Re: Nail Clipping

Any suggestions for trimming nails of dark dogs, like my rotties. They have black nails and I am really afraid of going to close to the quick.
Thanks,
Lila and King's Mom

Re: Nail Clipping

Get the best quality (and therefore sharpest and strongest) nail clipper you can find- I prefer the ones that look like blunt nosed scissors rather than the guillotine type. Make sure you have styptic powder, like qwik stop, before you start. Go Slow! When I trim nails ( I work at a vet's office) I might take 3 or 4 tiny bits off each toenail- look at the end of the cut toenail each time. If the cut edge looks kind of dry and flakey white, you can trim allitle more. Once the end starts looking more like black wax or more moist looking, depending on the color of the nail, then stop. Then just trim the nails more frequently, rather than worrying about trimming them perfectly short with just one try.....

Re: Nail Clipping

atticuss - great advice, thanks for sharing!

Re: Nail Clipping

My little puggie has black nails and I wouldn't dream of trimming them myself any more. The one time I did, I clipped too far and there was blood everywhere! Never again. Whenever I took her the groomer to get her nails clipped she would scream as if she were being dismembered! Now I take her to the vet and hold her on my shoulder while her nails are being trimmed. She's much calmer.

Re: Nail Clipping

I have used a grinder for many years..and yes I also look at zima's toenails as I'm working on them..I do her nails every couple of days..atticuss has good advice too..GO SLOWLY and check the nails as you go..If the nail looks powdery and flakey you can safely remove a smidge more..if its not powdery you are close to the blood vessel (the " quick " ) this is when you stop clipping..My 4 guinea pigs get their nails clipped too..I use a cat nail clipper to just remove the hook at the end..then a rough nail file to finish them up. They also get nail checks weekly.

Re: Nail Clipping

atticuss, thanks for the good advice, I clip Dakota's nails but never enough, now I know to check for the dryness.

Re: Nail Clipping

Atticuss, thanks for the advice about the flaky part. I always look for the black dot, I call it, but what to do on those striped nails, those are the tricky ones I think. So I'll take your advice and try again. My poor Dusty, I clipped one too short I guess once and he cried, no blood though, and now he doesn't like me to clip them. He used to be so good. So thanks.

Re: Nail Clipping

Casper hates for me to even touch his feet. Clipping is a 2 person job, one to hold him and one to clip. I keep seeing that electric gadget on TV that files the nails down. I wonder if it works??

Re: Nail Clipping

My first dog Marvin was used to having his toe nails ground with a grinder..he came from a show breeder..Onyx my german shepherd didnt like the grinder at first..but I always made it fun..she would play with her tennis ball or hold a toy in her mouth while I ran the grinder. My current dog Zima was nervous at first too..but she knows she gets something good after Im done doing her toenails.. Again..the key is SLOW .. I started out by just laying the grinder out on the carpet so Zima could see it lick it etc.. then once she was ok with seeing it .. I would slowly touch one of her toes with the grinder OFF..and gradually work up to touching all her nails with the grinder off.. then I would turn the grinder on low..but not use it ..just get her used to the sound..giving her a small super yummy treat too makes her associate the sound with something good.

Re: Nail Clipping

Regarding the Peticure- It's the "electric grinder" on TV. Would you recommend it?

Re: Nail Clipping

I was told once by a vet that you should clip the nails a little the first day, then clip a little more the second or third day. The reason you do it over a span of three days is the quick will recess a bit after a 24 hr, making it less likely to clip the quick and draw blood. Not sure if it is entirely true but we've always clipped that way and had no trouble. We also took a file or sandpaper (not the really gritty kind) and removed the sharp edges, we learned that after the first cutting when she clawed and left those white nails marks on our skin. DON'T sand hard, just a few times back and forth.

For those pets that are resistant with clipping, try laying them on their back (paws in the air) it takes the stress and strain away. And why not have someone give them a belly rub at the same time to calm them even more!!

Re: Nail Clipping

Sasha won't let me touch her paws at all. I have to pay the Vet $15.00 each time I need her nails trimmed. I ordered the pedicure from TV. I'll let you know how it works. I'll use the advice of Fourpiggies befoe I attempt to use it on my babies.

Re: Nail Clipping

chins let me know how the pedicure grinder works.. ok?

Re: Nail Clipping

mom3dog ..I would definitely recommend a grinder..once you get used to using it .. it can be scary if you aren't used to using one..the key again is SLOW..and always have Styptic powder too.. I won't go back to manual nail clippers..

Re: Nail Clipping

Peticure grinder.. my Ozzis, a boxer has some nails black nad he likes the grinder..

Re: Nail Clipping

I used regular trimmers for years, scissor types and guillotine types while working as a vet tech. My preference now is to Dremel them. My dogs tolerate the grinding far better than the clipping, and the chances of actually CUTTING into the quick are very slim.
If you do want to use traditional clippers, a good rule of thumb to follow is follow the line of the pad. if you draw a pretend line from the bottom of the pad out, it should hit where the quick is. BE CAREFUL when doing this on dogs with extremely long nails, because quicks get longer over time too, just like the nail. For dogs with super long nails, have a groomer or vet trim first, then trim a little every 2-3 weeks yourself and the quick will recede.

Re: Nail Clipping

Has anyone used a Peticure or a Pedi-Pet Clippers? I ordered the Peticure and am hoping I made a good decision.
My poodles weight 4 lbs and the other 6 lbs.
Any comments will be welcome.
Thanks

Re: Nail Clipping

My shepherd needs clipping in the winter. She has black nails. If you flip the foot upside down in a bright light you will see the quick. I have to buy the sharpest nail cutters out there. Cause if I don't they fray, and then I have to get a nail file out.
But, she loves to get them cut. I have hit the quick once and yikes I felt so bad.
The best pair I just bought were grey and black by Four Paws. I got them from a pet store in the mall. But, I think pet supply plus may carry that brand. If I can't find any heavy duty sharp ones I would recommend a groomer. Someone who knows how who has good reputation.
The biggest problem is finding ones sharp enough for the big dog nails
I think I have a easy time trimming because I started out trimming when they were little and I would always play with their feet and get them used to being touched. You can even wash them with a wash cloth then say good job or give them a treat afterwards. Like me I don't like someone playing around my feet either.ha