Nail Clipping Advice Please!

PstLyfDiva · New member Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Virginia

I have a 2 yr old pug who absolutely HATES having her nails clipped. Its not touching her paws that she minds, as I play with them while we snuggle on the couch, trying to make her "immune" to it...its the clippers themselves that she freaks out about. She has never had a "bad" nail clipping and gotten hurt or anything. We used to take her to the vet and have them do it, but work schedules have changed and it is hard to take her during the hours they allow you to bring them in for it.

The vet told us to have 1 person hold her out from the body and she wouldn't be able to wiggle, and 1 person clip her front nails. (HA! She wiggles the whole time.) Then to set her down so she is standing and 1 person hold her back legs up (so she is doing a sort of hand stand) and the other clip her nails. We haven't even managed to get to the back paws to try them, so far we have 1 front paw (took 20 mins one night) + 2 nails on the other foot clipped (took 15 minutes the next night and she was completely freaked out).

Any advice on other methods or how to coax her into being calm while we do it?

Thanks

honeybears · Super Senior Member Plus Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 3637

someone else just asked this last week and Jimiya posted that take a hot dog and cut up in small bites, first give her nibbles as you clip her paws.

the person tried this and said it worked wonders, her dog didnt notice because it so into the hot dog

honeybear

PstLyfDiva · New member Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Virginia

Jamiya · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 5593

As an alternative, go to http://www.DoberDawn.com and click on the link on the bottom left for how to dremel your dog's nails. It may take some work to condition her to it, but it seems like a really nice way to keep them short and healthy. I bought a dremel but I need to start working on getting the dogs used to the noise.

kyles101 · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:44 am Post subject:

make sure you have a good quality pair of clippers as well. they have to be very sharp otherwise it will make the dogs 'toes' bend because it cant cut through and it will also shatter and splinter the nail.

duckling · Member Joined: 11 Apr 2004 Posts: 46

I second the dremel suggestion -- I'm assuming your pug has the typical black nails...? It's nice to know that I won't accidentally take off a chunk of nail if my dog wiggles and the risks of hurting him because I can't see the quick are practically zero. I used treats too (little pieces of beef in this case, because he's an older dog and can't have as much sodium). I also like that I can shape/file his nails. The only possible con is that if you wait a long time between dremelling, it takes quite a bit longer to dremel the nails short than to just cut them.

PstLyfDiva · New member Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Virginia

i am planning on trying the hotdog trick tonight, i also have new sharper clippers. next time, after i get the nails trimmed to a proper length this time, i will try the dremel. because of our problems getting her to cooperate her nails are a bit long right now and i don't know how successful an operation it would be to try to dremel them this time.

thanks for all the advice!! Your the best