Nails

[Emily]

Ella's nails are absolutely awful. I've spent so long trying to work up to cutting them myself and have only every got as far as being able to gently touch a nail file onto them.

She is that bad that she needs to be sedated at the vet.

She's due to go and get her teeth done so we'll obviously get her nails done at the same time but I'm now starting to wonder the best course of action moving forward.

We know that long nails can cause all sorts or trouble from split/ripped/infected nails to joint issues from walking funny. However, if our only option to trim them is sedation at the vet, I'm wondering which is worse and what our best option is.

 

[snowbunny]

Have you tried using sandpaper on them rather than clipping? Sometimes that's a lot easier. Or else, have you tried teaching her to do her own by making a scratch board?

What does she do when you try?

 

[Oberon]

Agree, try emery (spelling??) boards. Slow, but low stress. Just do a toe or two at a time if you want to.

 

[Naya]

Harley is the same. I spent several weeks getting the clippers closer and closer and managed to get 1 nail clipped, we then had to start from scratch. Her nails are ok on most of the paws except the front left which is probably to do with her arthritis in that paw. I’ve tried sandpaper and an Emery board, but she just hates her nails being touched. I usually have to wait until she’s sedated to get them done.

 

[MrChew]

Chewie is similar @Emily. We had been training towards it but since having Rowan I have neglected all that stuff and just cut a few nails once or twice and we have gone back to square one.

It might be worth looking into a scratch board for him as Chewie likes digging up his bed (but doesn't dig in dirt at all). Can you buy them readymade? Too time poor to make one unless it's stupidly easy.

 

[Emily]

Have you tried using sandpaper on them rather than clipping? Sometimes that's a lot easier. Or else, have you tried teaching her to do her own by making a scratch board?

What does she do when you try?

Agree, try emery (spelling??) boards. Slow, but low stress. Just do a toe or two at a time if you want to.

That's what I've been trying with the nail file. I've ditched the idea of clippers as I spent weeks just placing them in spots in the room and she'd bark at them. I managed to get to the point where I could leave them in the room and she'd ignore them but if I went anywhere near them (not near her) she'd bark and then leave the room.

I have a mat that I use when doing any type if handling. I don't touch unless she goes on the mat and she gets treats either way. It works well for most things, except the nails. Months and months of work have enabled me on some occasions to gently pick up a paw and touch (but not scrape) a nail file on her claw. If she at any point changes her mind, that's it and she won't come near again. Possibly even for days.

There's just not enough progress and not enough hours in the day. At this rate, she could be an old lady by the time I can actually trim any nail off.

 

[Boogie]

I suggest some pavement walking every day. We walk to Tatze’s free run place on pavements and she’s never needed a nail trim. Echo does even more pavement walking. None of our pups have needed grime either.

 

[kateincornwall]

I suggest some pavement walking every day. We walk to Tatze’s free run place on pavements and she’s never needed a nail trim. Echo does even more pavement walking. None of our pups have needed grime either.

Agree with Mags , hard surface walking can really help . I walk the dogs on forest trails which are sort of compacted gravel , Reubs does like to explore in the woods a little but mostly he stays on the trails so it keeps his nails trimmed . Same with the little one although she has the added complication of back dew claws which never make contact with the ground , so we have to steal ourselves to clip them , nightmare x

 

[Stacia]

I suggest some pavement walking every day. We walk to Tatze’s free run place on pavements and she’s never needed a nail trim. Echo does even more pavement walking. None of our pups have needed grime either.

I walk Rourke every day down our lane for about 20 minutes, but still his claws grow and grow and grow, I have to trim them every week now. He hates having them done but I found if I put him in a sit, then put my arm around him, I can cut his left hand front claws easily (I am sitting on his right, both of us facing the same way), not quite so accommodating on his right claws but getting easier.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Maybe her claws are painful when you cut them?

 

[Charlie]

Charlie's grow very fast. I cut his every two weeks or so but when he was rehabilitating after his surgery he was being walked down the Glen road and his nails stayed filed. I'm glad that he has no problem having them clipped. xx

 

[Emily]

I suggest some pavement walking every day. We walk to Tatze’s free run place on pavements and she’s never needed a nail trim. Echo does even more pavement walking. None of our pups have needed grime either.

We do walk on pavements every day, but they just keep growing

I walk Rourke every day down our lane for about 20 minutes, but still his claws grow and grow and grow, I have to trim them every week now. He hates having them done but I found if I put him in a sit, then put my arm around him, I can cut his left hand front claws easily (I am sitting on his right, both of us facing the same way), not quite so accommodating on his right claws but getting easier.

Ella's are the same but I just can't cut them.

Maybe her claws are painful when you cut them?

I cut the quick once when she was a puppy and we've never been able to get near them again. To be honest, she's pretty bad at being poked and prodded in general. I can touch and check nearly all of her body (even her nails, if she's snoozing on me) but the second you pick something else up (a wipe, cream, drops, clippers, brush etc.) she's out of there!

 

[snowbunny]

So you know your own dog, but I have two very different “modes”. One (the 99% of the time one) us teaching them they have a say, and teaching them how to work within those parameters. Let’s not be obscure about it, though - this is a conversation I’ve had elsewhere recently - the idea of choice is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, at any time the dog has the choice to opt out, but everything I’m doing is in order to create a reinforcement history so rich that the dog doesn’t want to.... so the choice long term is all mine!
Anyhow, outside of the 99%, there are times that things have to happen. My dogs need their nails trimmed now because I’ve not done it in a while because of the finger, and so when it happens they will have no choice. We have a different approach for these times and the dogs understand it. It sucks, but they put up with it and I work as quickly as I can to get through it... less food but I’m not reinforcing behaviours, so it’s not as necessary. Just get in there, do the job, get out, play an amazing game afterwards.

BUT it is going to depend on the dog and how they’re going to react to that.To date, Willow had been my most sensitive and she hates her feet being touched in day to day stuff. If she’s sat next to me and I accidentally touch her foot, she will jump a mile. But, she’s learned that on these odd occasions where nail trims are non negotiable, it is what it is. She doesn’t even need restraining in any way: it started with J holding her, then he’d just sit next to her and now it’s just a case of me alone, and simply not asking her for her start button. She gets the context and is compliant. I always ensure I don’t just grab her foot, and run my hand down her whole leg to get to the foot because that seems easier for her.
But, you know your dog, and one thing I’ve learned along this rollercoaster so far is that every dog is different, and some are more different than others!
Some dogs (Shadow specifically) needed a bit of a shove through that barrier to find out that, actually, the clippers/file weren’t trying to kill him, and once he was shown that, he embraced the cooperative aspects of it. Others will always need super careful gangling, especially if there’s any chance of redirecting onto the person with the clippers.

All this to say, I know the struggle is real. I know you’re doing your best. I know that it’s hard! And I know that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

Talia’s nails are fricking awful, and it hurts me to see, because I know that she will be sore day to day (just like when our nails are too long and hit the ends of our shoes) but she’s also obviously not massively active, and has so much more to sort through, so that’s a battle for another day. For an active dog, I’d consider it more of a priority because I’ve seen in Ginny how drastically an altered gait can affect the dog’s back, and then there are problems everywhere.

But, I have no answers for you, and only you know exactly how she is, and how much you can possibly expect from her.

 

[Emily]

Willow had been my most sensitive and she hates her feet being touched in day to day stuff. If she’s sat next to me and I accidentally touch her foot, she will jump a mile. But, she’s learned that on these odd occasions where nail trims are non negotiable, i

Ella is the complete opposite! If it's accidental or affectionate (if she's snoozing on my lap) then she's fine. But the second she gets any hint of something going on, she's off.

We have tried various methods of just getting it done in the past but unfortunately it's a no go. She's bad enough that we'd have to try to restrain her and I actually think she'd bite.

This is why I'm now trying to decide what's worse. Leaving her with horribly long nails, or having her sedated on a semi-regular basis?

It might be worth looking into a scratch board

I had been considering this but was worried that (assuming I was able to put it on cue) she'd cut or rub her pads down on the board?

 

[edzbird]

We have tried various methods of just getting it done in the past but unfortunately it's a no go. She's bad enough that we'd have to try to restrain her and I actually think she'd bite.

Snap. Meg.

 

[snowbunny]

She's bad enough that we'd have to try to restrain her and I actually think she'd bite.

Could you not use a muzzle? I appreciate it's not ideal that she's so stressed she wants to bite, but it's got to be better than sedation with all its inherent risks (and not being without stress), and I do think that long nails are an ongoing physical problem that isn't trivial.

 

[Candy]

I wonder if dogs' nails grow at different rates. I have never needed to trim a dog's nails. As @Boogie says, we do a lot of walking on pavements, but so it seems do many of you who still need to trim them. I think people's nails grow at different rates ( mine grow fast compared to many of my friends ') so maybe its the same for dogs?

 

[Emily]

Could you not use a muzzle? I appreciate it's not ideal that she's so stressed she wants to bite, but it's got to be better than sedation with all its inherent risks (and not being without stress), and I do think that long nails are an ongoing physical problem that isn't trivial.

Yes I could potentially. Not that she's muzzle trained yet. So that would be step one.

Assuming I can get her muzzle trained (which is a good idea anyway), I'm struggling with the idea that we're going to have to push her to her absolute limit every few weeks and what that might do to her long term relationship and trust with us. And the risk of cutting her quick again is pretty high as we'll likely be rushing and wrestling her to do it.

It brings me back to a fear that I can potentially protect her health by trimming her nails but I could destroy her trust. I just wish I hadn't failed this part of her puppy hood.

 

[Atemas]

I wonder if dogs' nails grow at different rates.

Yes. Sky never ever had her nails cut, the pavement walking did the job. Red’s nails are long and I need to cut them. I’ve had the clippers out for 2 weeks - I am summoning up the courage to do them. She is fairly willingly if F holds her gently but I am always frightened of hurting her

 

[M.F.]

My heart goes out to all of you whose dogs don’t like their nails cut. I can imagine the stress. We are very lucky that Snowie just accepts it. In fact, yesterday he was wagging his tail while I was trimming his back paw nails. I discovered an easier way to do them. He was lying on the ground with one back paw stretched out with the pads showing. I could see clearly where the long tips extended over the quick and how far I could cut them. Made SUCH a difference to how easy it was and how less worried I was to cut the quick (I’m terrified of cutting the quick having cut it once and Snowie let out a gasp!!).