clipping nails
 I just did it again.  I don't take much off but I think it is the angle I hold my clippers. So do I just give up and pay to have the nails trimmed or try again? Any suggestions to help me get it right? peg & bloody paw howie |
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| Someone told me to get a woolen sock with a fairly tight weave, stick it over the dog's paw. The nails will stick out but, if the weave is tight enough, the quick won't come through. Then you just cut what pokes through. |
| I finally broke down and admitted to myself how bad I am at it and now have them do it at the vet when we go. It's just so much easier. When I do it, I'm stressed which also stresses out the dogs so it's just better all around. |
| Thanks Kim for the cool suggestion. Jill I am glad I am not alone! I should have learned by now that it is just not a skill I possess. A while back one Sunday evening around 11 pm I decided I needed to trim my bunny's nails. Of course, it ended up bleeding. I could not stop it from gushing out. So off bunny and I go to after hours emergency clinic. It took the vet 2 minutes to stop the bleeding, bunny had a pretty bright bandage on her paw and me I forked over $110.00. You'd think I would have learned my lesson then. So tonight I have decided, to do Howie a favor and pay for the service. A call to my vet in the morning is now on my agenda. You have my respect all you folks who can trim nails!  peg & howie |
| Try using a dremel. I grind all my dogs' nails now. I always hated clipping them even tho' mine would endure anything, even bleeding nails, without a yelp. I bought the dremel on the pet edge site & use it every week on them. |
| Pencil the bit you need too clip & I was told to do it weekly & the quick will go down the nail |
| I was terrified about doing this until Marilyn showed me how and then made me do one. I have a variable speed Dremel and what I like about doing it this way is you can go slowly, (providing the dog is patient) and only take off a tiny bit at a time. If you do end up going too far, it's not by much. Once you commit with clippers, it's a done deal. Thanks Marilyn!!! Vance |
Vance wrote: I was terrified about doing this until Marilyn showed me how and then made me do one. I have a variable speed Dremel and what I like about doing it this way is you can go slowly, (providing the dog is patient) and only take off a tiny bit at a time. If you do end up going too far, it's not by much. Once you commit with clippers, it's a done deal. Thanks Marilyn!!! Vance Thank YOU, Vance! One thing to remember in grinding is if you go a bit too far, it cauterizes the quick so no bleeding!  |
| Dremel tool and emery board. Grind nails but leave them a little longer than they should be... then finish with an emery board. http://untilyoufindme.com/Grinding-Nails.htm |
I clip...but I've been trimming dog nails since I was a child  I was the oldest kid, so it rapidly became one of my chores (we raised Brittanys) at a pretty young age.As a result, it's a non-issue for me, so it's a non-issue for the dogs. They sense any nervousness or apprehension if you are, so it becomes a vicious circle. I just grab my clipper and styptic powder, and go right down the line... I pre-date dremels for doing nails , so I just stick with what I know and do fine with. |
got sheep wrote: They sense any nervousness or apprehension if you are, so it becomes a vicious circle. Absolutely... my Schip-mix is a sensitive soul. I had the vet's office trim them at first because she was a pickle and I was nervous. But they trimmed too short just one time and she never forgot/forgave it. She cried like she was being tortured the next few times... it was too stressful. So I had to start trimming at home again. I have to grind her nails on the bed with treats. I tell her "over", grab her and put her on her back between my legs and grind/file/treat. She accepts this without a problem. Her nails are not as short as they should be because I don't want to ruin the trust we have. Of course this dog would have two extra dew claws on her back feet!  |
| I clip too - the dremel scares me. I'm sure it's a great tool, but tools and I rarely get along, and especially not if electricity is involved If the nail is white, it's easy, you see the quick. If it's a dark nail, just take the tip and do it weekly - it only takes a couple of minutes and that will keep nails short. I have one fussy one, and she's a doozy. She came that way and when I'm done trimming her nails I feel we're both due a stiff drink  Kristine |
| An easy way of cutting nails, no matter what colour they are is... Slide your clippers up the back of the nail, they will hit a little ridge, if you look you will see that part of the nail is hollow. Angle the top of your clippers forward to about a 45 degree angle and cut. If the nails are really long after you have cut the nail the quick shortenes so clip a bit more in a few days Another way of judging where your quick is is by looking at the cut edge, as your getting to. the quick it starts to get a small circle, like a piece os spagettie when its nearly cooked. Also if you have black nails you will see that the end of the nail is a different colour than the rest. Hope this helps x |
| Here's a nice little educational picture of toenails and what it all should look like! I'm thinking you may have to click on it bigger to be able to see and read it  |
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