Dogs Nails

[saintlysusan]

Groomers,

What do you do when you see a dog that looks as though its nails have never been trimmed and

they are so long its affecting their feet , How do you adequately trim these dogs nails, and the dogs

I mean are usually 8-9-10+ yrs old, and really the damage is done over years)

And their feet are so tender from curled nails that they really dont want you touching then due to pain)

BUT you know you have to because not trimming is what caused the problem in the 1st place??????????

Edited August 30, 2007 by saintlysusan

[poodlefan]

I'd take the dog to the vet.

ETA - so the job could be done with sedation or anaethesia if necessary.

Edited August 29, 2007 by poodlefan

[saintlysusan]

I'd take the dog to the vet.

ETA - so the job could be done with sedation or anaethesia if necessary.

Thanks but thats not a option when the dog is a client your being paid to groom.

[Poodle wrangler]

Sorry, not a groomer, but can you muzzle the dog for your safety and take off a safe amount each time you see them?

I'd charge extra due to the extra time it will take you. Let the owner decide whether they want you to do it, or not.

Explain why it might be better done more effectively at the vet's.

People have strange expectations and are just as likely to complain you didn't "fix" them in one go .

Unless they were repeat clients, why would you take it on?

I'd explain to the owners that the nails need to be done humanely at the vet due to them having been neglected for so long. The reasons you've already stated are valid.

THe owner needs to take responsibility for the neglect, it's not your fault.

[poodlefan]

Saintly Susan:

Thanks but thats not a option when the dog is a client your being paid to groom.

Surely it's an option to say "this dog needs to be sedated for his nails to be done and only a vet can do that"

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Well it is simply cruel, even as a groomer, to cut lengthy nails too short.

It is also a case of neglect of the owner. I am probably about to assist an older dog with this problem, the current owner's vet is refusing to cut the nails as he would have to cauterise but the dog can't walk either - I'm appalled he has just left them.

What to do? I am going to find another vet for a start and will probably pay for sedation but I will take my vet's recommendation on the best course of action.

Poodle Wrangler is spot on.

[saintlysusan]

Thanks, Sorry I didnt mean to sound rude, just meant that taking the dog to the vet isnt a option "for me" as they arnet my dogs.

I cant believe people leave them to get so bad and to date I only take off as much as I can safely do but usually they still look way too long and they probally think I havnt done them.

One dogs owner said she usually takes her dog to the VETS GROOMER and they said to her they cant do the nails incase they cut into the quik..... I mean really, how compitent are they if they cannot even take a tiny snip off!!

I will not be recommendng that groomer to anyone and they are meant to be professionals!

[poodlefan]

SS you can always turn it around and say "the pain of doing this dog's nails unsedated may lead him to bite me and I won't risk my health and income".. .you need veterinary intervention.

[Poodle wrangler]

My MIL has had her dog's nails done by the vet, but still ignores them in between yearly visits. Is deaf to suggestions to buy clippers or grind them.

I'm amazed how quickly dog's nails grow.

I can grind the pup's down weekly and only just keep up with growth.

Shaving poodle feet probably makes them look longer, but still! That reminds me, they're "clinking" on the floor and I need to do some catchup dremelling .

[saintlysusan]

Even though they are dreadful, I do give it ago and usually make a huge difference but I feel so bad for the poor dog.

You just sorta know that they wont get done again until they come back next time.

I blame slack owners and also, alot are living indoors or on grass in all these new estates, nowhere to really grind them down on so they grow and grow and grow.........

And great point, I will remember this,,,

the pain of doing this dog's nails unsedated may lead him to bite me and I won't risk my health and income".. .you need veterinary intervention.

I allready tell people I dont rush, Im quiet slow compared to some but I dont like to rush a dog I dont know or I just might get a chomp! People seem to think thats fair enough too as do I.

[Vehs]

We see awful dog nails all the time, and even with good nails a lot of dogs are averse to having their feet handled.

Look, by all means have the dog muzzled and if possible have someone else hold the dog. A old co worker would bring her Chi in EVERY week for me to do the nails, and EVERY week I would take off A LOT of nail - they just grew, and grew! The dog was also extremely vicious with getting it's nails done She'd hold it with a muzzle and a towel

For breeds that are more inclined to get curved nails, like Cavs, I use a regular plier clipper and then tidy up close to the paw pad with a cat nail clipper, they are smaller and it is easier to touch up with these.

The other thing is the nails are so long that the quick is long so in order to get the nails under control you really need to cut the quick - in which case it is a vet job because it is cruel.

[saintlysusan]

God thats awful, I havnt had that happen yet but it probally will.

I think I will suggest that they get them cut right back at the vets if the quik is long so I can just maintain it.

I think cuttting the quik makes it retract better for the next time also.

I just wish people wouldnt let it get so bad in the 1st place, how would they like having ingrown nails?

Poor puppies!

[Vehs]

I think cuttting the quik makes it retract better for the next time also

It does, but so does regular nail cutting without harming the quick

The other thing is the nails are so long that the quick is long so in order to get the nails under control you really need to cut the quick

I just want to re explain my earlier statement - as I do NOT advocate cutting quicks, but when the nail is curved under the pad and cutting into it then you HAVE to cut the quick so the dog can walk properly and in this case get the vets to do it.

I'm sure you understood me the first time Susan, but maybe some other readers didn't.

[Kavik]

My OH's parents had a Bully whose nails just grew really fast and long and impeded her walking The only thing to do really was take her to the vet, have it done under anaesthetic and cauterise as you had to cut them well into the quick to make a difference. I had cut her nails a few times with my OH holding her, but it was hard to keep them under control.

With any procedure/problem you see that needs vet attention as a groomer, I would tell the owner it needs vet attention.

[Dogsfevr]

As a groomer we find that doing the nails is the easy part its generally the reaction of the dog that is the issue.If there white nails easy peasy but if there black & the dogs really fights you to the point the dog is at risk & the groomer then we have no issues in telling them its a vet job or discuss with your vet about given it an ACP just for the nails & do a seperate visit.(we have never had to do that option)

Cutting the quik would be in an extreme case in total nail neglect but we have done so especially in dew claws that have double curled & you cant tell the start from the end .

Its important to ensure in neglact nails you have some product on hand to stop the bleeding asap & tell the owners .

One of my dogs had its nails cauterized & it was the best thing ever

[saintlysusan]

Whats a ACP?

Also what exactly does cauterised mean?

[Guest Amy Rose]

I had to cut a dog's set of nails yesterday that were VERY curled, poor thing. Luckily for me half the nails were white and the other half were black.

As much as I enjoy a challenge I'd be seconding the suggestion to take the poor dog to the vet. Clipping nails and trimming/combing faces are two of the best ways to get bitten! Some dogs just behave worse with a muzzle on, too.

Is there any reason the owner hasn't been able to cut the nails? My dog can't stand having his paws touched, and it's been a very slow training process for me to be able to clip them. He'll generally sit still if I take him in to work now, but if I try and do it at home.... no chance!

[saintlysusan]

This perticular dog I am actually talking about, well actually 1 of several. They are a older couple and she told me she "inherited" the 2 dogs recently, and i believe her as I know where she lives and they didnt have dogs until recently.

The nails wernt a overnight problem, if you had seen them it wasnt pretty, you could see the nails awful growth had basically disfigured their feet, more so the older dog who had to be 10+, poor baby.

They were curled under right from the start of the nail so to fix it they would have to be cut at the base.

But, I did my best.

[Lynlovesdogs]

sorry to hijack ur thread saintlysusan, but u might be able to help me out as well,

we got our dog (she's 6 now) from someone else aboujt 6 months ago

and never realised her nails are or may be an issue. she walks fine, but anyway the first time we sent her for a wash, we requested her nails be trimmed. Then a month later we sent her to be groomed, again they said trimming is part of it... after that we generally bathed her ourself cos she had a skin problme and the vet told us to shower her more frequently. 3 months down the road, we noticed her nails were getting long (not to the point where it curled) but long so when she walks, the nails are slanting sideways...

so we sent her off for a wash and specifically requested the nails eb trimmed.. (this was at the vets)

she came home and I wasn't aroudn so I couldn't check them (was OS for 1 month)

came bak and noticed her nails were long again! I was like, "wow they grow fast" and sent her off again to a diff groomer. but then she came back and I did see her nails had been trimmed.. but it still seemed long to me..

I'm too scared to trim them myself (having hheard fhorror stories of wat can happen if youhave no experience). but i haven't been adviced that her nails are too long. I also didn't realise they would be painful. What do you suggest t this point?

[Koza]

Can I ask for a small advise here about nails?

What do you grind them with? I bought a file in Bunnnigs, but it 's sort of very slow to do much... our nails are seriously long, the quick itself. The dog used to wear them off on concrete pretty well, but as she waks less now, the quick grows and grows. I thought the best option would be grinding every week a bit, to get the tip of quick to die off, but havent succeeded in that at all!