[ShihtzuBeauty]

I too do all of mine at home but I think asking your vet. or your groomer for a lesson is a Great idea. I was nerveous at first too and I did quick my Eve but thankfully I had some Kwik Stop on hand which stopped the bleeding, it wasn't much. I've been doing it for several mths. now w/no more mishaps.

[CrzyBritNAmerica]

Clipping nails can be really tough. I've been doing Bridgette's for ages, but I agree that taking her to your vet to have them show you is a great idea.

And yeah the black nails are much harder to do. I work at a vet also and I would much rather cut the nails that are light colored! Even all of us who have been doing it can cut a tad too much once in a while. We have special sticks to push the quick back too, but at home with Bridgette I just have to be more careful.

Just watch for clipping too much, you do it once and a dog who had no problem with it, will be very unhappy with it. I got Bridgette a tiny bit once and she is still pretty nervous about having it done. Poor baby.

[veronica2181]

I have tried clipping my dogs nails too but am scared because she has black nails. Since there is no vet here where I live, I have to take here into the city but I have yet to do that. I just clip a very little bit off but that still leaves them long, not short enough.

I have also heard that there are dogs who bleed to death because nails were clipped too far. I don't know if this is true or not but because of this I am scared too.

I will take her to the vet, when I move to the city, to have them clipped and for them to show me how if I may one day choose to do it myself.

[jpsinon11]

I too vote for the dremel. I had a dog that would let me come near him with the nail clippers ever since a groomer I took him to cut too close, but he didnt mind the dremel. Wish I had discovered it sooner, you can find a cordless one at any hardware store or Walmart, Sears

[Mdawn]

I clip my dogs nails myself. Dan has light colored ones, so his are easy. Eddie has all black nails, but I haven't had to clip his yet because he is so active that they get worn down naturally. I still check them frequently though. Uallis has some light nails and some black nails. For the black ones, I turn his foot sideways and I can see the quick pretty well. He has such large paws that even after I clip his nails, they still look long but I can't take anymore off of them. Uallis doesn't mind in the least getting them clipped because my boyfriend rubs Uallis's back and legs which really relaxes him. Sometimes I think he dozes off.

[007Dogs]

I do all my dogs as well. I have 13 dogs, so nail trim day is time consuming. I use a combination of clippers and a dremel. If they are really long then I clip some first, then dremel. But I start this when they are only 3 weeks old, so they are use to having it done. But puppies are still very wiggley. I prefer the plier or scissor type clippers.

[RonE]

I must confess. Esther's nails were getting pretty long. Besides being uncomfortable for her (I assume - though I haven't seen a sign of that) she tears up the lawn when she runs (looks like I used a tiller) and it's tough on the hardwood floors.

The groomer doesn't seem too excited to do it, so I figured I'd just start doing it myself. I've trimmed my previous dogs' nails without incident. But none of them were Esther.

I made sure I had the best clipper I could find and appropriate to her size (bear claw clippers, I think.) Then, I threw the ball for an hour or so to get her tired.

After she'd stopped panting, I brought her in the house (because it was getting dark) put some small treats in my pocket (which got her attention) and sat on the kitchen floor, where there's good light.

I took one paw (she was too curious about the treats in my pocket to pull away) and clipped the tiniest bit off of each nail. Then I gave her one of the treats, praised her like she had just performed the greatest feat in all of canine history. Then we repeated the other three paws, followed by treats and praise.

Despite great care and minimal trimming, I did catch the quick on one claw and had styptic swabs to stop the bleeding, which worked fine.

During the week, I'll file the rough edges and, in another week-or-so, I should be able to trim a bit more as the quick recedes. I expect to make this a nightly ritual to get her used to it.

Once the nails are under control, I'll start introducing the Dremel.

The point of this long story is that, if I can trim Esther's nails at home, probably anyone can do it. It just takes time and patience and a plan.

[Lorina]

There was a dog at the vets yesterday that had cracked one of his overgrown nails and was a bloody mess. The owners couldn't clip his nails, and even with three techs holding the dog down, we couldn't either. A second attempt an hour later with a sedative was no more productive. A total of six of us - four techs and two vets, ended up with blood, poop, pee and anal fluid on us. Most of the blood was the dogs, some was mine, some was one of the vets. He had a sliced open finger from one of the dogs other nails, I have a four inch long gash on my left arm, and bruises all over. This was six people who each have a ton of experience handling difficult animals. And I'm in worse shape today than I was the day after I totalled my Chrysler in a car accident.

We had to refer them to the emergency clinic to have the dog's broken nail treated, and the rest trimmed, under a general anesthesia. Our schedule was too full and the vets had prior commitments, so it couldn't be done at our clinic. Long story short, what is essentially a nail trim is probably going to end up costing that owner about $200.

So, please, everyone with a puppy, teach your dog early on that nail clippings are nothing to be afraid of. Please?!

[RonE]

Originally Posted by RonE

probably anyone can do it.

I guess there's an exception to every rule, huh?

[Lorina]

Originally Posted by RonE

I guess there's an exception to every rule, huh?

I do agree. Anyone who takes the time to work with their dog's issues instead of ignoring them until they reach critical mass can eventually clip nails.

But waiting until the dog is panicked and bleeding is probably not the best time to try.

On the bright side, I finally have a work related injury that isn't from a tiny toy breed like a Pom or Italian Greyhound, a dog named Cuddles, or a three month old kitten.

[Curbside Prophet]

And here's a good way to approach it: YouTube - CIA Case File: 'Tucker' Nail Trim

[Snowdog]

Hi,
Has anyone tried one of those electronic "quick-detecting" nail trimming gadgets? I'm thinking of investing...
Best regs, Snowdog