# how to get the quick to receed?



## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

iorek has really long quicks. he has always had really long quicks. how to i get them to receed? good thing is that he has clear toenails so i can see how much to cut but i just can't get them short because of the quick. 

also, i am trying to get him used to the pedi-paws that i have. i would like to get a dremel but i won't bother to spend the money until i have him used to the cheaper one  i am touching his toes with it off and treating. i am also turning it on near him and treating. i am working on being able to touch his toe with it on. are there any other tips that anyone might have?


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

Try cutting or filing a little bit each week. The closer you get to it the better. It will recede with time as long as you stay on top of it.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

thank you. that was what i was planning to do, trim them every sunday. i just am not sure i am going to be able to get them close enough with the clippers i have. i just hope that he is used to the dremel soon.


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

What i like to do to get it at the quick is to cut the nail at an angle from underneath. This way you can in a way "shave" pieces off the nail until you get right up next to the quick without hitting it. Altho if you hit it, well it will recede much faster! Not encouraging it, but it won't kill him in case it happens! I also do this because it doesn't "squeeze" the nail in the cutter,more comfy. I can take pictures with Yoshi this week to show you if you want, Its hard to explain.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

i have scissor like clippers, not the guillotine type ones. i still feel like i am going to hurt him though. i will try clipping little tiny bits off at a time like you said.  thank you again


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

Most of the dogs I foster seem to have really long nails. I clip twice a week and dremmel every 3 days.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

i am still working on iorek getting him used to the dremmel. it will still be a while before i can do it, i think. i can clip his nails more often though. thank you


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

ioreks_mom said:


> i am still working on iorek getting him used to the dremmel. it will still be a while before i can do it, i think. i can clip his nails more often though. thank you


Its really hard to get that quik to recede with trimmers because you have to get right up on it for it to go back, and when you do that, it bleeds.  Ideally, dremeling them every 2-3 days is the best way to get that quik back. If they are really long, you can do it every day, but you have to file right up to the quik..every time. I always take more off the top of the nail once I am up to the quik. That encourages the bottom of the nail to touch ground when walking and keep receding. Keep working on getting him ready for the dremel. You should be able to start filing after a few days or working with him at the most.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

thank you 

does it hurt the dog to have the nail that close to the quick? i hate to think that i would have to hurt him to get the quick to receed. 

i don't know if i am doing it wrong or if iorek is just really extra nervous or what but he really isn't liking the dremel. he is very interested in it, i think he likes the smell of the filed nails for some reason, but i can't get him to let me file his nails. grrr! i will keep trying.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

ioreks_mom said:


> thank you
> 
> does it hurt the dog to have the nail that close to the quick? i hate to think that i would have to hurt him to get the quick to receed.
> 
> i don't know if i am doing it wrong or if iorek is just really extra nervous or what but he really isn't liking the dremel. he is very interested in it, i think he likes the smell of the filed nails for some reason, but i can't get him to let me file his nails. grrr! i will keep trying.


No, you it doesn't hurt the dog to get close to the quik. Some are more sensitive, and when you start to get close, they will wiggle so you stop. Some dogs you can cut/file right into the quik and they never even flinch. Depends on the dog. So no, you don't have to hurt him to get them to receed. You want to get as close as possible though. 

Sometimes you just have to assert that you are boss, and "this" is what we are doing right now. I doubt he is ever going to just sit there and "let" you do his nails..its just not in some dogs' nature.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

thank you for your help.  i will keep working with him.


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## waterbaby (Jan 20, 2009)

Thanks for asking about this ioreks_mom. I've been wondering the same thing. I've been nervous about trying out a dremel, but it sounds like the only option for getting the nails nice and short.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

i am REALLY nervous to use the dremel too. that is probably why iorek is having such a hard time getting comfortable with it too. he can tell i am nervous to do it so he is not really happy about me touching his toes with it  i am going to work on me too


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

I personally prefer to use a dremel, I think it works better and lets you get right up on the nail without the risk of quicking the the dog. Be confident for your dog so he won't feel nervous because you are.


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

I've got a Pedi-Paws thing, and I'll tell you in five months I've not picked up dog-clippers once. 

I use my Pedi-Paws once a day, every other day if I forget. It's all on how you grind the nails. I read an article that if you hold the drimel a certain way perpendicular to the nail it wears the nail shorter and helps recede the nail faster. 

I've started doing that just a couple days ago and I'm already seeing a difference. I've had a hard time getting the quick to recede as well, but holding the Pedi-Paws sideways, and grinding from underneath the nail and pulling back helps shave away a lot more of the nail... 

It didn't take me too long to get Donatello accustomed to it... He doesn't like it in the least, but he still sits there and lets me do it- Granted Donatello is small, only 20lbs so he sees me intimidating.  Iorek is another story.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

thank you 

i am still working on it. i think that if my dh was to sit on the floor with iorek and give him lots of treats i might be able to do it. i don't know if i will ever be able to do it by myself. iorek really doesn't want me to anyway. maybe a few times getting tons of treats will do the trick. i just hate to have to get my dh to hold iorek so i can get it done. but, it has to be done! 

i will do like you said that dremel up and over his toenail to make sure to get real close on the bottom. 

you know, when i started this thread i even asked my dh if recede was spelled receed and he said yes. i guess he wasn't paying enough attention. i need to learn to spell  heehee!


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

Thank goodness for SpellCheck.  lol.

I hope I could help...

One easy way for me to get over the "scariness" of it, was to tap the grinder to my palm a few times... Now, I have that Pedi-Paws thing, so I don't doubt the RPM's are a lot less then a heavy-duty tool from _HomeDepot_, but if you can I would tap the drimel to your hands a few times just so _you_ know, for peace of mind, it's not harmful... Keeping in mind, nails have less sensitivity to skin. 

Good luck!


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

thank you again  

i have a dremel that i use when i am making things and i have a pedi-paws. i am planning on using the pedi-paws on the dogs until i am used to how it feels that then i may switch to the dremel as long as i feel i can control it. the dremel i have has speed control so i think it will be ok. it is just a matter of me _doing it_  i am sure i will be able to get the courage!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

deege39 said:


> Thank goodness for SpellCheck.  lol.
> 
> I hope I could help...
> 
> ...


Do NOT tap a Dremel to your hand while it is turned on! You will put a scrape or hole in your hand... The Pedipaws and all of its spin offs don't have the power a dremel does (which is also why they take alot longer to file the nails, if they can even get the job done) and will stop when you touch it..a dremel will not..and that is why it goes thru thick large nails fast.  I can't count how many times I have been dremeling a nail and a dog moved, and I put a hole in my finger, or completely thru MY nail to the skin...It hurts! LOL


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

ok, so i won't be doing the dremel until i am REALLY comfortable with the pedi-paws!


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

Yeah, I didn't mean the "drimel" as in the "drimel-drimel" I meant it as in the "Pedi-Paws" drimel. lol. The actual drimel "tool" has a lot more RPMs then the Pedi-Paws... Sorry for the confusion, lol.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

i have used a dremel enough times to know that i would NEVER put it on my hand. i knew that you were talking about the pedi-paws  

i just didn't think about the dremel slipping off the dog and taking my own nail off! ouch! ok, if i didn't have a broken toe i would be doing a "gross out" dance right now! yuck!


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

Oh I'm with you on that Iorek'sMom! lol! I'll do that dance for the both of us! 

I would recommend wearing gloves, maybe?


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

thank you for doing the dance for me  heehee! 

maybe i will try gloves. i will have to make sure they fit well enough for me to feel comfortable with them though.


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