Hello Readers!
As most of you know I am an avid dog lover, and I am creating Woof Woof Wednesday’s to discuss all things canine! Feel free to chime,
This week I am pleased to introduce Christine, who is currently living in Sydney, Australia! She is the person I turn to ask dog advice; she is educated in training, grooming and she speaks all things doggie.
Thanks Christine for taking some time out of your busy schedule down under to give our readers some info! Arf Arf! So without further ado, I hand over the floor to Christine who will give us some magical tips on the dreaded topic: cutting doggy nails:
I will tell you that one of my biggest pet (pun intended) peeves are long toenails on pets. We will be talking about dogs today, but cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and the like, are all in need of a good nail trim from time to time. It’s your job to get that situation handled because not doing so can result in infected paw pads, over-extended joints, and the general discomfort of your pet. Before you go running to your vet once a month (yes, once a month.) keep in mind that most local groomers will do this for you for half the cost, and have you in and out in about 15 minutes.
All that being said, I completely understand this may be an expensive proposition, or simply a pain to fit into your schedule.
If so, I suggest you get pretty comfortable with trimming your dog's nails at home-- and I'm going to explain how.
First you will need nail clippers – you can find these at the pet store, and sometimes at your local Wal-Mart or Target. There are two types of clipper, and I am definitely opinionated about which I prefer. There is the guillotine style: which I am NOT a fan of. Or the scissor-style, which I find much more useful. If you’re at a pet store, look for Styptic Powder (sometimes called “Quick Stop”). We will talk about this later.
Be confident. Your dog will be able to tell if you're nervous about what's about to happen. And that will make him/her nervous, which will make this difficult. I suggest just going in for some nail ‘tipping’ the first time—where you only trim off the tip of the nail even if it is very long.
There are a few reasons for this. It will boost your confidence, because if your dog’s nails are very long and you’re only taking off a little bit, you will most likely not cut the vein (called the “quick”) in the nail—so don’t be scared. Tipping will require less precision, and therefore take much less time. If this first-ever nail trimming experience is short and sweet, odds are the next time will go the same way. If it’s a long, drawn-out, dramatic affair, it won’t matter if you’ve even gotten around to trimming a nail; the next time your dog sees those clippers, he’s outta there.
Get some help. At least the first time. Your mom, your boyfriend, your best friend, I don’t care who, should be there to hold your pup still. It’s not like your dog called you up to schedule a mani-pedi, picked a nail color, and is going to wait patiently still while you work your magic. She’s going to try to get away. And last time I check you need two hands to trim nails, leaving no hands for holding Foofi still. So bring a friend, snap a leash on your dog, and have them hold the leash pretty tight while you go in. They MAY need to help hold the leg (specifically, squeeze the muscle in your dog’s armpit to keep it from wiggling—you won’t hurt her, promise.
While we’re talking about wiggling pups, I should also mention that trying to get away is O.K., and to be expected. BITING, is not. If your dog is biter for things other than his nails, you’ve got bigger problems that I’m here to help you with. If your dog thinks it’s ok to try for his first nibble once you’ve got a firm hold of his paw, DO NOT tolerate it, and DEFINITELY do not let it stop you from the task at hand. It’s like letting your kids get out of doing chores if they have a temper tantrum. Not ok. Moving on.
I should say that MY dog, while being the most handsome, adorable, smart, little boy in thewholewideworld…. is also a big wuss about having his nails trimmed. If we try anything conventional (including having someone hold him still), he squirms and yells like you’re trying to take off his entire paw. BUT, I know this boy likes to cuddle, so one day I put him in my lap and flipped him upside down (he likes this, he’s weird), cut every nail, and he was completely fine with the whole thing.
My point is that you know YOUR dog. Maybe all it takes is some whispers in the ear to distract her, or treats, or anything. Just make it at little drama as possible.
Speaking of drama, the number one question I get from clients is: “What happens if I cut the quick?”
STAY. CALM. This is NOT a big deal.
And your dog won’t think it’s a big deal unless you freak out (which most people do, unfortunately). So calm down, grab the styptic powder (if you didn’t spring for it at the pet store, baking flour has a similar effect), and put it on the tip of the nail. All the while tell your dog what a good dog he is, and act like it’s all part of the plan. Nicking the quick is sort of like nicking yourself shaving: annoying, maybe a little painful, but nothing that requires a complete breakdown.
This pretty good link with good pictures, for your reference.
Thanks Christine for taking some time out of your busy schedule down under to give our readers some nail cutting tips! Arf Arf!
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