# Shattering Nails?



## DogGoneGood (Jun 22, 2008)

This winter I've noticed both dogs nails seem to be extremely dry and when I trim them they don't cut off nicely, instead some of them are SHATTERING. I've never seen this happen before.

Is it due to winter? (like how my skins been really dry from the dry, cold winter air). Could it be helped through nutrition (extra oils? etc.) Or is this something I'm just going to have to wait out?


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

This is actually nothing to do with your dog's nails, but simply that your nail trimmers are dull. Time for a new pair, or see if you can find someone to sharpen them for you...(hard to find someone that does it right, and usually its cheaper to buy a new pair.) When the trimmers are dull, they crush/shatter the nail, rather than slice cleanly thru it. Simple fix.


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## DogGoneGood (Jun 22, 2008)

Thank you! I didn't even think of that! It IS time for a new pair. I lost my good ones some time back and bought a cheap pair at the grocery store because we don't actually have a pet supplies store here, and have been meaning to buy a nice good pair that'll last me longer but haven't gotten around to it.

Makes sense. I'll buy a new (and better) pair soon, I think I'll be going to Prince George in the next couple of weeks and will be able to go get a good one.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

Or you could invest in a dremel...tehehehe...no shattering nails anymore, ever!  

I love my dremels, and most of my clients love the way their dog's nails are able to be shorter, without bleeding, and no 'sharpies' after their nails are ground, either!


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## DogGoneGood (Jun 22, 2008)

Love's_Sophie said:


> Or you could invest in a dremel...tehehehe...no shattering nails anymore, ever!
> 
> I love my dremels, and most of my clients love the way their dog's nails are able to be shorter, without bleeding, and no 'sharpies' after their nails are ground, either!


I actually hear quite a lot on dog forums that dremels are the best way to go. People I've talked to who use them say they'll never go back to the clippers. However, I've got two dogs who are a bit difficult to groom at times. Coal use to be a dream and he still loves being brushed and he loves the one on one time that comes with grooming, but he's getting old and has arthritis so I've noticed there's only so much he can take before he needs a break. I'm a little cautious about introducing a new way to him. Linkin had never even been brushed until I got him at 8 months old, so it's been a long and slow battle getting him acustomed to grooming. He's enjoying it more now (especially brushing) and I can finally trim his nails without having to have someone else rub his belly the whole time. Things that are noisy freak him right out (such as the blow dryer, I've tried and tried but he snaps at it or me so he's been a very slow process getting him use to it, I still can't actually use it ON him).

Are dremels noisy? I'd imagine the better quality you get the quieter it would be. Though I'm not sure how he'd take to the vibration of it, it's impossible to _file_ his nails as it is. I think with the next dog I get (many, many years down the road) I'll probably invest in a good dremel and get the pup use to it when it's young.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

I have gotten many dogs used to the dremel where I've worked; old dogs, young dogs, dogs who've been unhandled previously, etc...

We do have tables to our advantage, and I really don't agree to much on the whole 'lay the dog down' to groom it; I think it's easier for them to learn what's expected of them if they are set up on a table; this also enables us groomers to do certain things with the dog, without them being able to grab at us too much, as their heads are raised to atleast a sitting position height. We also don't stop just because the dog is nipping, and being squirrely...we take our time, but we can't stop just because he's a little uncomfortable about the process. Perhaps a local groomer could help you with Linkin a bit...perhaps give you some more pointers on helping him get used to the grooming, bathing, drying, dremeling\trimming etc. 

I have one SCWT that her owner said was scared of the dryer; she bit at it, and kept trying to turn around. I put a hand on her scruff, and just held it there, while I worked from back to front; most people make the mistake of trying to start drying from front to back. She is much better, although she still gets a bit squirrely about her head, but I just make sure to turn the dryer down, and double check to make sure the cotton is still in her ears.


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## DogGoneGood (Jun 22, 2008)

I do have a table I use for grooming... it's not specifically a grooming table, but about the same size with a grip slip added to it. I use to use it for Coal a lot but I can't lift him onto it and I don't want him jumping up and down due to his arthritis. So we do it all on the floor now. He does stand for it, but after a while he'll lay down because of his joints. When he does that we usually take a break for a while.

Linkin stands for grooming just fine, but HATES the table. He constantly leaps off of it. I think I need one of these things for it:










I'd just kind of prefer to keep at what I've been doing with them. I'm a bit set in my ways when it comes to grooming, as it took a while to find tools I enjoy and methods that work for me and my dogs. I'm not a huge fan of grooming dogs, I find it to be a real pain. It's just not my cup of tea  I do it for the benifit of my dogs as well as for the people who live with them  But other than that I just don't enjoy it all that much. It's one of the reasons I won't own a long haired dog again. I use to and found clipping her and dematting and removing prickle bushes to be the biggest pain ever. I'd rather spend what money I've got on other things for them (such as food) than taking them to a groomer, because I know I have the skills to do enough to keep them clean and nice looking.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

DogGoneGood said:


> Linkin stands for grooming just fine, but HATES the table. He constantly leaps off of it. I think I need one of these things for it:


LOL.. It looks like a hangman's noose! >_<!! Though I'm sure it would come in pretty handy for keeping them from moving around too much while your trying to groom. I tried putting Zoey's leash on her once, but it just freaked her out, so now I leave it off.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

It might "look" like a hangman's noose, but it's really not there to strangle the dog. Some do wig out about it the first time, but then it's up to the groomer to remain calm and relaxed, and maybe just pet the dog, until he too, relaxes; for a groomer, an arm, and grooming loop are essential to the trade, as not every dog is going to allow the groomer to do a good job without being tied. 

I have a few clients who are really good on the table, and I do as much as I can without the loop; this makes alot of clients really impressed, especially if it happens to be their dog on the table, without any restraint. However, for the vast majority of dogs, it's just plain safer to keep them restrained, in some form or fashion. Whether it's a loop around the neck like a collar, or around the chest (behind front legs, if he's a 'chronic strangler' type), or one combined with the collar style or chest style, around the waist (for the chronic sitter). 

We don't walk away from dogs on the table; if I have to, I will have another person stand by the dog, so he doesn't slip off the table (if he turns around, or tries to jump), or I will simply un-loop him, carry him as I am doing what I gotta do, set him on the floor, or put him in a crate. 

For most dogs, getting used to the grooming table, along with the loop, is not too complicated, or drawn out; they just seem to realize that they are on the table, and need to stay there. For those that do get scared, we just work through it, because it's highly unfeasible to groom a dog on the floor, or on the table when he's constantly trying to get away, or nipping, scratching, etc. The grooming loop helps refrain some of that behavior.


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## DogGoneGood (Jun 22, 2008)

I can clearly see how in a grooming business it's not convenient or rational to groom a dog on the floor, but I think in my home in my bathroom the floor suits us fine 

Actually, Coal still tries to get up on the table but I don't let him. If I could get some kind of steps up to it or lift him up I would still groom him there, but for his own health I don't want him jumping up and down.

The funny thing is that we have a cat door on the bathroom door so that Linkin won't go in and eat out of the litter box when unsupervised like he has a nasty habit of doing. Coal will lay on the floor and stick his head through the cat door when I blow dry him so he doesn't have to listen to the noise or get the air in his face 

I think I will give a go at getting Linkin back on the table though. He's just so squirmy and big that it's hard for me to keep him on there safely, which is why it would be nice to get one of those attachments to keep him there. I just worry he'll do a leap of faith and hang himself! Though with his size I bet he'd more likely take the table with him than hang there. I think if I try and get him on the table I'm going to get myself an assistant to help me out, in any case


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## onthink (Mar 28, 2008)

I agree with the second floor.


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## 4lilmunchkins (Feb 14, 2009)

DogGoneGood said:


> I actually hear quite a lot on dog forums that dremels are the best way to go. People I've talked to who use them say they'll never go back to the clippers. However, I've got two dogs who are a bit difficult to groom at times. Coal use to be a dream and he still loves being brushed and he loves the one on one time that comes with grooming, but he's getting old and has arthritis so I've noticed there's only so much he can take before he needs a break. I'm a little cautious about introducing a new way to him. Linkin had never even been brushed until I got him at 8 months old, so it's been a long and slow battle getting him acustomed to grooming. He's enjoying it more now (especially brushing) and I can finally trim his nails without having to have someone else rub his belly the whole time. Things that are noisy freak him right out (such as the blow dryer, I've tried and tried but he snaps at it or me so he's been a very slow process getting him use to it, I still can't actually use it ON him).
> 
> Are dremels noisy? I'd imagine the better quality you get the quieter it would be. Though I'm not sure how he'd take to the vibration of it, it's impossible to _file_ his nails as it is. I think with the next dog I get (many, many years down the road) I'll probably invest in a good dremel and get the pup use to it when it's young.



I use a dremel on my dogs and two of the four of them I hadn't used a dremel on until they were adults and they do fine with it. It's not noisy, you can hear it, but I wouldn't describe it as "noisy"
To me, it's much easier than clipping the nails with nail clippers and it seems like it's easier on them too....


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