# Clipping nails



## Cole (May 29, 2007)

Hi everyone, I wonder if you can help me. 

I am wondering who here clips their dogs nails, and is it simple to do? I've heard horror stories about owners clipping nails and cutting the toe. 

If anyone could give me any advice, I was thinking about clipping Coles nails myself. 

Thank you.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

I clip my dogs nails by myself at home, but if you're unsure of how to do it or nervous about doing it, then you may need a groomer or vet to show you how to do it.


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## Shell&Jas (Jul 4, 2007)

I trim many dogs nails being a vet nurse, and at first it can be a bit scary but it does get easier. It is definitely a good idea to get a vet to show you how to do it properly. 

The hardest thing is usually when a dog has black nails. This makes it very hard as you can not see the quick (soft pink part within the nail, which is obviously much easier to see with white nails). If you cut this they will bleed. With any of these black nails be very careful and only clip a small amount.

I find it a good idea to get your dog used to having their paws touch and played with, this makes it a lot easier when you have to clip their nails. It always helps to have someone help hold your dog as well whilst doing it and of course treats afterwards  .


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## Cole (May 29, 2007)

Thank you, he doesn't mind having his nails trimmed or his paws touched. 

The only reason I ask is that he went to the groomers to be trimmed a couple of weeks ago, i paid £17.00 (which i think is mayber $30-35.00 - is this normal price?) and when they dropped him home, they hardly looked like they'd touched them. In fact, they seemed to have just filed them off on both sides to make them into a really sharp point. 

Don't get me wrong, money is not an issue to put his health and well being first, but to be fair, i do begrudge taking him somewhere where they don't do the job properly - its the nearest one to me and I dont know where there is another near by. Looking at the job they did on Cole and my mum and dads two dogs, I dont think that they're trained in grooming. 

So I thought that maybe I'd try myself, but he does have black nails. Think best thing for me to do is book him at the vets for them to do it properly. I dont want my inexperience to end up hurting him. 

Thanks again!


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Where I live in the states that would be a bit high. No matter where I've lived the vets only charge me $5-7 US to trim nails. 

Find a groomer or a vet you trust to show you the first time. But yourself GOOD trimmers, not the cheapest ones on the shelf. It seems that really good groomers that I trust all suggest the guillotine style vs the scissor style. Once you have mastered that you might want to move on to a rotary tool that grinds down the nail. You don't have to buy the name brand Dremel, there are lots of other brands out there. We have an online store called PetEdge but I don't know if they ship internationally.

Also, good website...

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/clientED/dog_nails.asp


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

My vet will trim snoopy's nails for free, he better do it for free for charging $24 for a vet visit when all he did was give him his shots today. lol Snoopy has white and black nails, weird I know, so I won't trim his nails as his nails can wait till a vet visit.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

I hate clipping, so dremmel instead. Easier on the dog AND me!


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## DivaDog (Jun 10, 2007)

Briteday - I think that price is for nails AND a groom -and I dont know what the dog is but you wouldnt get a groom out of me for less than £20 - and thats for a very small dog. So it sounds cheap - but prices do vary from area to area. But they clearly didnt do the dogs nails properly.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

I use a dremel to trim all of our dog's nails. If I were to take them to a groomer or other place to have them trimmed, I'd want them to also use a dremel (or other handheld rotary tool). Makes for shorter nails with no sharp edges.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

diva, well here in the us a nail trimming is $5 to $7 and grooming is a seperate price.


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Yes, $5-7 US is just for the nails being trimmed. To groom the papillon (bathe, blow out, ears, trim) is around $50 US. But since getting the papiloon I have gotten much better at doing all of the grooming at home. The papillon is easy because she doesn't have any fur undercoat and she fits in a dishpan in the kitchen sink to bathe. And since learning to use the dremel style tool for nails, the rest is a breeze.


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## nrhareiner (Dec 6, 2006)

I do all my own triming. Both canine and equine. Saves a lot of $$. The dogs get trimed about every 5 days and the horses every 4 -5 weeks. Now that is a lot of work.

Heidi


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> The only reason I ask is that he went to the groomers to be trimmed a couple of weeks ago, i paid £17.00 (which i think is mayber $30-35.00 - is this normal price?) and when they dropped him home, they hardly looked like they'd touched them. In fact, they seemed to have just filed them off on both sides to make them into a really sharp point.


This is what I found, too, when I sent my dogs to a groomer. They barely touched the nails. I bought the mini mite cordless dremmel, and learned how to dremmel their nails (excellent tutorial on www.doberdawn.com) .


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## Cole (May 29, 2007)

Thanks for the advise, the £17 I was charged was just for the nails trimmed - or put it this way, he didn't smell or look like he'd been bathed. He's a Staffy/Lab cross. 

Can anyone advise where (in england or America that will ship overseas) to get a dremmel from, and what price is a good one to pay (obviously im new to this so dont want to be ripped off)

I am getting another dog tomorrow, so would save a fortune it pets bills, luckily for me theyre both short haired to minimal grooming - although they do like baths and being brushed!


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

One of the most comprehensive sources in the US is PetEdge.com. They cater to groomers so they carry quite a selection and wide price range. Shipping international...I don't know.


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## DivaDog (Jun 10, 2007)

Nails are always included in my groom price. I dont do just nails because working as a mobile groomer it isnt cost effective for me to make a journey just to charge say £5 for nails - and if I charged anymore they might as well just go to the vets.


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## Cole (May 29, 2007)

Where abouts are you based DivaDog?


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## DivaDog (Jun 10, 2007)

I am down south, Hampshire.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

We bought our Dremel at a big chain home supply store (Lowes, which you probably don't have over there). Dremel is just a brand, so all you need to look/ask for is a handheld rotary tool. They do sell some marketed for dogs (same thing you'd buy at the hardware store, just a different color) but it's usually the variety I don't like (only has high or low setting). I really like the Dremel that has a fully adjustable setting so I can set it for the right speed based on the dog's nails. Here's a link to a quick write up I did on our site: linky. It's not as comprehensive as doberdawns site (I figured, why re-invent the wheel), it's sort of the cliff notes version


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## echo8287 (Jul 5, 2007)

I trim my dogs hair and cut their nails. I also do my daughters dog. You must be very careful when trimming their nails with a clipper. I cut my daughter's Yorkie's nails last weekend. They are black and I got them all cut and on the very last one cut it in the quick. I felt so bad. I was just taking a very minimal amount off each one, that is why it doesn't look like they cut much off your dogs nails. If you keep them cut more frequently the quick will subside some. On black nails it is still very hard to see. I also use a cordless Dremel tool with the 120 grit wheels.If you use a Dremel you cannot hold it on the nail but a couple of seconds, friction will heat the nails up. David


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## ShihtzuBeauty (Aug 11, 2007)

I too do all of mine at home but I think asking your vet. or your groomer for a lesson is a Great idea. I was nerveous at first too and I did quick my Eve but thankfully I had some Kwik Stop on hand which stopped the bleeding, it wasn't much. I've been doing it for several mths. now w/no more mishaps.


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## 3212 (Feb 4, 2007)

Clipping nails can be really tough. I've been doing Bridgette's for ages, but I agree that taking her to your vet to have them show you is a great idea. 

And yeah the black nails are much harder to do. I work at a vet also and I would much rather cut the nails that are light colored!  Even all of us who have been doing it can cut a tad too much once in a while. We have special sticks to push the quick back too, but at home with Bridgette I just have to be more careful.

Just watch for clipping too much, you do it once and a dog who had no problem with it, will be very unhappy with it.  I got Bridgette a tiny bit once and she is still pretty nervous about having it done. Poor baby.


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## veronica2181 (Aug 13, 2007)

I have tried clipping my dogs nails too but am scared because she has black nails. Since there is no vet here where I live, I have to take here into the city but I have yet to do that. I just clip a very little bit off but that still leaves them long, not short enough.

I have also heard that there are dogs who bleed to death because nails were clipped too far. I don't know if this is true or not but because of this I am scared too. 

I will take her to the vet, when I move to the city, to have them clipped and for them to show me how if I may one day choose to do it myself.


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## jpsinon11 (Aug 26, 2007)

I too vote for the dremel. I had a dog that would let me come near him with the nail clippers ever since a groomer I took him to cut too close, but he didnt mind the dremel. Wish I had discovered it sooner, you can find a cordless one at any hardware store or Walmart, Sears


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## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

I clip my dogs nails myself. Dan has light colored ones, so his are easy. Eddie has all black nails, but I haven't had to clip his yet because he is so active that they get worn down naturally. I still check them frequently though. Uallis has some light nails and some black nails. For the black ones, I turn his foot sideways and I can see the quick pretty well. He has such large paws that even after I clip his nails, they still look long but I can't take anymore off of them. Uallis doesn't mind in the least getting them clipped because my boyfriend rubs Uallis's back and legs which really relaxes him. Sometimes I think he dozes off.


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## 007Dogs (Aug 22, 2007)

I do all my dogs as well. I have 13 dogs, so nail trim day is time consuming. I use a combination of clippers and a dremel. If they are really long then I clip some first, then dremel. But I start this when they are only 3 weeks old, so they are use to having it done. But puppies are still very wiggley. I prefer the plier or scissor type clippers.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I must confess. Esther's nails were getting pretty long. Besides being uncomfortable for her (I assume - though I haven't seen a sign of that) she tears up the lawn when she runs (looks like I used a tiller) and it's tough on the hardwood floors.

The groomer doesn't seem too excited to do it, so I figured I'd just start doing it myself. I've trimmed my previous dogs' nails without incident. But none of them were Esther.

I made sure I had the best clipper I could find and appropriate to her size (bear claw clippers, I think.) Then, I threw the ball for an hour or so to get her tired. 

After she'd stopped panting, I brought her in the house (because it was getting dark) put some small treats in my pocket (which got her attention) and sat on the kitchen floor, where there's good light.

I took one paw (she was too curious about the treats in my pocket to pull away) and clipped the tiniest bit off of each nail. Then I gave her one of the treats, praised her like she had just performed the greatest feat in all of canine history. Then we repeated the other three paws, followed by treats and praise.

Despite great care and minimal trimming, I did catch the quick on one claw and had styptic swabs to stop the bleeding, which worked fine.

During the week, I'll file the rough edges and, in another week-or-so, I should be able to trim a bit more as the quick recedes. I expect to make this a nightly ritual to get her used to it. 

Once the nails are under control, I'll start introducing the Dremel.

The point of this long story is that, if I can trim Esther's nails at home, probably anyone can do it. It just takes time and patience and a plan.


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## Lorina (Jul 1, 2006)

There was a dog at the vets yesterday that had cracked one of his overgrown nails and was a bloody mess. The owners couldn't clip his nails, and even with three techs holding the dog down, we couldn't either. A second attempt an hour later with a sedative was no more productive. A total of six of us - four techs and two vets, ended up with blood, poop, pee and anal fluid on us. Most of the blood was the dogs, some was mine, some was one of the vets. He had a sliced open finger from one of the dogs other nails, I have a four inch long gash on my left arm, and bruises all over. This was six people who each have a ton of experience handling difficult animals. And I'm in worse shape today than I was the day after I totalled my Chrysler in a car accident.

We had to refer them to the emergency clinic to have the dog's broken nail treated, and the rest trimmed, under a general anesthesia. Our schedule was too full and the vets had prior commitments, so it couldn't be done at our clinic. Long story short, what is essentially a nail trim is probably going to end up costing that owner about $200.

So, please, everyone with a puppy, teach your dog early on that nail clippings are nothing to be afraid of. Please?!


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

RonE said:


> probably anyone can do it.


I guess there's an exception to every rule, huh?


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## Lorina (Jul 1, 2006)

RonE said:


> I guess there's an exception to every rule, huh?


I do agree.  Anyone who takes the time to work with their dog's issues instead of ignoring them until they reach critical mass can _eventually_ clip nails. 

But waiting until the dog is panicked and bleeding is probably not the best time to try.

On the bright side, I finally have a work related injury that isn't from a tiny toy breed like a Pom or Italian Greyhound, a dog named Cuddles, or a three month old kitten.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

And here's a good way to approach it: YouTube - CIA Case File: 'Tucker' Nail Trim


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## Snowdog (Sep 1, 2007)

Hi, 
Has anyone tried one of those electronic "quick-detecting" nail trimming gadgets? I'm thinking of investing...
Best regs, Snowdog


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