dog's nails

I had Violet at a new vet yesterday and I learned something new as they were triming her nails for me. The vet told me that the "quick" grows with the nail, so if the nail is long, the quick is long as well. I always thought that the nail grew from the "quick" forward, so another words, the quick never grew just stayed in one place. I was wrong and now I know. So if the nail gets long, you have to really be careful where the "quick" is because it has lengthend with the nail...so if the "quick" is too long, you need to cute the dog's nails more often and as the nail recedes from the more frequent cutting eventually the "quick" gets shorter as well.

I hope this little information is helpful.

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That is very timely and helpful! We have marital disputes about when to cut the girls' nails. I think they should be cut more often, he thinks that I am a worrywart. So I am right, as usual, which always makes me feel happy. :wink:

Glad you were right again Kim.

Absolutely true. Easy to see with white nails, murder if black. Frequent light snips get the dog used to the activity. Opposed to infrequent and painful cutting. Reminds me, somebody needs some nail work.........

Mady wrote:

auntybren wrote:

Mady wrote:

LOL, too funny!!

Yes, that's why frequent trimming is how to gradually get the nails shorter. As you trim, the quicks receded. If you follow up with another trim fairly soon, you keep it receding.

Guess I was lucky, my parents taught us kids that when we were little. One of my jobs/chores was to trim nails on all our Brittanies when I was a girl growing up. Sometimes being the oldest is not all it could be... :lmt:

But I also think neither of my younger sisters would have done as good of a job either! :wink:

got sheep wrote:

auntybren wrote:

Mady wrote:

But I also think neither of my younger sisters would have done as good of a job either! :wink:

We didn't have dogs very often when I was growing up and the few we had were really my Dad's and he took care of them. Up until recent I always had the groomer do their nails. I'm really happy the Vet explained all to me, never too old to learn.

We found this out the hard way when Ru was In an accident and ripped his nails up. We now clip once a week for both dogs just a tiny bit. Started when Leonard was young and he has the quietest feet ever, also I can trim his nails without him waking up or lifting his head.

That's like me and mushrooms.

Until I met Todd's family, I never knew much about morel mushrooms and going hunting for them in the spring. I knew it was done, but never knew anyone who actually did it for real and in person. It took a couple seasons for me to be convinced he knew what he was doing and wouldn't be eating the poisonous ones!

Do you all tend to trim once a week?

I think it depends on the dog, I do Ru's once a week (Tuesday is grooming night) and take between 2-5 mm off where as Leonard's get checked once a week and I will clip 1-2mm off maybe every second week (usually we go through the routine and will at least pretend clip weekly as he is young and I want him to be used to it). Ru's grow straight out and are black where as Leonard's curve a bit and are clear. Ru's make light clicking sound when he walks on the floor no matter how short i cut them where as Leonard's have never clicked on the tiles. Before Ru's accident I only did his once a month and I used to take him to the groomers before the vet showed me how easy it is (also less stressful for Ru).

I go through a set of nail clippers about once a year as they get dull and get chucked as soon as they start to splinter the nails. Is there a way to sharpen them? Just bought a nice professional pair and am hoping they stay sharper longer.

Very true information. The quick does extend out longer in length if the nails are left to grow too long. Best if they DO get too long to keep nipping them back ever so slightly frequently until you get them back under control and where they should be.

I make a habit of LOOKING at everyone's nails every week. If they need trimming, they get it done on the spot. That would be the case if for some reason I have let them get too long. But most frequently they only need clipping every 2 - 3 weeks. Of course it depends on the dog and their activity level. It also depends on the surfaces they are on. If they run on grass they won't wear them down as fast as if they walking or running concrete or asphalt some of the time, which acts to wear them down some just through friction on those surfaces. I find the rear toe nails are never as long as the front ones. Does everyone else see that, too?
And another question -- how many of you use a dremel type nail grinder? And do your dogs seem to like it? Do they prefer it? Does it do a good job? I recently got one free as a gift with purchase when I bought a new clipper and I've never used one before.

Linda Zimmerman

We find that the rear nails are shorter, too. I haven't used a dremel but the therapy dog instructor said that they are good for making the nails less sharp, so I might look into it. Test it out and tell me what you think!

I look at everyone all the time. In reality I trim every 2 weeks for most. Every 2 weeks will keep most dogs at a constant length. If you want to shorten them, then bump it up to weekly for awhile.

I also gauge by activity - I make sure they are short and trimmed a few days before a show or agility trial. For weight pull, you want them a bit long, as the dogs use them for traction on the carpet when pulling. And for therapy visits - they MUST be both short and smoothed off.

Also - the pad structure and angle of the nails coming from the pad to the ground really affects frequency of trimming. The min pins are bad - they grow out and get long...very little natural nail wear. Bassets are too - they are very large diameter, and the dwarf feet make nail wear impossible. Bassets can have nails that look like they have never been trimmed in 2-3 weeks! My labs are the opposite. They wear them down really well. Biscuit, and my previous lab Macy never needed their nails trimmed once in their life - they wore them down and they were at an angle to wear well. In fact Biscuit's look super short - shorter than any of the rest that I am actually trimming! Our lab Tator I trimmed occasionally, same with our other labs in the past.

I never have heard of the nail clippers being sharpenable.

Way back in the day, clipper were the guillotine style - I don't like those as well as the ones that cut like a scissors. And yes - sharp is key. Dull ones splinter and crack nails, and they also squeeze before they cut - make dogs NOT like getting their nails trimmed.

Clippers vs dremel - I learned as a kid with a clippers, so I stick with that. I'm comfortable w/ it, that makes the dogs comfortable. I have many friends who dremel, and if I was just starting out I'd probably go that route. But - with dogs who have hairy feet like OES - you need to be careful and keep all the hairs pulled back. I know some use a nylon over the foot - which lets the nails poke through and keeps the hair back. One time with the hair getting sucked in and wrapped around the tool would make a dog really, really dislike it! Dremels do leave a nice and smooth nail too - another benefit.

I don't do Dremel either because the first time Ru went to the groomer to get his nails cut they used one on him and he pooped himself- literally.

Since he ripped his paw pads and broke his nails off this summer his feet are especially sensitive so I won't likely take up the Dremel any time soon. I do know many who go to the groomer specifically to get the nails rounded off like this.

I usually clip with the clippers and shape the nail with the clippers. I find one half hour leash walk on concrete will round them down nicely too.

I agree with the front paw back paw observation; also the front 2 nails on the front paws are the longest. Ru usually needs done every week as they grow straight out and don't touch the floor, the nails on the side of the paw seem to wear down a lot faster. Also I find they wear down slower in the winter as my dogs pretty much walk exclusively on snow and hardwoods for about four months straight. Also Ru runs almost daily with me in the summer on gravel paths so I usually find we cut less then and have to condition his paw pads once a month for good measure (something else we stumbled upon after his injury).

Yep, I just wrote three detailed posts on my Dog's feet, my oesforum addiction has reached new heights.

Did you know that on the rare occasion that you may cut a quick and do not have trimmex etc at hand then plain old corn flour Or even flour works to stop the bleading, granted not as good.. but!
I never cut billies nails for four years, then changed his walk now on a longer but softer walk so his nails dont wear down the same. Cutting a 5 year old nails nails for the first time was horrific. Used to take 2 of us. Then as he sat with me in the morning while I did hair etc so I desensatised his nails, tapping them even using a nail file, which sadlyy he loived and demanded, changed that to a grinder and voila a pampered pooch trimmed and grinded, he would love them painted... but as a male with furry feet.....

violet wrote:

And it's not intuitive at all, is it? I'm pretty sure my vet was the one who explained it to me, too. :wink:

Kim - you're a stitch!!! Thanks for the laugh

Kristine

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