took her to petsmart for a bath and they told me she cried a little bit while they bathed her i felt awful. i will probably do it at home from now on as she was snorting for a day or so- I think they got water up her nose. Good luck with Mr. B at the vet. My vet will do it , but they don't even like to.

[Traci]

Yes they do , but by the time you're done with the 28-day staggering of injections (they're spread apart), you get used to it. And, of course, I'd rather get a rabies series than rabies itself.

[Mary Plummer]

How could anyone have a dog not vaccinated for anything?? And to not tell you that the dog was in training for guard dog duty...it certainly seems that is something to tell your vet! Mr. Blue had his nails trimmed by our vet once - it was the vet and a tech, and he was good. He didn't like it, but he took it from them much better than he does from me. He did cry a little then, too, which I just hate to hear (even though I knew perfectly well he wasn't being hurt). I'm so glad he doesn't lunge and try to bite our vets!