Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: Dog People

  1. #1
    God/dess Jenny's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    9,746
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 50 Times in 31 Posts

    Default Dog People

    I am having a dog issue. My dog has incredibly, horribly long nails. I hate cutting them because she hates it so bad, and now her heart is so bad that any exertion (such as her frantic struggles to get away me) is bad (she has the dry cough of advanced heart murmer). So I have left it until she is like a little vampire dog, with nails longer than her legs. Her nails are also black. Is there any way of cutting them without cutting the quick?
    I have taught that the sky in all its zones is mortal and its substance was formed by a process of birth

  2. #2
    God/dess Mr Hyde's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Tampa
    Posts
    4,035
    Thanks
    278
    Thanked 586 Times in 346 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    take her to a dog groomer

  3. #3
    God/dess dlabtot's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2005
    Location
    in your dreams, in my nightmares
    Posts
    2,085
    Thanks
    59
    Thanked 139 Times in 85 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    Lots of walks on the sidewalk or other hard surfaces will help keep them short once they are cut... but yeah, if you cant do it, your vet or dog groomer can.... I used to have the vet do it with one dog I used to have....

  4. #4
    God/dess Bella21's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2003
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    7,772
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 40 Times in 35 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    Most people take their dogs to groomers for that, I thought? Lol, creepy mental picture though.
    If you think school is hard, try being stupid.

  5. #5
    God/dess gypsy_girlchild's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Va mostly
    Posts
    2,750
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 52 Times in 41 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    ^^^ or your vet! They can put her in stirrups that won't allow her to move aorund and can have you there to calm her.. Sometimes that's relaly the only thing you can do.
    As for cuttingto the quick, just cut the tips off, itsy bitsy tips, you might have to cut the nails more often, but this will stop any discomfort.
    Please don't lick me, it tickles..



  6. #6
    God/dess Lena's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2002
    Location
    On a sweet muddy river.
    Posts
    6,399
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 78 Times in 43 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    A lot of people use a dremel tool and most dogs don't mind them.

    If your dog has heart issues tho, talk to your vet and get a script of diazapam or something for the nail clipping.



  7. #7
    Veteran Member jessica_rabbit's Avatar
    Joined
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Va
    Posts
    522
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 20 Times in 13 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    I'd say go to the vet. They can always give him a tranquilizer and take care of it that way.

  8. #8
    God/dess Mr Hyde's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Tampa
    Posts
    4,035
    Thanks
    278
    Thanked 586 Times in 346 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    Quote Originally Posted by Lena
    A lot of people use a dremel tool and most dogs don't mind them.

    If your dog has heart issues tho, talk to your vet and get a script of diazapam or something for the nail clipping.
    Wow, this is a good idea, if your dog is not scared of the noise...good one.

    My dog, I take her on lots of walks so her nails stay short. On occasion if they get too long I'll take her to an outdoor racquetball court and throw a racquetball around the inside. She scrambles so much trying to get the ball that it gets her nails worn down really quickly.

  9. #9
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Oct 2005
    Location
    earth
    Posts
    285
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

    Default Re: Dog People

    OK,this may sound retarted but here it goes:take the dog to a professional to get them clipped right down to the quick.Then when get home polish nails( can use a clear coat,or color) Now when the nail grows out (tell by how much is unpolished growth) and then clip youreslf,and posh again,repeat. I do this to my pooch and never had a problem.

  10. #10
    God/dess Jenny's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    9,746
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 50 Times in 31 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    Thank you. My vet is closed today, but I'll call on Monday. My dog is, unfortunately, too old to run around. I can't even let her run up the stairs, and running from the living room to the kitchen to be fed makes her cough. She can't even walk very far very fast, even, so I think regular clipping will be necessary. I did her dewclaw myself, because it had grown into a circle (it's not that I neglect her. I just hate freaking her out like that. It really sounds like I neglect her, I know.)
    I have taught that the sky in all its zones is mortal and its substance was formed by a process of birth

  11. #11
    Featured Member lunchbox's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2005
    Location
    falling from grace
    Posts
    1,943
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 8 Times in 6 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    Our dog as clear and black nails, so we are to afraid to do it ourselves since we can't see the quick. We have the vet or the groomer do it every few weeks. The bad thing is, if your dogs don't wear themselves down on its own, you let them get out of control the quick grows out, and you cannot cut them as short.

  12. #12
    God/dess DancerWealth's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    Posts
    2,336
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 65 Times in 45 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    Quote Originally Posted by Lena
    A lot of people use a dremel tool and most dogs don't mind them.

    If your dog has heart issues tho, talk to your vet and get a script of diazapam or something for the nail clipping.
    We dremel our three dog's nails and have for years. It takes a bit longer to do than clipping but it's a lot safer and more reliable. We have greyhounds and they have incredibly large and thick nails. On two of ours, their nails are black or very dark making the quick difficult to see. Dremeling them though makes you find it easy every time. A few things to note about dremeling though...

    First, ALWAYS use the slowest setting. Using a dremel on high speed causes faster friction and as a result, more heat. You can really hurt your dog from dremeling if the sanding gets too hot so always use the slowest setting possible. Also remember that dog's nails grow curved so be sure to not just dremel from the bottom up, but from the front of the nail in the direction of the nail bed as well to flaten them in the front. This will help promote the right growing direction. If you remember how you clip them from the front, you want that same direction when you dremel too. Also, if they are very long, the quick will grow with the nail so it will be near the tip of the nail. Your best option is to dremel or clip MUCH more often. This will cause the quick to recede and you won't have this issue in the future. So dremel down the nail only a little bit the first stime. You'll see how far to go before you hit the quick by looking at the nail at a cross-section once you sand down the tip. As you start to see a dot on the inside of the nail, you're approaching the quick so stop there. Wait a few days, then dremel them down again and so on. After getting them nice and short by doing this for a week or two, then you can go a week's worth of time before doing it again and then longer periods etc. as suggested by your vet. Someone else mentioned walking your dog over more rough surfaces will help keep the nails shorter too which is an idea. It's good for preventative maintenance but won't fix the current issue much. You can get an inxepensive dremel for around $20 at a hardware store. I suggest you get a cordless one which will make the process even easier!

    One last thing. The noise can sometimes freak your dog out so be sure to dremel their nails when they are laying down and are comfortable. You'll get less resistance this way. Also turn on the dremel a few times around them in this setting before you ever touch their nails with it. This way they will learn to not be affraid of the sound and associate it with something they may not like.

    The ORIGINAL Stripper Sales School
    -
    Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. ~Abraham Lincoln

  13. #13
    God/dess
    Joined
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    3,422
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    Dremel tools are quite good...if I were in town, I'd offer to do it for you myself. I'm like a dog whisperer when it comes to nails, lol. The vet I used to work for charged $32 for it, which I thought was insane (considering I did the clipping with another girl holding, and our combined salary for the ten minutes it might of taken us was probably like $3.25).

    I would recommend a vet over a groomer, especially if your dog gets nervous. Often they're actually better away from their owners- the vets and handlers are strangers, but can dominate the dog gently and safely (the best way to do nails is always lay the dog on its side, having one person hold the legs, especially the bottom one real well so the dog can't struggle free- this is also a dominant position that usually relaxes even the most insane nail-fearing dogs). If your dog is old they won't tranq her unless absolutely necessary.

    If you can get a friend to hold her on her side as described, with one arm sort of pressed on her neck to keep her from biting (if she were so inclined- many are- nail terror is pretty typical), you can clip the nails yourself. Take small bits off at a time. Chances are her quicks are long if her nails are so grown out, so it will probably take a few trimmings to get the quicks to go back. A way to tell with black nails- you'll see a little mushy dot in the centre of the nail as you clip. Once you see the dot, hold back. Another way is to look for where the nail naturally curves downward- underneath there is often growth that stops before the curl, and you can usually clip to that point. A bottle of Quickstop and a q-tip are a good idea (you can get them at a vet's or at a pet store) in case you nick her. It'll stop the bleeding fast. Good luck!

  14. #14
    madmaxine
    Guest

    Default Re: Dog People

    LOL Jenny always relates everything in a funny way. My suggestion, if she is small, buy a coarse Emery Board at the beauty supply store, then file her nails down slowly. It'll take all day but she'll relax because you're spending time on her. It's also so slow, I doubt you'll hurt the veins in the base of the nails.

    I've never had to groom my dog's nails, I suppose because he's an outdoor mutt? Or is he just lucky? Hmm.

  15. #15
    God/dess PaigeDWinter's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Cocoa Beach, FL
    Posts
    10,220
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 52 Times in 37 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    As a former breeder, I have to agree with the dremel idea. But if your dog is having heart problems, time for the vet. They might be able to clip the nails while you're there. But a cheap dremel or even (if you're patient) a really strong emory board.
    Number of times Rickrolled on stage: 6
    *******************************

    Marasmus ... "Ladies don't fart. They butt-laugh."
    Marasmus says, "Oh no, that wasn't gas, it was merely a rectal chuckle."

    Marek says, "A friend of mine got punched in the face by a dominatrix stripper about two weeks ago and I thought of you."

  16. #16
    God/dess
    Joined
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    3,354
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 57 Times in 3 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    Jenny- Going the Dremel or vet route would be best. We used to clip our dog's nails, and Sam hated it SO bad. One day she kept struggling and fighting us, so my step-dad held her down. A minute or so after we let her up she had a bad seizure that left her drastically different for the rest of her life.

    The vet said it would have happened anyway, but the stress from the nail clipping and being restrained is probably what brought it on sooner/more drastically. So knowing that your dog is old and has health issues...doing it an alternate way would probably be better.

  17. #17
    God/dess
    Joined
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    3,422
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts

    Default Re: Dog People

    ^^^Yeah. I didn't want to doom and gloom, but I saw a cat die once from nail stress. Actually, they took the cat to be groomed/ nail clipped at the Petcetera across the street from our vet's. The groomer, some poor part time 16 year old girl, came in with the owner (actually the owner was out of town and this was her daughter, trying to groom her mom's cat as a present) bawling her eyes out because when they tried to restrain the freaking cat, they smothered it to death. Pretty tragic. I don't really trust many groomers. If you use one, check them out, and better yet, supervise it all yourself. I've just seen some rough stuff.

Similar Threads

  1. Dog Owners: Making a fun activity feeder for your dog :)
    By FiendishGyrator in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 07-27-2011, 04:40 PM
  2. Replies: 13
    Last Post: 09-01-2008, 09:22 PM
  3. Dog people help me please
    By Kaylinn in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 60
    Last Post: 04-03-2008, 03:56 PM
  4. Swedish people and people familiar with Sweden...
    By francescadubois in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 01-04-2008, 07:36 PM
  5. Replies: 11
    Last Post: 07-25-2004, 11:28 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •