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Post by lizandtheroo on Mar 11, 2009 19:29:54 GMT -5
Does anyone have any recommendations for dealing with Ruby's razor sharp dewclaws?
Her back feet wear down on the cement, her front nails look a bit longer but they are in no way "long."
She could go toe to toe with a Raptor and take them with her dewclaws! She stepped on the inside of my thigh last night when picking a new spot in bed and made me BLEED!
I bought that ridiculous doggie toe nail grinder and if she could laugh at me, she would! She ran around, barking at me and nudged it with her nose everytime I try to apply it to a nail.
Can I cap them? Do something? They are lethal!
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 11, 2009 22:11:41 GMT -5
Cajun has actual toes for rear dewclaws and I file them with an actual fingernail file to keep them short and smooth.
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Post by RealPitBull on Mar 12, 2009 7:34:52 GMT -5
What about just using a nail clipper, and then filing the edges down with a heavy duty human nail filer? The best tool for making nails nice and presentable is a Dremel nail grinder BUT many dogs are really opposed to their use and it takes some time to acclimate them to the grinder.
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Post by andreacassel on Mar 12, 2009 8:34:58 GMT -5
We use a small dremel tool and just grind the points off of all of our dogs nails, front, back and dew. Took them some getting used to but they like it now - means more bed and couch time for all of them.
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 12, 2009 8:41:40 GMT -5
I use a dremel also but Cajun's rear dewclaws are impossible to use one with. Like Mary said, I clip them down and then file them.
When he was a puppy I really wanted to have them removed but the vet I was using then waned and said just to wait it out b/c they *may* not be an issue later...well they are an issue and always have been. They grow in a tight circle and unless I file them weekly, they can potentially get hung on something or even grow to touch his pad. I'd love to have them removed now but don't want to put him under just for that.
They are a royal pain, though.
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Post by lizandtheroo on Mar 12, 2009 8:43:28 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. I will try to acclimate her to the dremel after exhausting her at the park. She likes the hair dryer. She will sit next to me and rub her face on my knees so I blow it on her. So HOPEFULLY the dremel won't be an issue. Which tip do you use?
Thanks again!
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 12, 2009 8:58:08 GMT -5
I would do this very slowly. Work on targeting but at first just have her been in the same room with the thing (set it on the floor) and click and treat (or just say Yes!) and reward (use super high value treats that she only gets when the dremel is present) for even a glance it it's direction. Do that a few times, put it away. Repeat a few hours later (or next day) and you'll see her get better at tolerating it or even approaching and touching it in order to get her reward. End on a high note, praise and put the dremel away. Repeat next day starting slowly with clicks for looking at it, touching it, maybe she'll progress to pawing it. After that progress to you holding it and her looking, touching, etc...keep progressing in short increments to touching it to her nails and work on increasing duration. I'd likely begin to leave the thing lying around in plain sight and be prepared to click and treat her when she shows interest in it or does not act fearful of it. Keep moving it around the room from time to time so she sees it in various places. Once she is happy to tolerate the dremel and shows no concern with it at all, you'll have to start way back at the beginning and actually turn the thing on. I would turn it on (have a helper do this with it across the room) you click and treat then turn it off (no treats when it's off). The idea is that the dremel means great, yummy things and attention from mom! It isn't a scary dreadful thing to be afraid of. Usually it's much easier to start young puppies out as they become habituated to it. It's a more difficult process later because we have something unfamiliar, sounds really strange, touches the nails (which most dogs detest anyway) and makes a different grinding noise. All of which should be carefully and positively introduced. If you have to force your dog to endure a dremel I would suggest reintroduction a different way or just stick to clippers and file.
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Post by andreacassel on Mar 12, 2009 9:20:24 GMT -5
Wow Jessica - I love your approach to the dremmel!!!! Lily's nails are still soooo tiny that I am just doing a few swishes with an emory board every few days to keep them nice and short, but once they are a little bigger I am going to definately use your method for the dremmel!!
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 12, 2009 9:35:19 GMT -5
One word of caution! A good friend of mine did everything right when introing the dremel to her Doberman as a puppy. But one moment and Kissy put her nose to the dremel when it was on and that's all she wrote. She was terrified of it ever since and she's now 7 years old and it's extremely difficult to even trim her nails.
One bad experience can backtrack, sometimes irreparably.
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Post by andreacassel on Mar 12, 2009 10:47:10 GMT -5
Owww - poor puppy!! The dremmel I have is a multi-speed one - the low speed is what we use on the big girls (and the birds). I am going to give Miss Lily a few more weeks on just the emory board before I try and introduce the dremmel - right now she watches me do the big girls nails so she is getting used to the sound.
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jsoria
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Post by jsoria on Mar 12, 2009 15:08:03 GMT -5
I bought the pedi-paw and LOVE it...Its the same as the dremmel- but I got a good deal on it, lol
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Post by RealPitBull on Mar 12, 2009 15:10:15 GMT -5
SO the Pedi-paws actually works? Does it have a motor? I was thinking of trying that for my boy who is petrified of the Dremel.
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jsoria
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Post by jsoria on Mar 12, 2009 15:16:06 GMT -5
It does and I love it, once you get the hang of it you can take the top off and its just like a dremel and I use that for the dew claws. But the dogs just lay there and don't mind at all me using it on them. Its the best 15bucks I spent, lol
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Post by RealPitBull on Mar 12, 2009 15:24:21 GMT -5
It does and I love it, once you get the hang of it you can take the top off and its just like a dremel and I use that for the dew claws. But the dogs just lay there and don't mind at all me using it on them. Its the best 15bucks I spent, lol Awesome! I'm getting one! ;D
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Mar 12, 2009 17:17:20 GMT -5
It's essentially a dremel with a guard on it.
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Post by purplepaws121 on Mar 12, 2009 17:37:35 GMT -5
I like the Pedi-Paws as well. I take the guard off as it's easier, the guard gets in my way. Maverick is still getting used to it, but he's always given me a problem even with plain clippers. Dixie took right to it and just tolerates it.
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Post by RealPitBull on Mar 13, 2009 11:54:38 GMT -5
Hmmm.......if it's pretty much the same as a Dremel, that won't serve my purposes. It's the whole motor thing that gets Luca going (and I'm just too lazy to D/CC for something like this LOL I just use the regular clippers right now).
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jsoria
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Post by jsoria on Mar 13, 2009 12:27:42 GMT -5
well this one isn't loud, and I have a rat terrier/Chihuahua mix and she is terrified of clippers, with this she is okay with it. I turned it on for a while not even use it on her just so she could here the sound and she did really good, I thought she would have freaked.
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Post by tank on Mar 13, 2009 13:24:44 GMT -5
I have tried the pedi paws and I like it, but it isn't as easy to use as a dremel.
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