I'll help out with dog and cat questions

[doglover22]

I'm not en expert or anything, but I have done a lot of reading on dog and cat behaviour. I have helped out several of my friends in the past with dog problems. I can also help out with specific dog breed related questions.

[NaomiMarie]

OK, tell me how to psyche myself up to clip my dog's nails

We've had Mikki (pitbull/hound mix) for about a year and a half and I've always taken her to Petco (like $5 to have her nails done). Got a new nail clipper on eBay for something like $1, thinking I can do this, LOL

She'll need them trimmed soon.......
She's very gentle, getting near her isn't a problem. So afraid I'm gonna hurt her

I CAN DO THIS.....I CAN DO THIS, I've had two children and trimmed their nails as infants, if I can do that I can surely do my dog's nails.....RIGHT?
Naomi


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[doglover22]

Don't worry! A lot of people are afraid to clip their animals nails.

First of all, you want to make sure you have the right type of clippers. I am assuming that you got the kind where you insert the nail and squeeze the clippers together (as opposed to the kind that look like regular scissors). If you didn't, I would recommend getting some because the other kind are really hard to use on dogs.

Second, something that might make it easier on you would be to get a great big towel (like a beach towel) and wrap it around the dog. This is an easy way to control her other legs while you work on one foot. If she is really fearfull about getting them done, you can also try wrapping a towel around her head so she can't see what you are doing.

Third, you may want to get a stypic pencil or powder in case you cut the nail too short and it starts to bleed. The powder would be easier to use, but either one works.

Now, what you want to do is first look at the nails. What you are looking for is the quick. Look at the nail from the side. You should be able to see this thing inside the nail that is a lighter colour. You don't want to cut the nail so far back that you hit that spot. If you do, the nail will bleed but it is not something serious. If the nails are very dark in colour and you can't see the quick, you can always file the nails. This takes a lot more time, but you don't have to worry about cutting to far back. Gennerally, if you just snip of the very tip of the nail, you won't have any problems.

If you are still nervous, you can ask the grommer to show you how. Trust me, it is really easy to do yourself. If you can clip a sqwrimy baby's nails the dog should be a piece of cake!!! Good luck! Let me know how you do!!

[NaomiMarie]

Originally posted by doglover22
Don't worry! A lot of people are afraid to clip their animals nails.

First of all, you want to make sure you have the right type of clippers. I am assuming that you got the kind where you insert the nail and squeeze the clippers together (as opposed to the kind that look like regular scissors). If you didn't, I would recommend getting some because the other kind are really hard to use on dogs.

Second, something that might make it easier on you would be to get a great big towel (like a beach towel) and wrap it around the dog. This is an easy way to control her other legs while you work on one foot. If she is really fearfull about getting them done, you can also try wrapping a towel around her head so she can't see what you are doing.

Third, you may want to get a stypic pencil or powder in case you cut the nail too short and it starts to bleed. The powder would be easier to use, but either one works.

Now, what you want to do is first look at the nails. What you are looking for is the quick. Look at the nail from the side. You should be able to see this thing inside the nail that is a lighter colour. You don't want to cut the nail so far back that you hit that spot. If you do, the nail will bleed but it is not something serious. If the nails are very dark in colour and you can't see the quick, you can always file the nails. This takes a lot more time, but you don't have to worry about cutting to far back. Gennerally, if you just snip of the very tip of the nail, you won't have any problems.

If you are still nervous, you can ask the grommer to show you how. Trust me, it is really easy to do yourself. If you can clip a sqwrimy baby's nails the dog should be a piece of cake!!! Good luck! Let me know how you do!!

THANX SO MUCH.....Yep, I got the clippers with the hole where the nail goes right in the middle (did that even make sense?)
Will probably give it a try in a week or so.......will let ya know how it goes (if you hear a loud yelp you'll know where it came from)

Thanks again for taking the time to reply, much appreciated!
Naomi

[doglover22]

You are very welcome!!

[chippers21]

My sons dog, who is with us while our son is in Chile, is putting us into the poorhouse with vet bills. Any suggestions on how to treat his ears, which seem to stay infected, requiring tons of expensive medicine.
(I love the dog, whose name is Cider by the way)
chippers (Liz)

[doglover22]

Humm, I have to admit that I don't know a lot about ear infections. What kind of infection is it? Let me know and I will see what I can find out.

[Corganiacs]

as you know, i have a mixed sharpei. we thought it was a purebred but a dog is a dog and we love him so much!
anyway, my problem is that he's very scared when it is time to get his nails cut. he won't let me even get near him and he's under 40 lbs. our big dog's nails stopped growing so he's coolio.

but this little baby scratches the hardwood floor we just got and it's a big problem!!!!

[kmarr]

About the dog with the ear problems... I had a cocker spaniel for many years and they are very prone to ear problems. Remember to keep the ears dry and clean. We had a power that we got from the vet that was some sort of drying powder meant especially for that problem. We clipped our dogs ears up so they would get some air and that helped also. Good luck.

[doglover22]

Originally posted by Corganiacs
as you know, i have a mixed sharpei. we thought it was a purebred but a dog is a dog and we love him so much!
anyway, my problem is that he's very scared when it is time to get his nails cut. he won't let me even get near him and he's under 40 lbs. our big dog's nails stopped growing so he's coolio.

but this little baby scratches the hardwood floor we just got and it's a big problem!!!!

Sorry he is so scared!! Does he have a problem with you touching his paws or is it just the clipping that is the problem?

You can try a few things that might help. The first thing would be the towel over the head trick that I talked about earlier. Just wrap the towel tightly around the head while you clip the nails.

Something else that you may be intrested in would be covers for the nails. These covers actually fit over the existing nails and you just replace them when the nail gets to long. They are failry easy to apply. It is kind of like putting fake nails on a dog. This will fix your problem with the floors getting scratched too. Here is a link to what I am talking about:
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As a last resort, you could always take him to a groomer and have them do it. It costs around 5-10 each time, but if he just won't let you do it, it may be worth it.

Now, if he has a problem letting you handle his paws, let me know and I can give you some more tips.

[Corganiacs]

he's a puppy, roughly 11 months old. He's been very scared to even go on walks. I dont even try to walk him anymore, because he will sit in one place while I yank on his collar. He will go on walks with me without the collar but I dont want to take the risk of him getting run over by the car at my parents' house. He's superscared when I take him to the vet, peed/poop in my car. Im guessing hes a puppy with major anxiety problems. He's fine in the backyard terrorizing my six year old other doggie. So anything that is foreign to him: taking a bath, cutting nails, taking walks, etc. scare the heck out of him.

We are going to try the towel thing. I dont take care of them anymore so it's pretty much up to my parents to take them to the vet. Im not sure if theyre willing to put out some money to have Teddy's nails trimmed.


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[chippers21]

Thanks for the tips kmarr and doglover. Unfortunately I do not know what kind of infection Cider gets. I just give him the medicine and when it runs out he still has an infection. His ears do get very dirty, and he hates to have them cleaned. My son was better about being consistent with cleaning his ears. I will try harder to keep them clean and dry. We really cannot afford more trips to the vet. It cost us $500 for the first two visists in May and September.

[mayfly]

What a cool thread! I learned a few things. Can I offer a tip on this thread also? PM me doglover if I am not suppoes to.


Another tip about cutting dogs nails- If you can bathe them in a partially filled bath tub first it makes it MUCH easier to cut their nails. Rather than a sharp CLIP, the nail is softer, and clips easier.

And for ears, we have a Basset Hound which are very prone to ear infections. The best way to prevent ear infections in dogs prone to them (mostly dogs with a lot of ear leather) is clean them frequently,once a week. I have heard of people who make their own solutions, but what has worked best for us is a liquid cleaner/dryer from the vets. It comes in one bottle, but it Must say dryer on it. This particular product is mixed with a cleaner, but if you can't find that, then you need two products, a cleaner and a dryer. The dryer is the most important part for dogs prone to ear infections. Once you get rid of the ear infection, try the cleaning/drying solution once a week. It may really help.

[doglover22]

Originally posted by mayfly
What a cool thread! I learned a few things. Can I offer a tip on this thread also? PM me doglover if I am not suppoes to.


Another tip about cutting dogs nails- If you can bathe them in a partially filled bath tub first it makes it MUCH easier to cut their nails. Rather than a sharp CLIP, the nail is softer, and clips easier.

And for ears, we have a Basset Hound which are very prone to ear infections. The best way to prevent ear infections in dogs prone to them (mostly dogs with a lot of ear leather) is clean them frequently,once a week. I have heard of people who make their own solutions, but what has worked best for us is a liquid cleaner/dryer from the vets. It comes in one bottle, but it Must say dryer on it. This particular product is mixed with a cleaner, but if you can't find that, then you need two products, a cleaner and a dryer. The dryer is the most important part for dogs prone to ear infections. Once you get rid of the ear infection, try the cleaning/drying solution once a week. It may really help.

Great tips mayfly! I have not heard about that kind of liquid ear solution before!

[hattielee]

Originally posted by chippers21
Thanks for the tips kmarr and doglover. Unfortunately I do not know what kind of infection Cider gets. I just give him the medicine and when it runs out he still has an infection. His ears do get very dirty, and he hates to have them cleaned. My son was better about being consistent with cleaning his ears. I will try harder to keep them clean and dry. We really cannot afford more trips to the vet. It cost us $500 for the first two visists in May and September.

Just wondering Chippers, Has the vet ever done a culture on the infection. If Cider still has the infection when the meds are finished, maybe he's not being treated with the correct med.

My dog had constant bladder infections, many different meds and mucho money, nothing helped. Infection always returned when meds were done. I finally got fed up and took her to another vet, he did a $50 culture that diagnosed exactly what the correct med was for type of infection and it cleared up immediately. Best of Luck