Nail trimming - don’t rely on your vets to tell you that your dog’s nails are too long

[CorvusCorax]

I went training a few hours away in February and the breeder of my old dog, my female's father, was there and said she looked fat and like she was in whelp and to stop training her with cocktail sausages. So I said 'oh yeah, maybe so, alright'. I sent him a picture of her last night, she's looking fantastic. I didn't take it badly at all, it was just a fact.

 

[Birker2020]

I love the FB video of this dog having it's nails trimmed. Hilarious. The cat!

1.114 Aufrufe · 75 Reaktionen | DRAMA DOG: He Won’t Hold Still For A Nail Trim Here is another episode from the DRAMA DOG series, in which our Yellow Labrador Retriever refuses to sit still during nail trimming! Will we be able to accomplish this mi

DRAMA DOG: He Won’t Hold Still For A Nail Trim Here is another episode from the DRAMA DOG series, in which our Yellow Labrador Retriever refuses to sit still during nail trimming! Will we be able to...

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[Pidgeon]

Just don’t assume that your vet will advise you if your dog’s toe nails are too long, even if they clearly are .

It was reading on here about dog nail clipping that got me looking at our 8yo JRT’s nails. Here’s the diagram, hers were firmly in the too long category, including the very long quicks, despite regularly being walked on the road. We’ve had her for 5 years and her nails have never been trimmed in all that time.

View attachment 159191

Before.

View attachment 159192


I bought the AAD recommended red handled Millers Forge nail clippers, but decided that it was best left to an expert with such a wrigglesome dog in case I drew blood.

Asked for recommendations for nail clipping from a very helpful local AADer, and have just come back from having the JRTs nails done for the first time by her recommended groomer. Dog was no trouble at all, came out happy as anything, but the groomer knows just what she’s doing. Much better already, but it will need to be little and often (every 4-6 weeks) because of the length of her quicks, which will hopefully recede in time. Lovely groomer who does nail trimming for just £10 a time. Am booking the dog in for the full grooming thing next time inc a wash with nails done as well.

After.

View attachment 159193


Just baffling that no vet has ever even mentioned the length of her nails at all at the annual vet check, and I found out about it on a forum . We always get vet treatment such as teeth etc done as and when advised, we don’t skimp.

Stan has always hated his nails being clipped and it's been a constant battle. I then got this, and it's been amazing! Not stress and I can just grind a bit off at a time, or more if needed and he's happy with it being done. Definite game changer.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Stan has always hated his nails being clipped and it's been a constant battle. I then got this, and it's been amazing! Not stress and I can just grind a bit off at a time, or more if needed and he's happy with it being done. Definite game changer.

That’s interesting, lots of good reviews on it .

 

[rara007]

Crumbs, imagine all those years at vet school and then the internship and residency working yourself to the ground for terrible wages, to end up working somewhere you still have to do nail clips…! Unsurprisingly clipping nails doesn’t really come under the syllabus for any of the specialisms..! Do you see Derm..? Or surgery..? Or…?
Us GPs the nail clips are usually booked into the VCA or nurses consult list but of course the vets will end up with the odd one during a vaccine. Even these the appointment is sometimes split between staff if we’re at capacity to keep the vet on vet only work. Even 3am Christmas Day if you insisted on being seen with a broken nail you’d (almost!) have change from £80.

 

[scats]

I trim nails every day, obviously
Dogs nails are all so different. Of my own two dogs, Lily-Rose only ever needs her back dew claws trimming. The rest just keep themselves worn nice and short to the quick.
Bess needs regular trimming and has very long quicks. Her and Lily-Rose walk the same distance on the same surfaces. Bess is actually the more active of the two.

I do nail trims in with every groom. If I do them as a stand alone job, I should really charge £10 but I’m too soft and mostly only ever charge £5 (it’s no wonder I’m broke!).

Nail trimming is a skill that you learn to get good at. I have some weird and wonderful ways of getting dogs to let me do it- including singing and making strange noises. You’ve got to be pretty speedy, but know what you’re doing and have good control of your nail trimmers. There’s a definite art to it.

 

[KEK]

I trim nails every day, obviously
Dogs nails are all so different. Of my own two dogs, Lily-Rose only ever needs her back dew claws trimming. The rest just keep themselves worn nice and short to the quick.
Bess needs regular trimming and has very long quicks. Her and Lily-Rose walk the same distance on the same surfaces. Bess is actually the more active of the two.

I do nail trims in with every groom. If I do them as a stand alone job, I should really charge £10 but I’m too soft and mostly only ever charge £5 (it’s no wonder I’m broke!).

Nail trimming is a skill that you learn to get good at. I have some weird and wonderful ways of getting dogs to let me do it- including singing and making strange noises. You’ve got to be pretty speedy, but know what you’re doing and have good control of your nail trimmers. There’s a definite art to it.

Yes totally agree. And vets are often rubbish at nails, my nurses are so much better.
Of course if clients would actually train their dogs so they were well behaved for it that would be nice..
Some of the groomers round my clinic have stopped doing nails! None of them appear to do anal glands anymore now not nails either..

 

[Amymay Again]

Yes totally agree. And vets are often rubbish at nails, my nurses are so much better.
Of course if clients would actually train their dogs so they were well behaved for it that would be nice..
Some of the groomers round my clinic have stopped doing nails! None of them appear to do anal glands anymore now not nails either..

I certainly wouldn't want my groomer doing anal glands.

 

[Archangel]

I love the FB video of this dog having it's nails trimmed. Hilarious. The cat!

1.114 Aufrufe · 75 Reaktionen | DRAMA DOG: He Won’t Hold Still For A Nail Trim Here is another episode from the DRAMA DOG series, in which our Yellow Labrador Retriever refuses to sit still during nail trimming! Will we be able to accomplish this mi

DRAMA DOG: He Won’t Hold Still For A Nail Trim Here is another episode from the DRAMA DOG series, in which our Yellow Labrador Retriever refuses to sit still during nail trimming! Will we be able to...

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That cat is being so very cat

 

[Tiddlypom]

I do nail trims in with every groom. If I do them as a stand alone job, I should really charge £10 but I’m too soft and mostly only ever charge £5 (it’s no wonder I’m broke!).

You are too soft! I thought that £10 was cheap. I’d guess that the groomer I used allows maybe 15 mins for a standalone nail trim, including the handover at start and finish. The next client was pulling up just as we left.

This was with a first time client and a dog she’d never met before.

She’s got two dogs of her own of the same age who get the same walks. One self trims, and one has to be trimmed regularly.

 

[skinnydipper]

I love the FB video of this dog having it's nails trimmed. Hilarious. The cat!

1.114 Aufrufe · 75 Reaktionen | DRAMA DOG: He Won’t Hold Still For A Nail Trim Here is another episode from the DRAMA DOG series, in which our Yellow Labrador Retriever refuses to sit still during nail trimming! Will we be able to accomplish this mi

DRAMA DOG: He Won’t Hold Still For A Nail Trim Here is another episode from the DRAMA DOG series, in which our Yellow Labrador Retriever refuses to sit still during nail trimming! Will we be able to...

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I don't see what's funny about syncope triggered by stress.

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve never had to nail trim, except when Brandy got old she had hers done every month with her librella.
Now we have Beagle who grows them at an alarming rate. I assume a positive for hounds as they do so many miles? Anyway a friendly HHO’er sent me some unused very good clippers and we are making progress. The vet (or nurse, no idea) did cut them all properly when she was in for her op but I do them about twice a week, just little bits as she won’t stay still for long.
Ffee has recently started growing one nail longer, which is a bit of a worry as I assume gait abnormality but she’s fine with it being cut.
And our beagle is quite slim, as she’s not right behind post ACL rehab it seems important to us she’s not lugging around weight she needn’t.

 

[I'm Dun]

I went training a few hours away in February and the breeder of my old dog, my female's father, was there and said she looked fat and like she was in whelp and to stop training her with cocktail sausages. So I said 'oh yeah, maybe so, alright'. I sent him a picture of her last night, she's looking fantastic. I didn't take it badly at all, it was just a fact.

Mine can appear to lose or gain weight overnight. The youngest gets ridiculous amounts of food as he does so much exercise, but that means if the exercise drops without warning the weight goes up. For a whippet he's very deep and very broad and carrying a lot of muscle, so he's heavy even when he's at his skinniest, so I have to stay on top of it. Sometimes I don't notice in time. When you see them day in day out its easy for it to be missed and you need an outside party to give you a nudge.

Considering how society is about fat people we have such a weird relationship with fat pets. People love them and wont hear they are killing them.

 

[skinnydipper]

I have to watch the big girl's weight, she can gain effortlessly. A few years ago I bought some scales so I can keep a close eye on it and make adjustments to keep her weight steady.

If anybody is thinking of buying scales, I bought these and I'm pleased with them They were under £100 when I bought them. They were accurate when I compared with vet's scales. The top is a bit slippy so I use a non slip mat and she sits on them with no bother.

 

[Birker2020]

I don't see what's funny about syncope triggered stress.

That's because that dog does not have that condition.

 

[Birker2020]

So this thread was about nails, I post a completely innocent comment about nail clipping which has allowed the same old people to openly jump on me, not only about my dogs nails but now her weight.

All done under the guise of being for the benefit of my dog and giving me friendly advice???

Seriously????.Do people actually believe this s**t??

 

[skinnydipper]

That's because that dog does not have that condition.

That is only one of several videos circulating on social media showing dogs fainting due to stress when having their nails trimmed. It isn't funny.

 

[I'm Dun]

That is only one of several videos circulating on social media showing dogs fainting due to stress when having their nails trimmed. It isn't funny.

I didnt watch it, but as I said Floyd "faints". Its horrible and I actually cried with relief when I got the new clippers and he let me cut a sliver off one nail. Once we had that first positive response we can now trim nails in short goes and no one is stressed or upset. HHO literally changed Floyds life for the better with that nail trimmer recommendation

 

[Birker2020]

That is only one of several videos circulating on social media showing dogs fainting due to stress when having their nails trimmed. It isn't funny.

Strange SD that this is not the first time this video has circulated on this forum.

You said it was learned helplessness then.

Now it's syncope. Really?

 

[skinnydipper]

Strange SD that this is not the first time this video has circulated on this forum.

You said it was learned helplessness then.

Now it's syncope. Really?

What's the matter with you this morning, Birker? Go and pick a fight with someone else please.

Learned helplessness or syncope, neither are 'hilarious'

PS It wasn't the same video.

 

[ester]

Just don't post photos of things if you don't want comments, unless of course you do want comments so you can purposely bite back at people and declare how terrible everyone on the forum is

 

[Birker2020]

Just don't post photos of things if you don't want comments, unless of course you do want comments so you can purposely bite back at people and declare how terrible everyone on the forum is

 

[Birker2020]

What's the matter with you this morning, Birker? Go and pick a fight with someone else please.

Learned helplessness or syncope, neither are 'hilarious'

PS It wasn't the same video.

 

[KEK]

I certainly wouldn't want my groomer doing anal glands.

It’s not that hard to do AGs, and I’ve never seen one ruptured via expression. Although of course more experienced person can do them quicker.
I would much rather do AGs than cut nails!

 

[scats]

It’s not that hard to do AGs, and I’ve never seen one ruptured via expression. Although of course more experienced person can do them quicker.
I would much rather do AGs than cut nails!

I do anal glands if asked to, but I will only do those easily expressed. If I am finding it difficult or it doesn’t express easily, I refer on to the vet.
Some regulars come in and get done by me at almost every groom and never have any issues.

A dog like my dog Bess, however, who is extremely ‘tight’ (vets words!) gets done at the vets. I wouldn’t ever risk doing her. You get good at figuring out what ones are going to be ok to do and what aren’t. The placement of the glands, which does vary from breed to breed, has a lot to do with this.

 

[Clodagh]

Someone’s feeling feisty today!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yet in January of this year you posted saying you thought the dog had done its acl, not a very nice thread all in, but it was complete with photos of the dog with horrendously long nails. So you should probably not be so rude and condescending to people when what you say simply isn't true.

ACL injury?

Our 11yr old beagle bitch suddenly went lame over the weekend on a walk over fields when visiting my retired horse. No yelp or anything, she's happy to jump on the bed and go up and down the stairs although we are trying to prevent her doing so. She was trotting over some very flat ground when...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

Actually I spent a lot of time typing out very considered replies to that thread, silly me. That night my old dog took ill and he was eventually PTS. It was a lesson to stop giving so much of a toss about what other people do, or don't do with their own dogs.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Actually I spent a lot of time typing out very considered replies to that thread, silly me. That night my old dog took ill and he was eventually PTS. It was a lesson to stop giving so much of a toss about what other people do, or don't do with their own dogs.

I’m so sorry about the loss of your old boy.

Whilst your advice might have fallen on deaf ears re the intended recipient, it certainly wasn’t wasted advice altogether. I took note of what you said, checked my own dog and as a result the JRT would like to say thank you for her more comfy feet.

 

[Birker2020]

Deleted, no point.

 

[I'm Dun]

I’m so sorry about the loss of your old boy.

Whilst your advice might have fallen on deaf ears re the intended recipient, it certainly wasn’t wasted advice altogether. I took note of what you said, checked my own dog and as a result the JRT would like to say thank you for her more comfy feet.

Was it that post or another where the nail clippers were recommended? Either way, either directly or indirectly it improved Floydys life hugely as well.