SarahRainey

I feel terrible. I haven't clipped my dogs' nails myself in years. (I take them to the groomers regularly.) But I thought I'd give it a try today.

Copper didn't mind the traditional clippers but he ran away from the dremel (sounds too much like the vacuum which he hates).

Poor Gwen...I clipped her quick. =[ She howl/yelped very loudly in pain. I didn't even finish clipping it because she pulled her paw back very fast. It started bleeding, so I put away the clippers and put powder on it. Didn't have the heart to do the rest of the nails. She did perfectly fine with the dremel, so I may just have to sand down her nails instead of cutting them in the future. Part of the problem was that practically the entire nail on that particular nail was quick...despite the fact that they have been growing for a month and a half and were long.

I felt very bad afterwards.

Any tips of keeping nails short and pain-free?

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Rescue Mom to Copper 52 pounds (Estimated DOB July '10--Fostered then adopted through BBR, Gotcha Oct. '11)
Foster Mom to Jamie doxie/basset born 9/11/2005
Former Foster Mom to Taz & Tommy (trans. to med care 4/12) Ashley (A 3/12) Gwendolyn (A 2/12)and Dudley (A 8/11)

Basset Buddies Rescue Grant Writer: (IL, MN, WI) http://bassetbuddiesrescue.org/

If you are looking to adopt young, old, or in between, please let me know!

Jnfr

Hi, my name is Jnfr, and I am a (semi) bad basset momma. I do Abby's nail fairly regularly and keep them at at decent length. She is tolerant of the process, plus it helps that she has "white" nails and I can see the quick more easily.

Jake, on the other hand, is a real drama queen. I don't even have to come near him, just take the clippers out of the drawer, and he runs. On occasion, I will try to sneak up on him when he is in a dead sleep... somehow he knows... So I just take him to the vet, they charge me $15 (well worth it) and tell me what a good boy he is (not for me!). Once in a while I take him to PetCo for a trim, they also tell me how "good" he is. I think he is playing me! Or all these people are fibbing. Regardless, it is well worth paying to have Jake done. Abby, I will continue to do myself.

In the past, I have cut the quick on Jake and Sophie (AT and felt horrible, like the worst mommy in the world. Of course to make up for my clumsiness, they were lavished with treats and love (they forgave me).

All of my dogs have been freaked out by any mechanical filer. It just sits in a drawer now (really out to toss it... unless someone has a need for it)

Basically, my advice, if you have a difficult dog or drama queen, it is worth paying someone else to do the dirty deed. If you have a dog that will let you do it without vying for an Oscar, do it yourself and save a few bucks. Some things ARE worth paying for!

Annie714

Ummm...see this thread to feel less alone....Nail Trim Fail

We are using the dremel every 3-4 days now. She sees me coming with Dremel and duck jerky, waits for me to sit down and just rolls over and puts her paws in the air for me to file. This is not anything I ever expected to work...but it does!

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Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

jaylii9

You aren't a bad basset Mom! Nails are tough to handle for sure.

A groomer we worked with told us that if dogs nails get long their quick will grow out as well. He suggested that we snip off the very tip of Libby's nails every couple of weeks to keep them a manageable length.

Penny Arcade

We try and take Penny to the groomers once a month for her nails. We did it once at home and had a nail bleed and Daddy wasn't too keen on it from then on. Penny never cared, though. She's actually really good with getting her nails done. Last time we took her for it, the groomer even remarked at how good she was about it. When we clipped it to the quick, she never reacted or even realized she was bleeding. I think her quick was just grown out so much she couldn't feel it. Her previous owners never did her nails, so we have a lot to work with. Now THEY were the bad basset parents. You, you're doing fine.

Jnfr

Like I said, mine run from anything mechanical.

I need to have Jake done fairly often. His nails seem to grow so much quicker and thicker than any other dog I have had... I wish my nails would grow so thick and so quick!

jaleely

Bowser only has one dark nail...but all his nails have long quicks in them! He is SUCH a drama queen. I think he's only been hurt once, but jeez we have a joke about how he thinks we're cutting off his toes, but i think he really thinks we are *lol*

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Baby Bowsah's Bwog

Mikey T

it all relatets to doing the nails frequently when fleft for a while the quick grows with the rest of the nail. guicks will recede over ime but the grow much faster than the receed

Sadie&MaggieQ

Sadie here...Our mommy and daddy take us to the vetlady once a month for our pawdicures. Maggie used to do fine when mommy did them but me...not so much. Daddy used to wrestle with me and mom would practically lay on by head and I would yell and scream. But the ladys at the vetplace tell us what pretty pups we are and I do just fine. Mom says well worth the $15.

Jnfr

Why they are "good" for strangers and $15 I will never understand.... but will continue to pay it.... worth every penny!