# Peti Paws



## vashwood (Feb 15, 2010)

I need some advice. Mochi hates having her nails getting cut so much that now the groomers won't do it!  Guess its my fault for just sending her to the groomers instead of doing it myself.

At home she wont let the nail clippers any where close to her nails so I started trying to desensitizing her to the Peti-Paws. It took 2-3 weeks to get her to the point where I can turn the device on, grab her paw, and just 'pretend' to grind her nails. I just use the protector and not have her nail actually touch the grinder.

I decided that since she was used to that I pulled out the boiled chicken and decided to try the grinder-portion on one nail. She basically jumped and it seems like I have to start over w/ the desensitizing. Anyone have any recommendations on how I can slowly introduce her to the grinder? 

I can even pick up her nails and pinch it w/ my finger nails to 'simulate' nail clipping, but when the clippers actually come out she freaks.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

I have the vet techs at my vet's office cut my mom's dog's nails. He won't let me anywhere near them. They do a great job.


----------



## Shandwill (Jul 23, 2010)

I agree...I let my vet do it. I don't know if it's better for Prophet, but it's much less traumatic for me! However, he does let me use the grinder. I started out holding his paw, then rubbing the silent grinder down his legs, then turning the grinder on and laying it off to the side while I held his paws, etc. Lots of treats and lots of praise. His nails are so thick/tough, though, that the grinder wasn't enough and they needed trimmed. I took him to Petsmart but was VERY disappointed with the groomer there. I shared this experience with my vet, who was happy to do them (for a small fee), and it was a much better experience!


----------



## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Many dogs do better with the dremel/filing than they do with the clippers..However, the Pedi-paws and all the knock off types, don't have the power to get thru a nail bigger than a chihuahua....when used on a large nail, they will vibrate and tickle causing many dogs to dislike it big time, and fight. I suggest you find a new groomer...tell them you want her nails filed/dremeled, and if she needs to be muzzled, be sure to tell them first. Ideally, muzzling her would only be if absolutely necessary..ask if the groomers you call have a "Groomer's Helper" for their grooming arm..good ones will, and that will keep her from having to be muzzled. You are going to go circles by yourself at home repeating the scenario that has already played out. Some dogs always hate their nails being messed with..unfortunately, its something that has to be done..and sometimes just grabbing the bull by they horns is what is necessary. Many dogs get over their issues when you just "do it"...the person doing it must be confidant and calm...Look around for a new groomer. Be leary of vet clinics..My experiences in many of them are not good..they just hold the dog down and do it, making the dog even more afraid...You don't want to fight against the animal..but restrain them so they are only pulling against themselves (ie Groomers Helper). They learn much faster, and its not traumatic for them.


----------



## hachna (Jul 31, 2010)

Hi,
I agree with Graco. I won't use the pedi paws. It takes longer therefore can be more stressful for dogs.

For my dogs, I hold my boys and my partner does clipping. my minis does anything for food and s/tzu needs more constraint. Is there any person who can help you? 

Just one more thing, When you clip, try to clip the tip of the nails even though nail is long. It is always easier to to do that and you can always increase frequency so that you and your dog can get used to it. Good luck!!


----------



## Active Dog (Jan 18, 2010)

This is just me personally. I may get bashed for this I don't know. 

My dog used to be really afraid of clippers too. But then I held her down on her side, yes she struggled and tried to keep me from doing it, but she now doesn't really care if I do it. She just knows it has to be done and that she doesn't have a choice, I don't have to hold her down or anything she just sits and watches. The old vet clinic that I was at would hold down a dog with 2-3 people and always put a muzzle on, it looked like torture to me and no one really tried to make it any less stressful for the dog. So I personally would rather be the one holding down my dog and being able to praise and comfort her with soft words and treats. But hey that's just me, it didn't hurt or traumatize her in anyway so I guess I found what worked for us. However I don't believe she had bad anxiety about nail trimming.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

> Be leary of vet clinics..


If I couldn't trust my vet clinic to clip my dog's nails.....I certainly wouldn't trust them with medical procedures! I trim my own dogs' nails but I have to have them trim my mom's dog. They have the dog in and out in a few minutes, no fuss, no trauma.


Just a question, I have a variable speed dremel that I use with a Peticure cover. (My dogs have hairy cavalier feet and the Peticure cover keeps their furry feet from getting tangled in the dremel head)...Anyway, what grit do you all use and what RPM do you find works best?


----------



## vashwood (Feb 15, 2010)

So Cavalier said:


> If I couldn't trust my vet clinic to clip my dog's nails.....I certainly wouldn't trust them with medical procedures! I trim my own dogs' nails but I have to have them trim my mom's dog. They have the dog in and out in a few minutes, no fuss, no trauma.
> 
> 
> Just a question, I have a variable speed dremel that I use with a Peticure cover. (My dogs have hairy cavalier feet and the Peticure cover keeps their furry feet from getting tangled in the dremel head)...Anyway, what grit do you all use and what RPM do you find works best?


I just orderd the peticure cover as well for my dremel. I was just planning to use the 432 1/2-inch 120 grit Sanding Bands and start off at 5k rpms


----------



## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I use the 120 grit exclusively, at the highest RPM my dremel goes up to, which according to their website is 35,000 RPM. The faster the RPM, the smoother the grinding, the less vibrations, easier on the pet.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

I am thinking now that I am running my dremel too slowly. I will try a faster speed. My dogs aren't crazy about having their nails ground, but they do better with the dremel than the clippers. I'll have to check the grit I use....I am thinking it is 200. Thanks for the info!


----------



## cavaliermom (May 28, 2008)

+I have a Cavalier, got her at 2 years and don't think she ever had much grooming or nail triming as she curled into a ball every time I attemped to "clean her up" - after much handling - holding her paws, squeezing them, etc., I can now do her feet w/o any problem either clippers or dremel. Some dogs fight restraint of any kind and therein lies the crux ofthe problem. I teach pet obedience and this is a part of my puppy class - holding the dog in your arms - handling feet - touching teeth - touching inside of ears. In other words desensitizing the entire dog to handling. It certainly helps in emergency situations - where you can apply a bandage, meds, etc., not just for cosmetic purposes. Something to think about......................


----------



## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

Interesting...I never thought I could be running my dremmel to slow either (now I will try it at a higher speed) I have one dog who will NOT let the clippers anywhere near her...she now lets me dremmel her nails, but gets jumpy by the fourth foot. My other dog wont let the dremmel any where near her LOL and I have to clip hers. I used to use the pedipaws on our Yorkie and thought it was great...till I got the dremmel  now it sucks LOL.


----------



## staffymom (Apr 16, 2010)

I'm so sad Gracco22..... 25 years in the grooming buis. No major accidents, vet recommended, never once have had to refund for an unhappy client, hundreds of thousands of dogs groomed, god knows how many nails, and still not one of the "good ones" since I don't own a groomer's helper.  Hey no offense taken!


----------



## WashingtonCowgirl (Mar 8, 2010)

Active Dog said:


> This is just me personally. I may get bashed for this I don't know.
> 
> My dog used to be really afraid of clippers too. But then I held her down on her side, yes she struggled and tried to keep me from doing it, but she now doesn't really care if I do it. She just knows it has to be done and that she doesn't have a choice, I don't have to hold her down or anything she just sits and watches. The old vet clinic that I was at would hold down a dog with 2-3 people and always put a muzzle on, it looked like torture to me and no one really tried to make it any less stressful for the dog. So I personally would rather be the one holding down my dog and being able to praise and comfort her with soft words and treats. But hey that's just me, it didn't hurt or traumatize her in anyway so I guess I found what worked for us. However I don't believe she had bad anxiety about nail trimming.


This is exactly what I did with Maddie. We dremel her nails (WAY faster then a PediPaw AND has a rechargable battery  ) Now Maddie falls asleep while I do her nails lol..


----------



## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Regardless of whether or not it worked for your dogs, advising someone to pin their struggling dog on their side to cut their nails is counter productive and potentially dangerous. Smalls does not like her toe nails being done, but we have worked with her and she will stand and allow me to do it with no issues, but if I were to pin her down before hand I can guarantee you I would have been bitten.


----------



## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

staffymom said:


> I'm so sad Gracco22..... 25 years in the grooming buis. No major accidents, vet recommended, never once have had to refund for an unhappy client, hundreds of thousands of dogs groomed, god knows how many nails, and still not one of the "good ones" since I don't own a groomer's helper.  Hey no offense taken!


lol, sorry..didn't mean that the ONLY good ones will have a Groomer's Helper...I never thought it would be worth having..but went ahead and got one..wow...SO SO SO much easier now! I can certainly make do without it, but it makes work so much easier, and I never have to muzzle a large dog to avoid being bitten anymore. It rocks! There are awesome groomers out there withouth a Groomer's Helper..and there are not great groomers out there with a Groomer's Helper..lol I guess that post was moot huh...;-)


----------



## doginthedesert (Jun 18, 2010)

We were just given a pedi paws by a friend whose dog was terrified of it (but did not mind clippers). It does literally nothing to my dogs nails. It stops when you put any pressure, and if you hold it loose enough to stay spinning it just does nothing. I even tried changing the batteries.

My dog really could care less about people doing anything to him, so I just take him to the groomers to get his nails clipped. They get the nails shorter and smoother than I can anyway.

Point of the story, I think pedi paws are useless. Spend the money/time on a real dremel.


----------



## JuneBud (Feb 17, 2010)

I'm sure a Dremel is 100% better than Pedi-Paws, but I used a Pedi-Paws on my female AED because she hated clippers. She tolerated the Pedi-Paws. You have to get just the right amount of pressure, not too light, not too heavy. It is slow but it did work on her nails. I'm sure that a dog with big, very tough nails would be a different story.


----------



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

JuneBud said:


> I'm sure a Dremel is 100% better than Pedi-Paws, but I used a Pedi-Paws on my female AED because she hated clippers. She tolerated the Pedi-Paws. You have to get just the right amount of pressure, not too light, not too heavy. It is slow but it did work on her nails. *I'm sure that a dog with big, very tough nails would be a different story*.


On some of the big dogs, I threaten to break out my farrier equipment


----------



## WashingtonCowgirl (Mar 8, 2010)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> On some of the big dogs, I threaten to break out my farrier equipment


I just lol'd

Great mental picture


----------



## camoreno (Sep 16, 2010)

I'm really glad to read your strategy and will pass this along to Kevin who is the one to cut Roma's nails. I cut them when she was younger with a nail clipper, and the last "toe" I did was cut too short, and I felt terrible that I hurt her. Since then, I've been squeamish about it. Rottweiler's nails are black and present the challenge of not being able to see the "quick", so I let Kevin do it when it's in between her grooming. 

Thanks for sharing the technique!


----------



## JeanieStecher (May 26, 2010)

Just try doin it yourself again, little by little until you get her attention, and also while cutting try talking with your dog as if you are pleasing her so that she might divert her attention. Just try. Hope this will help.


----------



## ATLdoglovr27 (Jul 10, 2010)

With my dog, I've found that if I exercise her really well beforehand, she doesn't fight at all. And I use the scissor type nail clippers. Haven't tried a dremel yet, but I would like to use one to soften the edges of her nail afterward.


----------



## camoreno (Sep 16, 2010)

Thank you so much for the encouragement to be brave and just do it! My sister is visiting tomorrow, and she has such a way with dogs and cats! She cuts her dog's nails with no problem, and she even bathes her cats with no problem. She gets her pets from a rescue place anytime she is ready to adopt a new pet, and from the minute she gets them home, whether cat or dog, she gives them a bath. She has never had a problem even giving a brand new cat a bath! And her ease of cutting her dog's nails always amazed me, too. If I learn something that I can pass on, I will.


----------



## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

In my opinion, Pedi Paws equates to - millionares making money on a crappy product in which feeds from the desperate, poor individuals looking for that "miracle" solution...Please don't give them your hard-earned $$$...if you must, buck up, & take some time in training your dog into accepting nail-care maintainence....wether you use clippers, a dremel, or even just emery boards, well, you are going to be leaps ahead of this crummy marketing ploy....Pedi Paws IS CRAP, &, if you can convince your pet that they are safe, you have 100% of training your dog to a dremel!!


----------



## camoreno (Sep 16, 2010)

I like the comment about exercising your dog before cutting the nails. That makes a lot of sense. I'll have to remember that next time. Thanks.


----------

