Toenail Advice?

[midgesmom]

I'm going to start trying to keep Midge's toenails as short as possible because she has splayed toes under the best of conditions - when her nails get long it gets even worse. It isn't going to be easy because she's not fond of having her toes messed with. Today I took her to the vet and had them clip her nails and I thought now that they are short, maybe I could keep them that way by using a dremmel. Somehow, that seems more "do-able" than using clippers on her.

Can I just use the little dremmel I use for crafts or are there specialized ones that are better for dogs? If I do use the dremmel I have, there are a lot of attachments for "sanding jobs." Which type works best? Also, any advice as to technique?

I hope I haven't alarmed anyone with these questions. Re-reading the paragraph above, I think I must sound like the last person who should be approaching a dog with a dremmel in my hand! :SHOCKED:

Midge and I would appreciate any advice you have.

[Jespah]

I've never attempted dremmeling my dogs, but the best advice I can give you is to get her used to the dremmel before you use it on her.

Put the dremmel on the floor and get her to sniff it and give her a cookie. Do this several times and tell her she is a good girl - followed by a favourite treat everyy time. Then turn it on when she is near and turn it off. If she doesn't react in a bad way, treat her and praise her. Keep building on this so that dremmel equals cookie, equals good. Work your way up to just touching her toenail with it - you'll have to gauge the speed of progress by her reactions. Work to just touching and turning it off, then a little longer touch, etc., until she will tolerate the actual sanding.

This is basically how I was told to train Rupert to the Gentle Leader, or to anything they are fearful of or don't want to do. Rupert happily shoves his nose into the GL now as it means cookie and a walk.

I don't know enough about the size of the sanding parts of a dremmel to advise you as to which one to use, but a number of people here use them and should be able to help. But at least you can be working towards being ready to go even without knowing what bit to use.

Good luck!!

[glencorgi]

Your craft dremmel should work just fine. I used one of those until I wore it out. :WINK: Some people use the sanding stones, but I've always used the sand paper bands.

Debbie

[CorgiMum]

Jane, I have an Oster Pet-I-Cure 'dremel' & the instructions that have been sitting in the corgi cupboard unused for the last 13 years. You are welcome to have it.:SMILE:

Are you going to Victoria, Bobbie's Beach Walk or the NW Corgi picnic? I can bring it along if you like.

What I have done with Danny is, I bought a large pair of human toe nail clippers and work on them every couple of days to keep the quick down.

I can't cut off too much with them, that is my fear of the very nice dog clippers that I bought also.

[midgesmom]

Jane, I have an Oster Pet-I-Cure 'dremel' & the instructions that have been sitting in the corgi cupboard unused for the last 13 years. You are welcome to have it.:SMILE:

Are you going to Victoria, Bobbie's Beach Walk or the NW Corgi picnic? I can bring it along if you like.

What I have done with Danny is, I bought a large pair of human toe nail clippers and work on them every couple of days to keep the quick down.

I can't cut off too much with them, that is my fear of the very nice dog clippers that I bought also.

I'm planning to go to Bobbie's on July 19. I'd love to see the instructions you have. I like the idea of human toenail clippers. I use those on my cat, but never thought of trying them on the dog.

[CorgiMum]

I'll bring the instructions and the tool to Bobbie's then, you are welcome to have them both. A gift for Midge, although she may not want to thank me.:WINK:

[midgesmom]

Thanks! She probably will never know how lucky she is that I'm getting instructions!

The other thing we did at the vet's yesterday was have them check a little fatty cyst on her neck. They said it was benign, and they drained it, but said it would likely come back and we could either have it drained every so often or have them remove it at some point.

Boy were they right about it filling up again. It's almost as big today as it was when we went in yesterday. It doesn't seem to bother her. Now I'm wondering if there would be any advantage to her health-wise, in having them remove the cyst instead of just leaving it be or draining it. Anyone have any experience with fatty cysts?

[Jespah]

Jane why don't you start a thread on this topic so that others will see it and it will be searchable in the future for people looking for info?

Deb

[midgesmom]

Good idea. How easy it is to wander from topic to topic!

[taflar]

Can I just use the little dremmel I use for crafts or are there specialized ones that are better for dogs? If I do use the dremmel I have, there are a lot of attachments for "sanding jobs." Which type works best? Also, any advice as to technique?

I have an actual dremmel now (brand name) but any brand will do. I use the sand paper attachements. I found out over the years the stones get too hot and are uncomfortable for the dogs.

As for technique try this site:
http://homepages.udayton.edu/~merensjp/doberdawn/dremel/dremel.html

Peggy

[taflar]

I've never attempted dremmeling my dogs, but the best advice I can give you is to get her used to the dremmel before you use it on her.

Put the dremmel on the floor and get her to sniff it and give her a cookie. Do this several times and tell her she is a good girl - followed by a favourite treat everyy time. Then turn it on when she is near and turn it off. If she doesn't react in a bad way, treat her and praise her. Keep building on this so that dremmel equals cookie, equals good. Work your way up to just touching her toenail with it - you'll have to gauge the speed of progress by her reactions. Work to just touching and turning it off, then a little longer touch, etc., until she will tolerate the actual sanding.

This is basically how I was told to train Rupert to the Gentle Leader, or to anything they are fearful of or don't want to do. Rupert happily shoves his nose into the GL now as it means cookie and a walk.

Now you tell me! LOL!

I just did an impromptu dog grooming demo at our picnic yesterday. Ground nails on a little corgi who 1) wasn't thrilled to be the demo dog, 2) hated, no HATED to have her feet messed with and 3) is a pain for her mom.

Ok, she did try to bite me, not hard, but did put her teeth on my hand. So I muzzled her. Her mom started to tell her it was ok and we talked about that.

I told her to "Knock it off, I've never killed a dog by doing their nails and you're not going to be the first." After that there were a couple of firm "Stop!" commands.

Another long time corgi gal (and professional groomer) helped hold her and she stopped fighting. We did all 16 nails and no one died or got injured. She'd never had her nails done by a dremel before.

You know I don't tend to ask my dogs for permission to do things. I just do them. Lacy was a pain in the butt for quite awhile. I solved that by not getting her used to the dremel but by doing one nail and giving her a piece of a cookie (note the word piece!). I worked up to a piece of a cookie for a paw (4 nails). And now I can do her by myself.

Getting a dog used to something is ok if you have the time. This dogs nails have just been done and will continue to grow while you're working at getting the dog used to the dremel. You need to keep at this and get the nails shorter now. Not time in this case to wait and get the dog used to the dremel.

So my advice is:
- don't take any bull from your dog
- muzzle them if they try to bite
- Reward for good behavior even if it's one nail at a time for awhile
- finish what you start. Or at least make the decision YOURS! Meaning if you start out to do nails you do nails. If the dog gets away they win and will fight harder next time. You don't have to do all 16 nails but do at least one or one foot. And then do the same the next day.
- remember dogs will fight when they think they can win. When they know they can't they don't fight.

If your dog has very long nails you can dremmel or grind them every 3 days and get them back. Yes, I've done this with success. If not so bad at least once a week.

Peggy

[midgesmom]

Peggy, I think my vet takes your approach. The "no-nonsense" approach. I know they put a muzzle on her and I think they have a tech hold her down. Once I tried to help hold her, but Midge behaved so much worse with me in the room that I've just stayed in the waiting room and let the technician do the holding since then. All I can tell you is that when they bring her out to me, the tech has an awful lot of fur stuck to her clothing and Midge is awfully glad to see me. :WINK: How do you pin them down anyway? What I was doing (wrapping my arm around her neck) was not very successful. Do you pin the dog on it's back?

[Penutsma]

I have watched Cheryl cut the nails for her dogs (and mine). The corgis she puts on their backs and puts a leg over them to let them know she means business. Then she cuts them with the dog nail trimmer. Peanut (the chihuahua) we wrap in a towel with the foot being worked on exposed. He has a tendency to struggle and/or pee on you if you don't have the towel. None of them try to bite. I have a dremel and have thought about using it, just never have gotten it out for that purpose.

[mtoy]

Millie is a little brat about toenail trimmings. I sit on the ground with her laying on her side and her back facing me. Her head is on my left side. I put my leg over her neck area so she can't bite me (my leg just blocks, it doesn't press down on her neck). I lean over her, do the clipping and then she's done. I like to do it outside but in the winter it's on the bathroom floor. When she was little I tried to bribe her into it but it made no difference, she snarled and bit me. Then we used a muzzle until she realized I meant business each and every time. Now it's just the leg draped over her. It's progress, right?:ROLLEYES

Link likes to have it done - isn't that weird???:EEK:

[glencorgi]

How do you pin them down anyway? What I was doing (wrapping my arm around her neck) was not very successful. Do you pin the dog on it's back?

What I learned 14 years or so ago was to get the dog, sit on the floor and turn the dog over on its back between my legs. I then put one leg over the dog's abdomen and begin work on the nails. Now, they will, can and do still wiggle and squirm, turn themselves back over, etc., you just keep flipping them back over.

Alternately, I've watched my vet clip nails with them standing on the exam table - the tech will secure the head while he picked up a foot and snipped away. I've had a few I could do that with on the grooming table.

Another method (I've not tried) is a two person job. With one person standing, they hold the dog like "dangling" while the second person works on the nails.

This method I've done with success and is a two person one as well. Coat a spoon with peanut butter and have someone hold it within licking range. Hold the dog in your lap on its back and while they are busy going after the peanut butter, do the nails. Canned spray cheese also works well for this method. IF you don't have a second pair of hands, "painting" the side of the bathtub with peanut butter works. The dog licks off the peanut butter while in your lap and you do the nails.

Those are just a few methods I've tried and heard of.

Debbie

[midgesmom]

Thanks for the advice. I think the "on the back" method with a leg resting on the abdomen or neck might work for Midge. She usually understands submission when she gets into that position. I think it might be harder for me than for her, truth be told!