Staffwild Posted October 24, 2005 Share Posted October 24, 2005 I have a friend who's dogs toenails are long, there is nothing that can be cut off without drawing blood. The nails are twisting the toes in all directions when she stands on concrete or any hard surface. Any ideas on how to get the nails shorter? The dog is a showdog. They live in the Wynnum area and have been told by a local vet he wouldn't cut them shorter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted October 24, 2005 Share Posted October 24, 2005 If the quicks are long like that the only real way is to have the vet do it by sedating the dog, cutting them to the desired length and cauterising them to stop the bleeding. The only other alternative I can think of may be to use a dremmel. If you take it back a little bit at a time with the dremmel (a couple of times a week or at least once a week) you may be able to get the quick to retract over time/get the nails shorter. This wont be a quick process though and will need the owner to keep using the dremmel regularly to make it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 The good old bastard file works wonders. You can buy them at any hardwear show, they are not expensive and they work great. They are just a big manual rasp file Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dali-love Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 Or go to another vet who is willing to do it while dog is under.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 Or you could just do it yourself, one nail on each foot a week. Get some condies crystals as it stops the bleeding wonderfully. The dog wont enjoy it, but its short term pain which will stop the long term pain of twisted toes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 (edited) . Edited May 7, 2009 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vehs Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I can't see it have been a show dog for that long - how could it go around the ring and stand properly? You can either suggest what Espinay has posted - using a dremmel/file/clippers and slowly slowly taking the nail back. But perhaps for the dogs own comfort having another vet do the nails would be a good idea. What kind of dog is it? I have found Maltese and Cavs tend to have long quicks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Shepherd mom Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I have heard that if you trim the tips of the nails every week, the quick starts to recede. She could try taking him on long walks on concrete or somewhere where he can climb rocks, etc. That's a natural way of filing them down. Again, this takes a while to work but maybe just as well if the quick is up to the nail tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 one nail on each foot a week would take 4 weeks (4 nails a week). As I said, it wouldn't be pleasant for the dog but it would be over with VERY quickly and the dog is already in pain with the long nails. I cant see someone paying to put a dog under anaesthesia (not to mention the risk) just for nails. Maybe I've become cynical because of my work. What we dog lovers on this sight would do (pay out money endlessly if its to help out dogs) is not the norm. This problem hasn't just popped up over night and my gut says the dog is probably already bad for nails that's why they're so long in the first place. It was another option if the rasps dont work quickly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 (edited) . Edited May 7, 2009 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceilidh Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I would go the dremmel, it seals as it grinds. The longer the nail, the longer the quick so you would need to do this, just a tiny bit, weekly and it won't take too long for the quick to shrink back to a reasonable length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imoenboxers Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I have heard that if you trim the tips of the nails every week, the quick starts to recede. This is true. When I bought my first girl, I didn't know about the keeping the nails short for the show ring... SO would clip hers once every couple of months. I have since got a fe more dogs and learnt alot when it came to "nail management" and my first girls nails have been alot shorter. I grinded her nails back each week, just short of bleeding and the nails are now 50% shorter than they were before. This is the approach I would take. It concerns me though that the nails are so long that the dog is now walking funny! If they live in the Canberra area, I will offer to do them myself on a weekly basis, just to give this poor dog the life it deserves, without going through the pain of walking on nails..... Good luck with it though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodle wrangler Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 If the dog is for showing it may pay to do something quickly. My dog accidently ripped out a nail- still don't know how- after his nails had grown only a little bit long. They were nowhere near long enough to affect his walking. New nail grew back deformed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 My girl naturaly has very long nails and even when cut right back one will still touch the ground. I find a file works for me as she has black nails I get too nervious to get the clippers out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 My Rotti's nails stay down naturally (walks on concrete), as for my Dogue, she's been crated due to knee surgery and her nails were growing long. We tried cutting and she hated it. So we now use a dremmel. At first I stayed at the top end giving her treats for not struggling (she was wary of the noise at first) and now there are no problems. She lets us do them no worries. If you cannot cut them, or file them (either manually or with a dremmel) then take the dog to the vet, and they will do them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koza Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 Could try walking on concrete a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffwild Posted October 25, 2005 Author Share Posted October 25, 2005 Hi Guys, Thanks for the replies, will use the suggestions. The dog was not purchased as a show dog to start with. Alot of people don't understand the importance of keeping the nails short from day one, I know I didn't and my older dogs have longer nails. The dog is in no pain, she exhibits no pain when walking anywhere, hard or soft surfaces, the problem is only starting to show badly now. The owners are the best one could ask for, the dog lives inside, sleeps in their bed, has the aircon on for her while they are at work, fed only the best, all the veterinary care and then some, she is spoilt rotten. Just one of those things that is not widely known to newcomers. They are willing to pay for sedation and the job to be done at a vets. Thanks again for the replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 (edited) . Edited May 7, 2009 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 If they are willing to pay for sedation I wonder why the vet wasn't willing to do it in the first place? Seems strange. I'd be changing vets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbesotted Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 aaaaah! the vagaries of nail clipping. My Lucinda HATES me clipping her nails. Has since the day she arrived here aged 7 months. Tried everything. The late 2002 saw her having regular visits to the vet and she would get her nails clipped there too! The witch, if I try she morphs into a slippery seal with snapping teeth, take her to my vet and she holds out each paw! Next she will be demanding a full pedicure with polish to boot. :rolleyes: I cannot understand a vet not being willing to clip the nails. Try another vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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