Pet- icure

i do nail grinding on tons of dogs where i work and let me tell you some of them are really hard to do with squirming! it helps a lot of you have another person to help you and its easier if you start on the back feet because they tend to tolerate that better than there front feet for some reason and that would be a great place to start if you are just learning. also make sure you dont bend your dogs foot in an awkward possition cuz you could damage the dogs legs. if your dog has black nails a good trick is when you start to see a black dot in the center of the nail it means you are reaching the dogs quick. stop there. it also helps if you tether the dog so it does not have free roam and makes it hold still a little better. hope i helped for anyone having issues. if you would like advice on holding techniques feel free to ask :D

I have heard about these grinders for dogs nails. I presently clip my dogs nails. She tolerates it. If you had to chose which would you pick clippers or the grinder? I use a shaver on the bottom of her feet to get rid of the extra hair so when she is doing agility she does not slide especially on the contacts, so she is used to the vibration. Would the grinder do a better job?

for me personally i love the nail grinders. we use normal dremels on the dogs that come in and they are able to get the nails down shorter (closer to the quick) than toe nail trimmers get. plus they also keep the nails smooth so they dont catch in carpet or furniture which is nice. nail trimming can somtimes split the nail and cause it to be jagged and sharp and also it is easy to quick the nail which causes pain and bleeding. with the dremel it is a lot easier, even if you get down to the quick and see a tad bit of blood it is not painful for the dog because you have not cut into it you just end up grazing it. i try and use them at work as much as i can instead of the nail clippers. if the nails are really long (which most dogs that come in have terribly long nails, some even growing back into the paw pads!!) i will trim the nail back then dremel what is left.

You have made some really good points for getting a dremel. Where would I get one and at approximately what cost?

you can get a small cheap dremel at home depot or go to walgreens and get the dremel they have their for $19.99 although i am not a fan of it because it has a gaurd around the dremel which makes it difficult to maneuver around the dogs nails. also with dogs with long hair you have to watch the dremel cuz the hair likes to get tangles around it. it doesnt hurt the dog and it causes the dremel to stop running but its a pain to untangle the hair lol. it usually happens when trying to dremel down the dew claws, if your dog has none then it shouldnt be an issue.

You do cover all the bases. My dog does have longer hair so this could be a bit of an issue. We do not have a Walgreen but we do have a Home Deport in Canada. I am going to check it out and if they are about the same price here in Canada I am going to get a dremel. When I cut Khia's nails now with the clippers I have to use the file to take away the sharpness.

Well I did it. I got a nail grinder for my girls nails. There were on sale at my Petsmart.  I showed it to her. Run it for a while and did not use it on her nails. I gave her lots of treats. Today I tried the grinder. I only did one foot but she had no problems with it and there were no sharp edges on her nails. Thank you for the great suggestion it went well. I will keep you up to date as I due each foot.

that is fantastic! yea i find when i am at work that most dogs seem to be a bit more at ease when it came to nail grinding than nail trimming. i dont know why but they are just a lot more calm around the grinder. maybe the dogs just had bad experiences with nail clippers with getting their quick cut or just not liking the breaking feeling of their nail. im glad things went well for you! its good to get them started early!

Well I am very happy, today I did her second foot and she was good but allot more interested in what was happening. She kept sniffing the grinder but she was not afraid so I went slowly and let her check it out as much as she needed. The nails are great when they are done. Nice a smooth and no sharp edges. I am still a bit nervous but it seems much safer went he clippers. Again I gave her lots of praise and treats when done.

Well I now get to report that I have done both of her back feet. She seemed to be a little bit more nervous with the grinder today, but I went slow and gave her lots of praise and support and she did just fine. I was much more comfortable using the grinder this time. I know practice is what will make me totally comfortable. The grinder sure does a great job nice smooth nails.

i totally understand what you mean! it took me awhile to get used to grinding dogs nails. but now it just comes natural and is super easy. glad that she is doing so well with the grinder.

I cannot thank you enough.The grinder is so much easier when doing their nails and does such a wonderful job. I will keep you posted.

Well I used the grinder again today. I did not really have to use it but I wanted to make sure my girl was still okay with the grinder. I only did here back feet and she had no problems. She does like to lick up the grinding fragments. I really try to discourage this behavior.

that is great that she is accepting it so well! never had a dog try to lick up the nail shavings....odd. im sure it would not hurt her but its best to keep her from eating them i guess :D

They sure do keep you on your toes. You just get one thing addressed and they present something else.

Any ideas or short cut for clipping the hair off my girls pads on her feet. With the hair short it helps with not getting so many snowball, it makes cleaning the salt and mud off her feet easier and she needs the hair short for agility. Saturday I had forgotten to shave the hair between her toes and she did allot of slipping and sliding. It was totally my fault I knew I needed to do them but forgot. She did great with her practice runs but she went a little slower because she keep sliding. If I leave her feet without grooming the hair will actually totally cover the pads.

that one im not sure of. We always just shave around the paw pads to get out all the hair. dunno if there is a short cut to that one

I was just checking.  I also just shave around the paw pads but I was never really told this was right or wrong but it works for Khia and she has no problem with me doing it. I am always open to new ideas or better ways to do things so that is why I asked. Thanks.

I'd love to hear some ideas for trimming my dog's nails. Our fav pet salon closed, and he needs his nails done ASAP- he is catching the loops on our bedroom carpet with his nails.  He is a large Labrakita, and hates having his nails done by me, since I am afraid to cut his quick.  I have tried your basic nail trimmers, and the Peticure (he hated it).  Any ideas?

Thanks!

a lot of dogs can be TERRIBLE for their nails if on the floor but as soon as you put them on a grooming table their behavior changes instantly....dont know what it is about them being up on a table that makes them sit still but it works. i know lifting a big dog can be difficult so doing his nails at home probably wont work. ALWAYS start with their back feet, they start off better if you do those first since the front feet are more sensitive. sit next to your dog with your body facing his rear end and grab his foot and pull it up towards his butt so you can see his paw pads and nails. if he has black nails start shaving off little by little with your nail clippers until you start to see a black circle in the center of his nail. STOP when you see that. if you go any further you will quick him. do the same on all of his nails. You can also take him to your local PetSmart for nail trims. it is $9 for a nail trim and $11 for nail grinding.

If you want to do your own dog's nails and not go to a groomer gradually work with his feet until your dog is okay with you touching and handling the feet. Do just one foot each day. Start by doing just a little bit and when you are done give the dog lots of praise, pats and a treat. In time the dog will get comfortable or at least allow you to do the claws.  I can use either clippers or a grinder on my dog's feet but I work up to it I did not just start doing it. I watched and listened to my dog's responses and rewarded when my dog would tolerate the handling and eventually the clipping. If your dog is in big need right now I would get it done by a groomer and then start the process of conditioning your dog to allow you to do it.