trimming nails

[wp63]

i feel real bad i bought a nail clipper, and proceeded to clip his nails, the front paws went great, but i clipped the blood vessel on a nail on each rear paw. Coba didn't even notice but i feel really bad about it. the nail clipper has a stop that i thought it prevent clipping a blood vessel apparently not! should i bandage or just let them heal on their own? :054

[wp63]

thanks for the advice
coba's left paw stopped bleeding almost immediately but his right continued to bleed so i got some gauze and a snow booty that my wife had bought for him(-40 is not unusual here)after some coaching he's left it alone.

[KatieScarlettsMom]

I have also read that this is generally more painful for the person than the dog! I've heard baking soda will also work in place of the Kwik-Stop stuff.

You're very brave! I've tried clipping Katie's nails only once, and I got one done fine, but when I did the second, she yelped and I was so timid that I didn't cut all the way through. I know I didn't hurt her - she just doesn't like anyone fussing with her paws. So we had a little wrestling match while I tried to finish it off. I've been working on getting her used to having her paws handled, and hopefully the next time I go to clip, she'll be patient with me.

Has anybody tried the 'peanut butter on the fridge to distract them while you clip and trim' routine? That's my plan for this weekend!

[DenzerGal]

hehee... just to share with all my clipping experience..

i would clip my noty golden after a long day out running in the field.. cos he would think that i'm just 'massaging' him and till he closed his eyes, then i would go clipping away! :rollin

there was once or twice i did cut into his wick, but i applied pressure on that and after a while, it's ok.. but then my monster's threshold is very high, thus it's prob an ant bite for him... i remained my cool, whereas my husband went bonkers over that! :032

but i also read from somewhere (can't remember) that if the nails went too long, the wick will grow longer too, so to shorten the wick and the nail, i would hv to cut the wick so that it won't grow till that long that when he's walking on cemented flooring, you could hear the 'click click' sound.. wonder how true though.. but i'm pretty diligent in clipping, so i hope i won't have to do that one day!

[ChicagoCanine]

Hi,
I've heard that you can use flour if there's no styptic powder handy. The times when that's happened with one of my pets, I just applied pressure until it stopped bleeding. Except one case--- I had Pooch playing at a park on concrete, and he scraped half his nails down past the quick-- I didn't noticed at first because the concrete was red, but then I saw some splotches and I panicked until I realized it was his nails! Eeek!


I have heard the same thing about the quick growing longer if the nail is allowed to grow. I've also heard that if that happens, to shorten the quick you can cut the nails very often (like once a week or more I think) and each time cut right up to the quick without cutting into it, and it will recede.

[dog19]

I want to . have everything but am scared.how far do you put his nail through the clipper

[CanadianGolden423]

I've gone the peanut butter route. VERY effective.

When you are getting close to the quick, you'll be able to see sort of a half-moon on the end of the nail. The nail will also be softer/easier to cut through. There is a little notch partway along the nail--the quick goes a little past that, so cut a bit in front of the notch.

Dremels work well and it's pretty hard to quick them using a Dremel--that's why I use it.

[taxingmybrain]

a cordless dremel tool is great for the squeamish. assuming your dog doesnt get freaked by the noise or the feeling of the sander on its nails. if you use clippers, make sure they are sharp, DONT use the guillotine type (only use the heavy scissor type) and take your time, taking a little off at a time. DONT try to take 1/2" off in one cut -- trim 1/8" at a time. if you look at the nail from the side, it should be translucent enough to see the white quick inside the nail -- obviously you need to stop short of it....

also clip nails after a bath --they will be softer and clip easier -- wear glasses, if you get hit in the eye it will hurt!

good luck.

[NewbieGolden]

I was wondering why clip their nails at all, but then I read about the "curl" factor. So that makes sense to me now. I do walk my Honey every day for 30-45 min each day on concrete. I still hear a scraping sound once in a while. Does this mean I should trim her nails?

One last question: Why not use a guillotine clipper? Oh yeah, almost forgot, whats a "quick"?

[goldenjack]

Quick is the part of the nail that contains the blood vessels and nerves. Guillotine is acceptable.

[ChicagoCanine]

The problem with the guillotine style clippers is that they tend to crush the nail rather than clipping it cleanly as the scissors type do. They also can be harder to judge where the quick is/how far you are cutting, since the nail has to go into the clipper.

[SteveR]

We did Sinbad's last night with the guillotine type. He gets antsy but not too bad. After we clipped, my wife used an emery block to take down the sharp edges. He loved that. He put his paw on my leg and just let my wife file away while I gave him little treats. He looked like he was at the nail salon. :lol

[Kodiak Moment]

Another vote for using a dremel on the nails. Takes the nail down gradually with less chance of cutting the quick. Plus, leaves smoothe edges.

I have handled Kodi's paws quite a bit since he was a pup, so he experiences very little anxiety when I sand his nails and cut the hair off the bottoms of his feet. I have a lot of hardwood floors, so I do both of these things often....not only for grooming, but so he wont tear up my floors with his nails and won't slide into walls due to too much hair on his feet.

[Marieppie]

We don't have our dog yet, but our breeder recommends using a Dremel, too, and will be giving all new owners a lesson before we take the puppies home.
I found this site that goes into great detail on how to acclimate your dog to it:
www.greytalk.com/~jrosenb...dremel.htm (http://www.greytalk.com/~jrosenberg/dremel/dremel.htm)

[Go1denxFanatic]

Yeah, when i took harley to a dog training session the teaching told all of us to use a dremel instead of the clipper. where can you get a dremel?

[angenbear]

I use a half jaw cuticle nippers on Bear, and they work great, easy to use and easy to see how much nail to cut. I feel this one doesn't hurt as much and cuts good that it doesn't leave nail splits. It's actually for people, it easily trims excess cuticles and ragged hangnails, smaller blade for better control. I just have to keep him distracted while cuting his nails.

[monomer]

Yeah, when i took harley to a dog training session the teaching told all of us to use a dremel instead of the clipper. where can you get a dremel?

Your local K-Mart or Wal-Mart.

[sammydog]

Just wanted to add a note to this thread (I did not find this info anywhere else) I clipped Sammy's nail a little to short today and it bleed quite a bit. (My poor baby) I called the vet and he recommended putting corn starch on it to stop the bleeding. Worked like a charm. He said no baking soda (I heard that somewhere) because it stings them. Just wanted to share the info.

[Jo Ellen]

This is something I'm really struggling with right now. I used to get Daisy's nails clipped when she was at daycare but she doesn't go anymore. Have to learn how to do this myself. So I bought some clippers and I've been practicing. I've been clipping them every week, a little bit more, a little bit more. I'm so scared I'm going to hurt her! It's very hard to tell sometimes how far down you should clip. There's so many different colors or tones in the nails ... I try to stay away from the pink ... but they seem too long to me. So I clip a little bit more...and more often. YIKES.

[Athena]

Just wanted to add a note to this thread (I did not find this info anywhere else) I clipped Sammy's nail a little to short today and it bleed quite a bit. (My poor baby) I called the vet and he recommended putting corn starch on it to stop the bleeding. Worked like a charm. He said no baking soda (I heard that somewhere) because it stings them. Just wanted to share the info.
Whenever I clip Athena's I get a little shot glass full of flour and keep it nearby just in case. My groomer does this. If you accidentally cut too short just stick their nail in the glass of flour and the bleeding stops immediately. Guess corn starch would work just the same but I don't normally have that on hand.

[Athena]

This is something I'm really struggling with right now. I used to get Daisy's nails clipped when she was at daycare but she doesn't go anymore. Have to learn how to do this myself. So I bought some clippers and I've been practicing. I've been clipping them every week, a little bit more, a little bit more. I'm so scared I'm going to hurt her! It's very hard to tell sometimes how far down you should clip. There's so many different colors or tones in the nails ... I try to stay away from the pink ... but they seem too long to me. So I clip a little bit more...and more often. YIKES.
You're going about this exactly right. Cutting the nails back very gradually allows the quick (part of nail that will bleed) to draw back more and your chances of cutting the quick decreases. It's helpful for me if I look under the nail when I'm positioning the clippers. You can actually see where the fleshy part of the nail begins.

[Jo Ellen]

Thank you Athena -- that's good to know!

Don't they let you know when you're cutting too far down?

Funny, last night I was clipping her nails again and I decided to cut some of the longer hairs around her pads. She's so much more sensitive about that than she is her nails. I was surprised about that!

:003

[sammydog]

I think I am switching to dremel style clipping. We already have one... Anyone have any good tips on how to use one?

Sammy's nail is fine now, but I sure felt bad. :( I hate clipping their nails! They also hate having the hair around their pad cut. I think it might tickle or something.

[lucky101]

Dremels are amazing. They are pretty easy to do and once your dog gets used to it, it's a breeze to do their nails. Since I've started using the dremel I have never done their nails any other way. If anyone has any questions on how to use a dremel I would be more than happy to answer them. I think the dremel is better b/c if you do get to the quick, it just knicks it instead of slicing a big chunk of it off like regular clippers do. Not only is it easier to stop the bleeding, there isn't as much damage. If anyone needs to know where to find one, I will be happy to assist there to.

[chipster]

my dog hates it when he gets his nails clipped. the only time anyone can get near his nails is if he's put in a high table where he's too scared to jump off. this is usually in the vet's office. i bought nail clippers so i could clip his nails myself but he absolutely hates it! when he sees me holding the nail clipper, he tries to bite my hand when i reach for his paws. in the very very few times i've been able to clip his nails on my own, i never cut the quick so there's no reason for him to think that i'm gonna make his nails bleed when i do the clipping. any advice on how i can make him like, or at least tolerate, having his nails clipped? help!

[Jo Ellen]

Daisy gives me no problem at all when I clip her nails, but she looks away. Not only does she look away, but she turns her head in such a way that it's obvious she's deliberately turning away. Why does she do that? Is it kind of like when you get a shot, you don't look? Do dogs think like that? She never pulls her paws away. :confused:

[Teresa]

my dog hates it when he gets his nails clipped. the only time anyone can get near his nails is if he's put in a high table where he's too scared to jump off. this is usually in the vet's office. i bought nail clippers so i could clip his nails myself but he absolutely hates it! when he sees me holding the nail clipper, he tries to bite my hand when i reach for his paws. in the very very few times i've been able to clip his nails on my own, i never cut the quick so there's no reason for him to think that i'm gonna make his nails bleed when i do the clipping. any advice on how i can make him like, or at least tolerate, having his nails clipped? help!


Some dogs, like people, are just more sensitive with their feet. I cut the quick on Lucy's paw once (felt horrible) and so the next time we started, we were both a little nervous, so I had one of my kids rubbing her belly while another one was giving her teeny tiny treats! Worked like a charm. Now she doesn't mind at all (cause Mommy is pampering her!).

Also, Lucy used to pull her paw away and I would firmly say, "No, MINE" (meaning that when I have her paw ... it is mine). She, like any kid, will push the limits when she thinks she can win, but I don't give ... the paw (along with the rest of her) is mine.

Try 'pampering' your baby by giving him a little massage every day or every other day. While doing the massage, be sure to add rubbing his feet, legs, paws, pads and the space between his toes. That way he sees that when you touch his feet, it's very pleasant.

Good Luck!

Teresa

[ej+cj]

[QUOTE=lucky101]Dremels are amazing.

Does anyone know where I can get one in Canada and what size to get? Also what do they cost? Thank you!
liz

[lucky101]

Personally I recomend the cordless dremel which costs (in us dollars) about 30-60 dollars. You can buy them online too. infact I just found a website that has a sale on the "mini mite dremel" They have it listed @ 29.95 which is what I think I paid for mine. The cordless ones usually have 2 speed settings. When your first starting out it makes it much easier to have the slower setting until your comfortable with it. if you want the website of a few places that have them im me. Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with. If you do get one, I will let you know the easiest and safest ways to use it. One more thing, electric dremels are a lot more powerful and they can be very dificult to use. I would definatly get a cordless if I were you.

[whiskaz]

I have an electric dremel, but I'm not sure I'd trust myself to trim Maggie's nails with it! What do you use, the sanding/cutting discs?

[lucky101]

There is a round cylinder shaped sandpaper attachment that I use. It fits over a rubber attatchment. When I find out what the real name is for it I'll let you know!

[prhenry]

Personally I recomend the cordless dremel which costs (in us dollars) about 30-60 dollars. You can buy them online too. infact I just found a website that has a sale on the "mini mite dremel" They have it listed @ 29.95 which is what I think I paid for mine. The cordless ones usually have 2 speed settings. When your first starting out it makes it much easier to have the slower setting until your comfortable with it. if you want the website of a few places that have them im me. Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with. If you do get one, I will let you know the easiest and safest ways to use it. One more thing, electric dremels are a lot more powerful and they can be very dificult to use. I would definatly get a cordless if I were you.
Please, can you give out the website?? I tried to find one last weekend on the web, but didnot have any luck!!!!
They sound like the perfect thing for my prince.I am really scared to use the clippers, this sounds so much easier!!
Thanks!!!

[gnhykn]

Both of my goldens have city walks on concrete as part of there daily routine... this has untill now eliminated the need to ever cut their nails, however, i noticed reggies are actually looking too short... havent been bleeding at all, but i don't want it to get to that. Any suggestions to protect the paws (nails) during walks? And Problem #2, Chazzy is in senior years now and a 1/2 hour walk is all that hes up to, and this isnt enough to keep his nails down, like they used to be, Im hearing a "click" when he walks... so now at age 11, im going to start nail trimming with him, ( i do my pugs ALL the time, but her nails are really small compared to the goldens...) Im going to get a dremmel tool... any brand recommendations that are better than others?

[Gryffyndor]

Someone asked if you can get dremmels or minis in Canada - yes, the easiest place with the best selection is Canadian Tire - keep an eye out for sales and you can get them up to 50% off. I too am a Dremmel convert- can't say enough good things about it after cutting the quick so many times the old way. Here are a few tips that I have come across that make it easier
1. start out simple - without the Dremmel turned on, touch the drum to the dogs nails and treat. Next step is to turn the Dremmel on but not near the dog, just let them get used to the sound. Gradually work up to them being beside you with it running, and treat/praise etc. Next is to start touching the nails with the Dremmel, no serious grinding, just getting used to the touch. Next time, grind one nail and work up to doing the whole foot. I did all these steps over a number of weeks, and my squemish (sp?) golden now gets so excited when I break out the Dremmel and flops on his belly. Treats are still a part of our routine and I don't mind as long as he is happy and still.
2. Use the sanding drum, never use a grinding stone as this gets too hot on the nail.
3. Don't hold the drum to the nail for more than a few seconds at a time. Test on yourself - it gets hot very quickly.
4. At first I used an old piece of pantyhose secured on the foot to ensure I didn't catch any fur in the Dremmel (it can get wrapped up very quickly and be painful).
Good luck! And although I don't have a cordless version, I have to say that would be great to have.

[Tailer'sFolks]

Here is one place to get Dremel's:

http://www.dremelstore.us/dremel.html

Good Instructions, thanks!

[prhenry]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!
:485 :485 :485 :485 :485
Can't wait to get it!

[Dogrunner]

I'll have to try that for Berr's nails. His are so strong and thick the vet used a beak cutter on them last time. Shaker has black nails and the only way I can see where to cut them too is to have her lie on her back and then I can see where the hollow begins.

[suejean62]

Our Noah is 11 months and hates having his nails clipped it takes me about 3 days a couple at a time, he sees the clippers coming and runs a mile. The Dremel sounds great but Noah hates hair dryers near him, trimmers etc, dont think I would be able to get a Dremel any where near him.
Any suggestions????

[blondebombshell]

a cordless dremel tool is great for the squeamish. assuming your dog doesnt get freaked by the noise or the feeling of the sander on its nails. if you use clippers, make sure they are sharp, DONT use the guillotine type (only use the heavy scissor type) and take your time, taking a little off at a time. DONT try to take 1/2" off in one cut -- trim 1/8" at a time. if you look at the nail from the side, it should be translucent enough to see the white quick inside the nail -- obviously you need to stop short of it....

also clip nails after a bath --they will be softer and clip easier -- wear glasses, if you get hit in the eye it will hurt!

good luck.
I dont recommend a dremel, why? because there is a very likely chance that a inexperienced person will get the front feathering caught. I have had it happen to myself.

[Golden_Magic]

Just use a pair of pantie hose/tights over the paw and pop the nail through that is being filed. Keeps all the fur safely out of the way.