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A veterinary blog for pet lovers, vet voyeurs and the medically curious...
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How is it that something as potentially simple as a nail trim deserves its own post when I still haven’t offered you entries on important diseases like pancreatitis, chronic colitis or prostatic enlargement? What’s up with that?
It’s because nothing has the potential to go so horribly wrong (relative to its miniscule risk) like a simple nail trim. It’s no wonder vets are expected to trim nails during every visit. It’s also not surprising some vets charge for it. (Our hospital doesn’t but I don’t blame those that do.) Trimming nails can be an absolute nightmare.
You may say: How bad can it be? I trim my own dog’s nails at home and it’s the easiest thing in the world!
My take: 50% of the time it’s a cinch. Another 25% is a struggle. The next 20% is highly problematic. The final 5% is not advisable except under anesthesia or heavy sedation.
How do I define nightmare? Dog howling, limbs flailing, blood flowing freely all over the floor and exam room table, client near tears…all for a would-be, simple pedicure.
Let me explain. Dogs and cats have very sensitive feet—as do we. In fact, a mammal’s nerve endings are most plentiful at the extremes of their extremities, such as fingers and toes. When we clip toenails, even the simple pressure the clipper exerts can be excruciatingly intolerable. While not quite painful in the traditional sense, perhaps, the sensation is unbearable to some animals, nonetheless.
Factor in the possibility of actually causing pain by clipping a toenail too short (altogether too easy to do with a moving target) and you have highly favorable conditions for in-hospital disaster moments.
I only wish that I had a video collection of nail-trim-moments-gone-awry. My own experiences would provide fodder for at least several episodes of a vet reality show. Most would be quite funny if you watched them with the audio off (to the strains of Beethoven’s 9th symphony, perhaps?).
I don’t mean to poke fun at my patients’ very real fear. I know how much they hate it so I always save it to the end and make it as quick as possible (and always follow up with a lo-cal treat peace offering). Furthermore, I always try to soothe them by informing them I hate pedicures, too.
Beauty hurts, it’s true, but canine nail trimming is more than skin deep. It’s better to get a nail trim every two to four weeks than to get that one, nasty fractured claw every once in a blue moon. Trust me. That hurts. In fact, I usually anesthetize patients when I treat this common malady.
And felines? Cats of a certain age are commonly afflicted with curly-nail issues. As in—the nail curls into their pads. Talk about ouch! No lifetime’s worth of nail trims can be worse than just one episode of ingrown claw.
So what do I tell my clients? Apart from training them to train their pets at a young age to accept foot handling and nail trimming, I tell them…go to your local groomer—they do great nail trims! Better them than me. I don’t have a reality show’s footage to stock up for. And that’s their bread and butter anyway, right? Far be it from me to usurp their patronage.
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"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
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- Mohandas Gandhi
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The new basset needs his nails done. Last time was at the vets- but they offer a grooming service. I may just save my pennies and "drop him off at the spa" every 3 months or so. He enjoyed it last time, and they enjoyed it, and the spouse never caught onto the nails being shorter. :)
The other pets get their nails trimmed when the vet offers to do so- I figure if they ask if I want it, it's because *they* would appreciate dealling with a cat who is "less armed" and as far as I know, none of them are really horrid about it.
You are right... expose your young puppy to feet touching. Have someone give them peanut butter cookies and all kinds of goodies while you trim their nails.
I find the Dremel drill much easier for me to use when trimming my poodles' nails. There is much less chance of drawing blood. All in all, though, I hate the process.
My mother's Jack Russell has never had his nails clipped because the floor of his kennel is made up of concrete pavers, so while he's running around barking at squirrels and such, his nails are always being trimmed. The only problem with that is when he plays too hard, he sometimes makes his nails bleed.
I don't have any simple suggestions for cats. One of my cats is good about having his nails trimmed, the other not so much but I think alot of it has to do with the fur between his pads. He has a medium coat, so his feet look as though he's always walking around with slippers on. What we end up doing is scruffing him and tossing a light towel over his head. The towel acts as a layer between his my teeth and my skin should he decide to act like a putz and try to bite me.
Same here for trainers! Just yesterday I spent an entire private session working with a 6 month puppy that had been traumatized at the groomers. It is possible to teach your dog to allow you to do their nails. For puppies try Ian Dunbars trick of handling nails while feeding extra good treats, and clipping long wooden matches. Desensitize, desensitize, desensitize! I also teach restraint to all my clients. That means the dogs learn that being held tightly is not the time to panic, but just something else that happens in the course of any given day. Remember hugs are primate, and not canine. Canine only use that kind of contact to dominate.Move slowly and use lots of extra yummy goodies.
Nancy
Dremelling is a good idea but the same phobias seem to apply for the real phobics. Some dog people swear by them and I say: use whatever method works best.
As to pavement. It does work, but not for all dogs. My Frenchie can't stay out in the Mimai heat long enough for this to work well. Plus--some dogs just have "lifted," or upturned nails that don't scratch the pavement unless they're at a full run.
Thanks for the comments!
it's been a year and i am much better about it now, though i have a hard time resuming the task of trimming after i've quicked a dog.
i'll tell you this: i definitely prefer sending my nail trim hard cases down the street to the vet!!!
five seconds later we watch as a storm cloud of anger stomps to the in-store vet. she's yelling, freaking out. they send her back to us. the pressure of the dog walking on the floor caused one of the quicks to bleed. it wasnt a puddle of blood at all... more like a few streaks of red on the white linolium. the groomer applied some stypic powder but the woman would not shut up about how incompetant we were as a salon, how we should have known better (Silky nails are BLACK, mind you), etc etc.
she appealed to the store manager, who was new, and being that the salon manager was off that day... yeah. she got away with a free groom. a full body haircut worth $34 was given away free of charge over a quicked nail.
needless to say, she's been red-flagged and is not to be scheduled again.