[Beverly Anne]

It got a little ugly at the vet's today and it's been decided that we really need to sedate Francis to reduce the trauma of (all things) nail clipping. I can put eye drops in, draw blood from him, squeeze his anal sacs, and the vet has even been able to do eye pressures and immunizations with nary a peep out the little guy but just touch his feet and the teeth get bared and the growling starts. I'm going to administer a little AcePromazine to him on Saturday and I want to know if anyone else here has had experience with this sedative. I've read all the internet stuff but I want to hear from basset owners how their experience has been Thanks

 

[Twinkie's Mum]

Hi, Bev, It sounds like your Francis has decided that after all he lets you and the vet do to him, the toes are where he's gonna draw the line. I really don't have any advice. I just found it kind of interesting that Franny isn't having the toenails clipped.

Years ago we used to give our dog diazepam prior to vet visits and if bad storms were in the area. That's Valium, by the way. I would think that in the 15 years since, there might be something a little better than that for dogs. She did well on it, though. It got to where I would only give her 1/2 a tablet and that would do the trick. She was kind of dopey on it, though, and we would use it only sparingly.

Good luck.

Janet 'n Twinkie

 

[woebgon]

We had one basset hound that didn't like a nail trim, but not quite to the level you're faced with. When we trimmed his nails we put a muzzle on him and stuck a treat in the muzzle. He became so fixated on trying the get the treat that he didn't know his nials were being trimmed.

 

[Oxboro]

I stopped using a nail clipper about ten years ago. I now use a Dremel rotary grinder. I stopped with the clippers because I feel that the pinching action of the blade can squeeze the quick causing severe pain to the dog. My dogs do not mind the Dremel at all and will run to jump up on the grooming table.

I do rub some peanut butter on to the ribs of the mat of the grooming table. Generally I can get the nails done prior to the hounds getting the peanut butter.

There are nail grinders available but I have found the Dremel to be less expensive. Plus the standard Dremel can be used for a hundred different things......None of which I have figured out.

 

[Lightning&Stomps]

I didn't know they use Ace on dogs. I've only ever heard of it used with horses, and there are quite a few horses (including mine) that it has the opposite effect on--he gets all jacked up on Ace. (I also used to know a horse who had had an adverse reaction to Ace and could no longer retract his penis. Imagine the torture if that happened to a Basset!) Plus, isn't that an injectable? I'm not a vet or vet tech, and like I said my experience with Ace extends only to horses, but I would think there would be a slew of other tranquilizers out there that I would try before Ace.

 

[Beverly Anne]

Thanks to all. The tech @ my vets was able to get another tech to rub the inside of Francis's ear with a washcloth while she cut those nails! MIRACLE.

 

[woebgon]

It's amazing what a good hug will do. :lol:

 

[Lightning&Stomps]

If I'm in the room when Stomps' is getting his nails done, he screams like he's being gutted. If he's taken out of the room, he lays there and almost purrs. The vet techs all coo over how good he is. If you're in the room when he's having his nails done, you might try stepping out and see if that helps as well. But I'm glad you found a solution that didn't involve sedation.

 

[shallhb]

The tech @ my vets was able to get another tech to rub the inside of Francis's ear with a washcloth while she cut those nails! MIRACLE.


That's funny---when one of my bassets gets stressy, I've found that stroking the inside of the ear seems to help. I put my hands flat on either side of her ear, with her ear flattened out, then slide my hands from the base to the tip--I'm not explaining this very well, but I bet it feels similar to the dog to having hir or her ear rubbed with a washcloth.

 

[Bassets3]

Poor Francis. So many of them hate to have their nails clipped. Sometimes you just have to find something that diverts their attention. We put a soft muzzle on Laci and it's not because we're afraid she'll bite it's something the breeders did to divert her attention and we just keep it up while we dremel. Shami just likes a belly rub and she's so good. Speedy is much better when we put a snood on him. Got me why, but it works so why not!!