Nails

[pitbulliest]

You guys. My pit has black nails and although up to now I have been clipping them like 1 mm in fear of drawing blood...they are getting annoying "tip tappy" when she walks around on the floor..and that's a no no...I don't want her ending up bow legged or something...last time I cut her nails one of them drew blood and my dog is the biggest wuss on the face of this planet she started crying as if I tore off her leg or something...so I am really scared to do it now..

What do you guys suggest? Is there a way I can check for her quick? Like I dunno...using a flashlight or something? ok that was stupid....

anyone?

[phez718]

Yeah, Casey has black nails too. I'm interested to hear the replies to this...

[Boo439]

I've gotten to know where Toda's quicks are, but you can always get as close as you know you can get safely then get a file (I mean a REAL file, not a girly file) and file those suckers down til you get all the way there. Just an idea, maybe a bit stupid, but it seems like it would work

[PitBullPride]

Boo ive heard of people doing that too...also you can see where the nails arches, usually your safe to cut aat an angle where the nail starts to arch...thats what I do. Also, just put some pressure like your going to cut the nail, and usually if you are hitting the quick, your dog will let you know. Of course that kinda hard to do if your dog doesnt like a nt to begin with, . I used to love all the tech appts. at my old job...people bring their dogs in just to get a nail trim.... I started my pups from 8 weeks. I swear if you hit a quick though they do get so dramatic...

[Boo439]

I think mini poodles are the drama queens of the dog world. YIPE YIPE YIPE, ear piercingly high pitched wailing before you even touch the trimmers to their feet. Those were the days

[PitBullPride]

OMG.....thee used to be chihuahuas and min pins and mini poodles that would have to be muzzled and practically hog tied for a nail trim Thats why I started my pups early so now Payne for example just lays down and lets me do it, . He always gets a piece of cheese after though... Some folks would only get a nt done whenever their dog got a dental and was under anestesia....then theyd have em cut down reeeeeeal short. I think they called it a 'show cut' ???? I'd never do that to my babies though, looked painful.

[Boo439]

Toda almost had to get that done while being sedated. When he was away from me for a while the people watching him never trimmed his nails and he didn't go outside enough to file them down. The quick had grown out with the nail, but I just started running him on concrete. The tips of his nails would bleed a little bit, but it was better for him to file them down slowly himself, rather than putting him under and cutting half of his quick off. His nails are fine now and he still lets me trim his nails.

[barbponys]

All of Sasha's nails are black, I know pretty well where the quick is. I cut and look, as you start approaching the quick the color changes from white to grey...........she's not much of a wimp. I've got her a few times and she just looks at me like..........."you don't love me, that hurt." Very reproachful(is that a word?).

Goliath is a whirling dirvish when we try to do his nails. We dremel his since the clippers send him into a tizzy. I've got him a few times cuz he fights so hard I've cut way too much nail as he jerks and pulls, little bastard.

Garion doesn't like it much but he's not bad, we're going to start treating him as we do it now, let me cut get some liver, let me cut, a little more liver. His are all white so it's real easy.

After I'm done I file everyone down so there aren't any sharp edges, they don't mind it at all.

[pocketpit]

I dremmel my dog's nails too. They actually prefer it to the pair of regular nail trimmers. There's no filing to be done afterward and if you get too close, the super fast motion of the dremmel cauterizes the nail. It's easier to tell when you are getting close too. At least that's my opinion. This is not to say that my dogs like having their nails done! They hate it, but they know I won't tolerate hissy fits and that there are treats coming after each foot if the stay fairly still.
If your dog's nails are making clicky noises on the floor it may take quite a while with regular nail trims or even a few dremmel sessions before you will be able to get the quick to regress enough so that they don't make noise after trimming.

[Fish]

I would just take her to your Vet. and have them do it. Probley won't charge you $5.00 to do it and its always good to take your do to the Vet. She will get used to going to the Vet. and that is a good thing.

[phez718]

Well, Casey's foster is the head groomer at the PetSmart near my house. So I think I'll take him in there to get his nails trimmed and have her show me(and to see how Case reacts).

[moto1320]

I have never cut my dogs nails outside of the dew claws, which is a waste because they let me without problems. The concrete keeps them tip top. Walks on the sidewalk do the trick, especially with Daisy's prey drive. At least once a week she runs in place after a squirell or cat and takes them back down. Doc's dork drive causes him to do the same thing over smells... :roll:

[phez718]

I live in the city with all sidewalk, but Casey's nails still make a really loud click-clack sound on the floor...

[whiskeyman]

I have never cut my dogs nails outside of the dew claws, which is a waste because they let me without problems. The concrete keeps them tip top. Walks on the sidewalk do the trick, especially with Daisy's prey drive. At least once a week she runs in place after a squirell or cat and takes them back down. Doc's dork drive causes him to do the same thing over smells... :roll:

Dork Drive.... that cracks me up...

later
jeremy