We have an adorable 10 pound terrier mix that we rescued from a local shelter a few years ago. I've just started grooming her wild and somewhat heavy coat myself recently. Her haircut looks pretty good although I won't be winning any grooming awards any time soon. (Professional grooming, although more precise, costs about $50 and I can't afford it any more).
What I need help with is trimming her nails. They are starting to get very overgrown. I've had them done professionally (maybe $10 a pop) but I'm not always happy with the results. They vary wildly. Her nails are very dark and I'm afraid to do them myself, although if I knew how to, I'd do them more often which I think helps the vein shrink back a little each time. Is that even true?
Years ago, I remember seeing some sure shot grinding thing. Do they still sell that and does it work well? I'm at a loss and I need to do something soon. Thanks.
I would take a grooming class before attempting to do a set of black nails. You can't see the quick. If there was at least one white nail, you could use it as a guide.
my dog is very hinky about getting his nails done. i don't mess with 'em myself. i pay extra ($15 i think) to have the vet techs do him when i take him in for a check-up.
some things are worth paying for. find someone who does do them the way you like and make recurring appointments with that person.
khairete
S.
We have some of the regular doggie nail clippers and they worked just fine with the blond colored dogs but it is not easy to get it right with our black cocker.
I will pay the extra $ to get it right.
Fortunately, our black Cocker LOVES to chase tennis balls and she would do it all day as long as you keep throwing the ball. We live in a good area with very little traffic and at least once a day, I go to the street, throw the ball and she files her own nails that way.
In the past with the other Cocker's I would have the vet tech do it for about $10 so I didn't hurt the dogs.
Our toy poodle goes to the groomer about once every 8 weeks and they take care of his nails and brush teeth. I pay $50 including tip.
I know at our doggy spa, you can go and only get nails trimmed as well.
We also have some self serve doggy bath places. I have never been but I would bet that the staff on hand at those could also help with nails.
Good luck.... and aren't you sweet for rescuing!
Do not wait too long inbetween ---Nails need to be done regularly !!!
I have them done every 6- 8 weeks. My groomer knows where the nerves and blood vessels are..I have no idea...and would be too scared to try.
.I could not do them either. Do not wait--as the nails could get too long --break and bleed. Then, the vet might need to be seen.
A local pet supply place has a groomer and she charges a small fee to do them.
Ask around---see if any of the local vets do them, pet supply places, etc...
My suggestion as a vet tech. Go in to the vet office and have them teach you how to trim nails. Then get a good pair of nail trimmers and some clotting powder, just incase you do nick the quick (vein). Even vet techs can cut a bit short. Having the powder on hand if that happends make all the difference. You can always start off by just clipping the tip and slowly working your way around the middle if the nail bed. Be observant, prior to getting to the quick you will see a dark spot in the middle. That's when you know to stop. Having someone go over it in person will help you to know what you are looking for and how to avoid hitting the quick. Hope this helps
My dog has really dark nails so I don't feel comfortable clipping them. He's anxious with strangers so having him groomed falls to me (and I do an ok job). Since I don't clip his nails I walk him often on the street which basically sands them down and keeps them short. I have the vet tech check them at his yearly check up and she's never needed to clip them.
Grinders are definitely better than clippers if you are unexperienced. We always just used a little grooming grinder for it when we had a dog who hated clippers. (You can get them for a decent price at most pet supply stores.)
Some dogs do NOT like the grinder though... And I personally find using clippers to be the easier option.
If you look under the claws, you should be able to see a dark line (the quick)... That is where the vein is, and you don't want to get into that. Since she has dark nails, you may not be able to tell. It's usually around the point where the claw starts to aim down more, instead of out so much (if that makes sense... Like the claw curves coming out of the paw, and makes an arc, but at the end of the arc the curve is more defined... You usually want to cut right after that defined point... I'm sure you can find a tutorial or something with a picture better than I can describe. Lol.) it may be longer or shorter, depending on how the dog has been previously groomed and the dog's own traits.
I always used regular nail clippers for small breeds. Lol. When I first started, I would just trim off a tiny bit at a time until they were a satisfactory length (short enoug that they don't click on the floor when walking, long enough to avoid the quick.) Just have some cornstarch handy to stop the bleeding if you DO cut her. (I use a cold cloth to apply pressure for a couple minutes, then dip the nail in cornstarch. You may have to dip more than once. (Or you can buy a styptic stick...) When the bleeding stops, (should take less than 15 minutes or so.) wash it clean and put a sock or bandage over so she can't lick it until it heals a bit... Then just keep an eye out for infection.)
If you get her out and about on a rough surface (walking on sidewalks and roads...) it should help "file" her nails naturally so you don't have to trim them so often.
I used the Pedi Paws on my cat, seen here: http://m.petsmart.com/h5/hub?id=http%3A%2Fcat%2Fnail-care.... It takes a lot of patience if your pet is afraid of the noise; but it worked. Hope this helps!
If you do use a grinder please be VERY careful as you can burn your pet if you use it incorrectly and/or leave it on the nail for too long.
