# Soft Paws



## Ipawlows (Nov 7, 2009)

Hi all,

Im getting ready to move into a house with hardwood floors. I have a whippet named Ipo who's favorite game is hide and seek around the house (I hide, she seeks then runs away). Needless to say, with the running she does Im nervous about her scratching up the hardwood floors. I trim her nails twice a month but Im not sure that they wont scratch the floor anyways. Ive been trying to look up some information on a product called "Softpaws", which are just little rubber nail caps that you glue on. Ive seen good and bad reviews but cant seem to get any information on how to get them off once you glue them on. The website says that they will fall off after 4-6 weeks but I dont want to wait that long between nail trimmings. I guess my questions therefore are: How would you rate this product, are there other removal options, and are there other products I should consider?


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## railNtrailcowgrl (Jul 24, 2008)

I've never used the dog ones but I have them on my kitten and I LOVE them! They work a bit different as cats shed their nails, but for stubbon ones you just trim the end of the cap where the glue is and viola, they slide right off or fall off withing a few days. Not sure how the dogs ones are though, hopefully some other DFs join in.


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## daysof_inspiration (Jan 21, 2009)

I used them on my ferret (ferrets have similar nails to dogs, grow fast, and are not kept inside their paws like a cat's would be) but never on dogs or cats. When you apply them you put the glue at the very bottom of the cap and when you want to remove it, you just trim the tip off and usually the nail slides off. You'll usually have one or two stubborn ones at first but once you get the hang of application, it gets less common.

I just found that they advertise 4-6 weeks and they COULD last that long but no one wants to keep their nails untrimmed for over a month so you kind of have to be prepared to change them every 2-3 I'd say if you like your dog's nails short.

I enjoyed them for my ferret because he liked to climb on people and people complained that his nails would hurt them. With the nail covers, he didn't scratch people. But it does get expensive (I would have to spend about $30 every month on them it with shipping and $360/year was just too much for me on top of his rather expensive vet bills (ferrets have $75/year check ups and usually suffer from one major health problem in their life that will cost at least $1000), food, litter, toys, and pet insurance) and I found dremeling his nails and applying a few coats of clear nail polish made them just as soft. I don't know if that will work for keeping your floors soft though but you could give it a try if you feel okay with applying nail polish to your dog (I never had any problems and i know they dog 'peticures' for dogs at grooming salons but I am not sure if there are any known health risks associated with it  ).


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## BedazzledLV (Dec 9, 2009)

I LOVE SoftPaws. I used them on my cats for the first 3 years of their lives...and now don't really need them as they don't paw at the furniture anymore...just their huge cat tower. THe trick to follow these simple instructions:
1. trim your pets nails-if they are dirty(as all dog nails somehow get), best to clean and dry first
2. get them relaxed with you playing with their toes
3. Take nail glue and fill properly sized nail cap full of glue
4. squeeze nail cap so excess comes out and wipe off on paper towel(this step makes sure the nail gets complete adhesion, and there is not extra oozing out onto your pet's fur/skin)
5. use your fingers to slightly press on toe to extend nail
6. gently slide nail cap on toenail - wipe off any excess that may come out of cap
7. take your time...if your pet is getting agitated, stop. do not let them chew on the nail caps as they all do when they are getting used to them. have your dog's favorite treat/toy close at hand for distraction. Once they learn it doesn't inhibit their movement they will forget about it.
8. never scold your dog for anything to do with them...you do not want any negative memories associated with this as you will be having to replace nail caps in the future.

It may take a couple days to get a complete set on your dog...but if you follow my directions they will last very long. The first 3 months you will have the most nail cap loss, as your pet will be getting used to them...after that a box will last you aprox. 3 months. Replace as they fall off, this way you only have 1-4 caps to replace a week. I would recommend using a bitter apple spray on the paws after applications if your dog starts chewing(only needed in the beginning).

Both my cats learned to love these things...when finances in my house get better i will be purchasing them again...and a set for my pup. They are too cute for words. PS Get the bright colors...people freak out and love them. You WILL be asked if your dog got a pedicure LMAO!

PPS the glue is a non toxic glue and if the dog's nails are getting too long, the friction with the floor will break the glue's bond. If you don't see them coming off after 4 weeks, take a toe nail clipper, cut off the tip...and walah! they come off. THe glue is not some super hold crazy glue...if you get some on your fingers, once dried you can usually pull it off easily. You really don't need to trim your dog's nails excessively as the soft paws protect your belongings, and will usually fall off when the nail is ready to be trimmed.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

After reading this, I'm actually pretty interested. I'm hoping Basil's Comfortis will be kicking in soon (He's had two monthly tablets so far, and he's still itching) but I think most of his itching is caused by allergies. Anyways, he's always scratching, and it's quite unsettling when he scratches raw spots all over himself, rips out all of his ear fringes, and even managed to scratch his chin bloody a while back. Do you think these Soft Paws will prevent damage to the skin and prevent him from ripping out fur?


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## BedazzledLV (Dec 9, 2009)

Nargle said:


> After reading this, I'm actually pretty interested. I'm hoping Basil's Comfortis will be kicking in soon (He's had two monthly tablets so far, and he's still itching) but I think most of his itching is caused by allergies. Anyways, he's always scratching, and it's quite unsettling when he scratches raw spots all over himself, rips out all of his ear fringes, and even managed to scratch his chin bloody a while back. Do you think these Soft Paws will prevent damage to the skin and prevent him from ripping out fur?


Oh for sure! This will make it impossible for his nails to irritate or break the skin. A lot of people suffering with extremely thinned skin love them because the pets nails don't hurt their skin with softpaws on. Imagine his nails being like rubber nubbs. Just follow my application instructions and use the bitter apple spray so he doesn't chew them off when first getting acclimated ... And I believe you will have success.


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