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When Did You Cut Your Dogs Nails Last.


Andisa
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My boy's were done last Wednesday much to his disgust. In my two years grooming, I've seen lots of overgrown nails, but none that bad thank god! A few dew claws which were almost growing into the pad. It's amazing what people "don't notice" on their dogs. Overgrown nails, poo encrusted butt, terrible sores under matted hair, ears that are so badly infected they're oozing pus... Bloody disgusting :mad

God that is bloody disgusting alright :mad I don't get how owners can let their dogs go like this. Just how do they as you say "not notice". Beyond me :(

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Our guys get a run every night which keeps their nails nice and short :)

Some folks don't realise that not all foot shapes will wear well from normal activity like this though.

Dewclaws should be removed from babies. My vet has been verbally abused for suggesting it so no longer does. People have no idea how bad they can be untrimmed, or even worse - badly injured.

Awful pics - very glad poor dog has some relief now!

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I want to get a dremel, my dog is a monster for nail clipping ever since I quicked her :( :( I'm terrified of doing it again which makes it WAY worse! I get shaky hands and can't decide where to clip, and she pulls her feet away... I only have about 30 seconds to do it before she starts throwing herself around. I get my vet nurse friend to do it, Elsie stands there like a pathetic mess for her!

The only thing with a dremel is it takes a lot longer. I have a dog that turns into a feral thrashing biting peeing mess at nail cutting time, and the dremel is great because we don't get any bleeding from cut quicks, except she's still a feral thrashing biting peeing mess but for a lot longer.

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minimax - have you tried sitting in a chair so the dog can't escape? I have a set of clippers next to the PC and have done their nails when they are on my lap having a cuddle. Try doing one nail at a time if she is that bad, have cuddles, pats and sneak in the odd nail between all the pampering. If she is getting away each time she has a hissy fit she will just get harder and harder to do - don't set yourself up to fail - choose your battles wisely even if you are only doing one nail at a time.

For the small/medium difficult dogs I sit a moon chair, sink my backside in the chair, hold the dog and as they squirm they can only go so far. They usually realize they can't go anywhere and will co-operate. When Lizzy and Maverick (mother/son Pugs) come back for visits I do their nails every time (even a day or so after they have been "cut" by their groomers). I know how bad some pugs can be, Lizzy has been let get a way with too much and has turned in to a fair little shit with her nails! I get comfortable and she has to suck it up. She gives up after a while and I can get her nails back nice and short. Not all groomers will take nails back far enough - that really pisses me off.

Most dogs are done on the grooming table, Lizzy is one of the worst ones I do now and she never used to be. Pugs are bloody strong little buggers that's for sure.

My pups have their nails trimmed from a few days after they are born to once or twice a week until the are 8 weeks old - then weekly. I start using the dremel on them around 7 or so months old and they are fantastic to do.

The only time I won't do nails is if the dog tries to rip my face off so they get told to go to the vet...stuff those ones.

The dremel does take a bit longer but once the dog is used to it and you are doing it regularly it really doesn't take long at all.

My Rotties nails have not been done for several years, even the old girl who is not very active now has naturally short nails. My pugs nails grow very fast and get done monthly or sooner.

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minimax - have you tried sitting in a chair so the dog can't escape? I have a set of clippers next to the PC and have done their nails when they are on my lap having a cuddle. Try doing one nail at a time if she is that bad, have cuddles, pats and sneak in the odd nail between all the pampering. If she is getting away each time she has a hissy fit she will just get harder and harder to do - don't set yourself up to fail - choose your battles wisely even if you are only doing one nail at a time.

Yep, we've tried every position possible, she's even escaped out of her harness whilst being held in the air. At the vet it takes at least 3 or 4 to hold her down. She's had her nails done regularly since she was born, she's just a terror. And of course she more she thrashes the more often a nail gets cut too far (black nails are awesome :banghead: ) so that makes it worse.

When she realises she can't go anywhere she bites and pees. Last weekend I had gardening gloves on so the biting didn't bother as much, but eventually it still hurts. She won't take treats or anything when she's like that either.

Boston's breeder does their nails whenever I visit her and she's a lot more confident with Max than I am, but she's in Canberra so we don't get there often. About willing to go just to get Max's nails done :rofl:

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minimax - have you tried sitting in a chair so the dog can't escape? I have a set of clippers next to the PC and have done their nails when they are on my lap having a cuddle. Try doing one nail at a time if she is that bad, have cuddles, pats and sneak in the odd nail between all the pampering. If she is getting away each time she has a hissy fit she will just get harder and harder to do - don't set yourself up to fail - choose your battles wisely even if you are only doing one nail at a time.

Yep, we've tried every position possible, she's even escaped out of her harness whilst being held in the air. At the vet it takes at least 3 or 4 to hold her down. She's had her nails done regularly since she was born, she's just a terror. And of course she more she thrashes the more often a nail gets cut too far (black nails are awesome :banghead: ) so that makes it worse.

When she realises she can't go anywhere she bites and pees. Last weekend I had gardening gloves on so the biting didn't bother as much, but eventually it still hurts. She won't take treats or anything when she's like that either.

Boston's breeder does their nails whenever I visit her and she's a lot more confident with Max than I am, but she's in Canberra so we don't get there often. About willing to go just to get Max's nails done :rofl:

Bugger - hang in there, she will get old and slow down one day... :o

If I was closer I would do them for you.

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Ouch poor thing...

Em and Skeet get their nail cut when it's needed... they rarely put up a fight. They will only whinge is when I forget to give them a treat after I do their nails. I sometimes use the cutter and sometimes use the dermel.. it all depends what i'm feeling that day, and both are fine with either.

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One of the advantages of dogs that require a lot of grooming is that they get used to being poked and prodded so don't put up a fight with nails.

My dogs (mini schnauzer and mini schnauzer x) go to the groomers every 6 weeks and their nails are cut as needed. They stand nice and still when groomed as it is just part of life for them.

When people say they don't notice, I think:

i) Either they have noticed, but are to embarrassed to say that "yes, I saw my dog was limping in pain and did nothing about it" OR

ii) The dog lives outside and has no human interaction. After all, who would be patting and playing with a poo encrusted dog?

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i) Either they have noticed, but are to embarrassed to say that "yes, I saw my dog was limping in pain and did nothing about it" OR

ii) The dog lives outside and has no human interaction. After all, who would be patting and playing with a poo encrusted dog?

Megan you would be amazed at the amount of people who tell me they sleep with their dog - not only matted, they often have fleas and a shitty arse :eek:

I also get some owners reminding me to cut the nails saying that I never did them last time...I am quick to remind them I ALWAYS cut the nails and they need cutting ever couple of weeks not every 4 or so months. I offer to do them every month for free to prevent over grown nails but for some people it must just be inconvenient.

Edited by Andisa
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I trim my dogs nails when I hear them clicking on the wooden floor, usually once or twice a month- it's like a reminder. Thankfully my Aussies don't have their dewclaws- our old girl, even though we used to trim hers, had one that splintered and caught on everything, to the point where she ripped it out one time.

I look after my FIL's Labrador and his nails need clipping every time he visits. I'm amazed how quickly they grow! I swear I clip a full centimetre off every two weeks.

My sister-in-law has three lab type dogs. One of them stresses so hard that they have to have him anesthetized to clip his nails. Now he's nearly 15 they have just let it go and it break my heart to watch him hobbling on their wooden floors, but he will attack anyone who goes near his feet.

Edited by Nik
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i) Either they have noticed, but are to embarrassed to say that "yes, I saw my dog was limping in pain and did nothing about it" OR

ii) The dog lives outside and has no human interaction. After all, who would be patting and playing with a poo encrusted dog?

Megan you would be amazed at the amount of people who tell me they sleep with their dog - not only matted, they often have fleas and a shitty arse :eek:

I had that today. Dog had old diarrhea caked on her backside and fresh stuff. As soon as I opened her car door to greet them, I could smell it.

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This is the how to dremmel a dog's claws article

http://www.doberdawn.com/doberdawn/dremel.html

SG process for getting them used to a dremmel...

put dremmel (switched off) next to their dinner.

dog eats dinner...

Repeat a few dinners.

Switch dremmel on... let dog eat dinner while dremmel is on. No messing with claws yet.

you might have to start with the dremmel further away and gradually move it closer over a few dinners.

with dremmel off - play the touch the claw and get a treat game.

hold still, touch claw, get a treat...

there's two keys to this game - dog that wriggles trying to get treat - does not get treat until is sitting still...

repeat game with dremmel switched on near by then closer... etc.

message to self - get on with it. got sock stockings, got dremmel like thing, got dog, and dinner and lots of treats...

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Check my dog's nails every fortnight, usually they need a trim. So glad his dews were removed when he was born. Still use the nail trimmers as he's not as demonic any more, do have a dremmel but meh it's a corded one and can't always be bothered setting it up with an extension cord to go outside lol. But as soon as he sees the nail trimmers in my hand he gives me 'the look' laugh.gif

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minimax - have you tried sitting in a chair so the dog can't escape? I have a set of clippers next to the PC and have done their nails when they are on my lap having a cuddle. Try doing one nail at a time if she is that bad, have cuddles, pats and sneak in the odd nail between all the pampering. If she is getting away each time she has a hissy fit she will just get harder and harder to do - don't set yourself up to fail - choose your battles wisely even if you are only doing one nail at a time.

Yep, we've tried every position possible, she's even escaped out of her harness whilst being held in the air. At the vet it takes at least 3 or 4 to hold her down. She's had her nails done regularly since she was born, she's just a terror. And of course she more she thrashes the more often a nail gets cut too far (black nails are awesome :banghead: ) so that makes it worse.

When she realises she can't go anywhere she bites and pees. Last weekend I had gardening gloves on so the biting didn't bother as much, but eventually it still hurts. She won't take treats or anything when she's like that either.

Poor thing, must be terrified.

Start s l o w l y desensitizing her to the clippers so that it'll eventually click in her head that nail clippers = food/pats/whatever positive thing your dog loves. If necessary start off as easy as grabbing the clippers off the table while she's in the same room -> throw her a treat. Don't try and cut any of the nails until she is fully and absolutely comfortable with having them around and touching her paws. It's a long process but definitely worth it, saves both of you a lot of stress.

I myself try and cut mine weekly, they grow like bloody weeds I swear... He is so easy to trim, once I get the clippers out he'll roll on his back and wait for me to get started. :D

Edited by Hockz
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I trim my dogs' nails every two weeks.

My goldy used to be a real terror when it came to cutting her nails. Two different vets gave up and said they couldn't do it without sedating her. But I really didn't want to keep sedating her all the time since her nails grow fast. So we started trimming her nails a little bit when she was in the bath and her nails were softer. It took a lot of patience and a year to get her to accept it.

Now I can cut her nails easily. She actually offered me her other paw the last few times when I finished with one.

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I cracked the shites with my mum only about a week ago, because I was at their place and heard the JRT clicking as he walked across the floor. His nails weren't as bad as the poor dog in the pic, but they were really really long and obviously very uncomfortable. I'm pretty sure I was the last person to cut them, and that had been about 6 months ago! Unfortunately because they were so long, I had to get Nathan to help me restrain him and we just cut them right back, quick and all. I felt bad about hurting him, but figured a day of pain would be worth it, rather than only being able to trim them a little, and it potentially taking weeks to get back to a point where he'd be comfortable walking again. Less than 24 hours later and he was jumping around like a pup again :D

I have real trouble with Harley's nails these days. He's always been uncomfortable with having his feet touched, but I gradually got him used to it and didn't have an issue. Then one day I was at the vets and asked them to trim them while I was there :( Now cutting his nails is back to a two-person job :(

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