[José]

I think I started out well enough... I always cut Josés nails when he was a puppy (they were so tiny and cute back then!). I wanted to make sure he got used to it early on. Somewhere it got to the point where José was not too thrilled about it, and I could never get them short for fear of hurting him. (I have only cut one time that drew blood and I think I was more upset than José)

I tried Petsmart but that completely scarred him for life! I will never bring him there again. I figured they had to manhandle him so much, and I wasnt there with him. His nails looked good, but the poor guy was traumatized!

I then thought I found the answer... sharp clippers. It seemed that if they were new and sharp he didnt feel too much pressure and he sat pretty still. That only worked so well.

NOW I have modified my approach. I 'shave' little bits off at a time. I talk to him really nice and keep him calm, but I take just a tiny bit off each side of the nail - his nails are hugely thick!! If he starts to appear uncomfortable with more, that tells me to move on. I got his nails looking pretty good this weekend. It probably took about 10 little cuts to do each nail but it was so nice not to have the dog worked up and scared. He was quite relaxed during this whole thing.

Thought I would pass this along - I know basset nail cutting seems to be an issue for lots of us!

Lisa & José

 

[Elmer-n-Button]

Hate to say it, but Elmer had a bad experience at the vet's office with one of the vets who seems to be in too much of a hurry to worry about the animals' feelings. :blink: Consequently, we have made it known that she is never to treat our animals. Button runs right into the vet's office, while Elmer cowers under the chairs. He has had to cuttings since then, with the nice vet in the office, and is getting better, but even he accidently clipped one too short last time, and he cried. Then I cried. I told them that I didn't mind paying to have them done twice as often if it meant not cutting so close. He used the little styptic pen and it didn't bleed much.


Sharp clippers are a big asset. We found this out when we had our first boxer years ago. If you can make a "quick clip" of each nail, there is less pulling sensation. I'm getting to the point where I can't go thru this again, and am thinking of getting one of those nail grinders from Foster and Smith catalog. Either that, or being so obnoxious in the vet's office that they don't dare hurry. :blink:


Our vet is very good, don't get me wrong. But Basset nails are very thick and I just dread when we have to go.

Sounds like you and Jose have a good thing going. Do you make house calls?

 

[Rubydoo]

I'll never take Ruby to Petsmart again for her nails either....for us to cut her nails tho, Ruby'd daddy has to hold her and me do it or vice versa. She hates having her feet touched even to we do it many times per day. As a matter of fact, as I thpe this, Ruby and I are "going steady"; we're holding paws. Her foot on top of my foot!

 

[Booya]

I think I started out well enough... I always cut Josés nails when he was a puppy (they were so tiny and cute back then!). I wanted to make sure he got used to it early on. Somewhere it got to the point where José was not too thrilled about it, and I could never get them short for fear of hurting him. (I have only cut one time that drew blood and I think I was more upset than José)

I tried Petsmart but that completely scarred him for life! I will never bring him there again. I figured they had to manhandle him so much, and I wasnt there with him. His nails looked good, but the poor guy was traumatized!

I then thought I found the answer... sharp clippers. It seemed that if they were new and sharp he didnt feel too much pressure and he sat pretty still. That only worked so well.

NOW I have modified my approach. I 'shave' little bits off at a time. I talk to him really nice and keep him calm, but I take just a tiny bit off each side of the nail - his nails are hugely thick!! If he starts to appear uncomfortable with more, that tells me to move on. I got his nails looking pretty good this weekend. It probably took about 10 little cuts to do each nail but it was so nice not to have the dog worked up and scared. He was quite relaxed during this whole thing.

Thought I would pass this along - I know basset nail cutting seems to be an issue for lots of us!

Lisa & José
[/b]

thanks a lot !!! i will have to try this. i too have had trouble cutting my Basset's nails. he really hates it and i think he does find it traumatic everytime i do it. and still, his nails aren't as short as i'd like em.

 

[Valerie and George]

George hates it, too, and I accidentally cut one too short in June and didn't have the nerve to do it again, so the vet did it last time. But I can't always take him to the vet for it so I'm going to have to do it myself next time. What I was doing is like Jose' said, and just taking a tiny bit at a time and doing it fast so he doesn't have time to get impatient with me, and when he starts getting impatient, give up and come back later to finish. WHY do they have to be so difficult about this???? :angry:

 

[BubbaLeroy]

NOW I have modified my approach. I 'shave' little bits off at a time. I talk to him really nice and keep him calm, but I take just a tiny bit off each side of the nail - his nails are hugely thick!! If he starts to appear uncomfortable with more, that tells me to move on. I got his nails looking pretty good this weekend. It probably took about 10 little cuts to do each nail but it was so nice not to have the dog worked up and scared. He was quite relaxed during this whole thing.
[/b]

This is basically how we cut Bogie's nails, although we do about four or five cuts on each nail and do them every week. He'll lay on his back, between your legs. and gets lots of belly rubs inbetween the snips. He does pretty good this way.
We have the Foster and Smith nail grinder that we used with Bubba. Worked great with him, but he had been shown and was used to the procedure when we got him at eight months.
No way, with Bogie. The sound terrifies him, so back to the good old nail clippers for him. We are working on getting him used to the dremel noise, doing better, but still won't lie still enough to approach his feet. Maybe some day.

 

[sadeyes2]

I used to get Toby's done, but I do it myself now and he doesn't turn a hair. I lie him on his side on the couch and have someone kneeling down beside his head with a real special treat in their hand (sausage, liver) . As soon as I nod my head, they open their hand and let him have the treat and I at the same time clip one nail. The vet showed me how to do it and told me to leave a good space between the quick and where I cut, as it is not only extremely painful to cut into the quick, but also if you cut too near it you will squeeze the quick and this too causes pain. Works a treat. ETA, she also told me to only take the very tips off, if I want them shorter then do it again the following week, but never to take a large chunk.

 

[Kaira]

I don't have the patience or the need to do it that way. I just put him on his back and cutt his claws even if he wants to or not. Sometimes he falls alseep

How good that you have found a way that works for you. A lot of people have problems with this, so keep those tips coming.

 

[lala]

We dremel ernest's nails, it was easy when he was tiny and now that he's 40 lbs it is getting to be quite a wrestling match. Then he gives up all hope and we are able to get them drilled. I keep on telling him that a spa pawdicure would be more painful, but he's not buying it.

We try and do it weekly, but it seems to be more of a 10 day cycle and they grow so quicky!

lala

 

[bjsibba]

We were having a hard time cutting Sadie's nails, she would fight us so bad and she is strong. Then I got to thinking about how the vet does it. She presses a piece of cheese on the stainless steal table and while Sadie is trying to eat that she cuts the nails. She will do what she can until Sadie finishes the cheese and then put another piece on the table until the nails are clipped. So we decided to try the cheese thing. My husband will try to keep Sadie still by feeding her small pieces of cheese from his hand while I clip away, it usually takes two full pieces of sliced cheese and a lot of praise to get them all done. She still tries to pull her paw away, but nothing near the way she would before. I also find it easier to clip the nail while her paw is on the floor rather then picking it up and holding it in my hand. She seems less anxious this way and doesn't pull away as much. Clipping her nails has been less traumatic for her and us since doing it this way.

 

[ra5146]

Menna used to be so good about having her nails cut but has got steadily worse over the last six months so now when she is relaxing on me I file her nails.

 

[Lightning&Stomps]

Stomps won't let me near his feet with clippers (and FORGET a dremel!), so he goes to the vet and he does very well with them. Lightning is much better; if I sit down next to him AFTER HE'S DEEP ASLEEP and start clipping, I usually can get all four feet done. But you're right--it's best to do a little bit at a time.

 

[Guest]

I put peanut butter on a spoon. I put the spoon on the floor and as I snip, they lick the spoon. Lets just say thats what is working right now... Ask again in two weeks. :blink:

 

[Murdoc's Dad]

I know I am resurrecting a long dead thread, but we were having the worst time with Murdoc's nails. We bribed him, held him down, tried to clip in his sleep, everything we could think of to get his nails clipped. At 5 months and 40 lbs, he is a monster and strong as a horse.

I was talking to a co-worker and mentioned my basset, come to find out he has 2. He shared his nail clipping technique with me, and man my life just got so much easier.

Anyway, our method is now a 2 person task and takes all of 2 minutes to complete. I will try to describe it as best I can, in case there are still people having some trouble in this area.

I pick up Murdoc and basically put his head/neck in the crook of my left arm with my arm in front of his front legs. My right arm is under his belly just in front of his back legs. Then I basically hold him out in front of me and my wife clips all his nails in rapid succession.

He's heavy so we have to be quick, but what this does is eliminate his ability to get any leverage to snatch his paw away. Of course I talk to him the whole time she is clipping, and then give him a treat when it's over..

I then used the same technique on my Sister in Laws Basset, Murdoc's brother, and it worked like a charm..

If the description does not do it for you, lemme know and I will post a pic.

Hope this helps someone else out.