Cutting Back Dog Nails Under Sedation?

[Mosey_2003]

I’ve been doing some wondering… I keep trying to get our Cocker’s nails trimmed back to a good length, and it just isn’t going well. They curl, they have since we adopted him, and even though I try to take a little off every week the quicks just aren’t backing up like they should and I end up quicking him about every other trim Plus, he hates having me doing it, but he also can’t be comfortable with long, curling nails.

I’ve kind of come to the point where I think the only two options left are trying a dremel or having him put under and having them trim them back and cauterize them. But this sounds like it would be really painful afterward - honestly it kinda just sounds barbaric… Does anyone know anyone that’s had this done? Does it hurt afterwards?

Help!

[Stushica]

Count me in as curious too, my dog is to the point that I can trim his nails now (there was a time it was a three person circus) and they will back up some but they’re still long and after a month or two I’ll forget for a month or two and they grow back out

The best advice I have is take him to a groomer that will explain how to read the bottom of the nail so you quit quicking him. Then get a dremmel or one of those petty paws things that are slower and take off less nail less quickly after you’re done trimming dremmel the edge of the nail to thin it down a bit towards the point, it will make them less scratchy and easier to trim the next time. Then take him for a walk, the concussion should help the quick recede some. Then trim a little next week, you might just have to use the dremmel/ sander.

I’m by no means an expert on the topic but when my long time groomer/ friend looked at my dog that was the advice she gave me along with the proper way to restrain him which made a world of difference for us.

[Stushica]

Actually, if you can wait a few days I can take some pictures of what I’m talking about with the restraint and the reading the nail for you.

[Mosey_2003]

The last time I took him to the groomer she dressed me down and basically told me I was abusing the dog, after keeping him for 5 hours and giving him a crappy trim, so I’m not too hot on going back to a groomer. I got my blades sharpened and have been doing him myself. We had a Pedi Paws for the last dog and found it kind of useless, but I do have a cordless Dremel. I don’t think he’s gonna like it, though :uhoh:

[Stushica]

Sheesh, I wish she would have been more helpful and less demeaning, I realize that she would be making more money if you always paid her to trim him but if she really thinks it’s abuse education would have been more helpful than dressing down. Anyway neither here not there. I too own a useless pedi paws but it works enough if you’re concerned about taking off too much or your afraid of your dog flailing. Will take pictures tomorrow then, You’ll be amazed at how unbelievably simple black nails are!

[bryn]

I am adept at using a dremmel and for many dogs, once they get the hang of the noise, are much more comfortable with a dremmel than regular nail cutters. Go by a variable speed dremmel with both sandpaper wheels and pumice stone wheels. You can then adjust the speed to whatever you are comfortable with. I too find Petty Paws worthless!

I do have one dog though that will not let anyone touch his feet. I put him under twice a year to be “quicked”. It goes so fast that he is hardy under for any period of time, I pick him up same day, and it is like nothing ever happened as far as he is concerned. For me, his owner, it is wonderful - no more ugly long thick toenails clanking around on my floors and no more wrestling with him to do his nails.

[Mosey_2003]

Oh good! My dremel is the variable speed I think, and have some sanding wheels. I thought you weren’t supposed to use the stones because they get too hot?

At least if the grinding goes horribly maybe the ‘quicking’ won’t be too bad…

I feel bad torturing the little feller, he had it rough before we got him and is just now letting go of his anxiety/stress behaviors :o

[bugsynskeeter]

We did this for my old family dog. Being 80-90 lbs, he just would become too dangerous when trying to trim him. Even when muzzled. It was safer and less stressful for all involved when he was sedated and the nails were trimmed back. They also cut them very short when he was under for dentals.

Like I said - it was much less stressful for all involved, especially the dog.

[Mosey_2003]

I need to get him into the vet anyway, I’ll see what they say. Would certainly be easier to start ‘fresh’ with short ones and easier to try grinding when they aren’t all curled…

[Bluey]

For our big dogs, the great dane, saint bernard, rottie and dobies, once a week I asked for a foot just as with a horse and rasped each nail down, for the biggest, with an old horse rasp, the smaller ones a wood or metal larger file.
I held the paw like a hoof and never had a dog mind at all, just say foot and they would lift a paw like a horse.

Maybe they learned from watching us clean horse hooves?

For the shrimpy ones, upside down on my lap and a guillotine cut nails fine.
One especially grumpy poodle seemed to hurt with that tool, so I used a dog nail file for her.

That was all before we had Dremels, so I don’t know about them too much, have used them rarely.
Today, current small terrier, I use the upside down turtle method and guillotine and she is fine with it.

There are several ways and tools, keep trying what each of your dogs likes best.

[Foxtrot_s]

At first our vet suggested the dremel way, but our little BT was so stressed I asked him to do her under sedation. Her nails had grown longer, the quick had grown longer and the little bit we could cut off didn’t do the job. She hated it more and more. BEST thing we ever did. They trimmed her up so beautifully, filed off the callouses on the pads and she looked like a little show dog, not a 14 year old lady. She didn’t appear to have any after pain, but I think (?) they gave us a/b as a precaution.

Next time she gets her teeth done, we will do it again when she is under. No, we are not bad Mum’s - some dogs are just not candidates for clippers/dremel. It is nsot worth causing all that anxiety.

A younger dog may be better. Vet said that you dremel until he starts to pull away and that keeps the quick shorter. Our dogs do not go out on pavement so they don’t get their nails worn down that way. They are on lawn and pasture.

[Mosey_2003]

Got him an appointment for Thursday They can go ahead and do his vaccinations and pull his heartworm and be done with it all that way. He will tolerate me clipping them (I use a scissor type instead of a guillotine, never liked how they crush the nail) occasionally, but every week is just too much for him, and I haven’t made any good progress in a year, so I’m okay with a one-off. If they start out straight and a reasonable length I’m sure I can keep them up fine clipping just the tips every other week. Or trying the dremel or a file.

Thanks for easing my mind!

[threedogpack]

Now that I have a working camcorder, I will get some footage of my dogs doing their own on a sandpaper board, then put up the link. I’ve never taught rear feet, but my dogs will do their own fronts, which are usually the ones that curl.

[shayaalliard]

I had the one who freaks out done under sedation…easy peasy

Honestly, when we used to get pets in to the store that were BAD long, we just did one nail or two per day- held them, cut as short as they should be, superglued the tip to stop the bleeding. Never really seemed to bother them.

[GraceLikeRain]

Some vets will do “quick backs” where they intentionally quick a dog to a varying degree of severity when sedated and then cauterize the nails. Usually the protocol is a mild pain killer, antibiotics course, and light activity for a few days. The ones I knew who had it done acted 100% fine day one but since the nails/foot are swimming in dirt and germs 24/7 it is better to be safe than sorry.

At a lesser extreme, we did normal trims under sedation all of the time.

[SquishTheBunny]

Having them done first under sedation would be idea. Its not good to quick them (even under heavy sedation) but to trim back as close to the quick as possible. Then, you can maintain length from there every 3-5 days. A lot of the time, the quick isn’t quite as long as you think. Saying that, if the quick really IS that long where the nails curl and are interfering with walking, having them cut and cauterized is probably your best bet. Do what you can to avoid it, you would be surprised how short you can get the nails without slicing the quick when the dog is still.

[Foxtrot_s]

I’ve seen show dogs, the breeds that have an upright foot - dobie, boxer, etc -
have very short square nails. They must cut the quick with them, they could not be like that without - but our dog did just fine and she walks much better.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7518110]
I’ve seen show dogs, the breeds that have an upright foot - dobie, boxer, etc -
have very short square nails. They must cut the quick with them, they could not be like that without - but our dog did just fine and she walks much better.[/QUOTE]

No, they just never let it grow any excess at all, ever, from the time they are puppies, so they never have to be quicked to keep them short. We are advised to dremel every four days to keep nails at that perfect length.

I would love to say that I keep up with that schedule but I rarely do. However, I trim and dremel my dogs’ nails about every 2 weeks or more often when showing.

Anyone who does it 3x a year, or only when groomed is really creating problems. We got my oldest dog when the kids were young and no one was showing, and nail trimming wasn’t a priority, and it definitely shows. It really is worth keeping up with it - even if only 1x month, if you do a good job and get back close to the quick.

[Bluey]

We teach dog nail trimming at our puppy and beginner classes, have for decades now.

All our dogs have short nails without ever quicking them.
Just trimming them once a week is enough on most dogs.

If a dog fusses, do a few nails at the time, every day some, or whatever works for your dog.

[threedogpack]

We have a Very Evil Cat at our house. She is incredibly intolerant of handling so I do one nail before breakfast every day. That way, it’s very quick, and she gets her food (reward) immediately after.

it took about a week for her to realize I was a) only going to do one nail and b) her breakfast arrived immediately after.

doing it this way (because I only do the fronts on her), it’s an 8 day rotation to the first nail again.