Nails & quicks too long

[Doxie Dee]

When I rescued Sadie 1-1/2 yrs ago, she was very sick and her nails and quicks had grown very long. She has both white and black nails, so the quick is visible in only some of the lighter colored nails. Not to traumatize her more while she was getting other treatments, I had her nails trimmed only slightly.

Since she's recovered and is well, I have her nails trimmed or ground every month or so, but they are still long. No one wants to risk cutting the quick and bleeding.

Do the quicks ever receed? Or will Sadie always have long nails?

[lotsadox]

They should recede back but it does take time. Just keep doing what you're doing and they should be fine. One thing you can do is if she has a procedure like a dental where she's under anesthesia, have them trim them then. I did that with Miller and it worked really well.

[alfina]

My Sebatian has dark nails. I use Dremel to do nails for my two and I find that it is easier to see when you get close to quick. I find that it allows to get the nails shorter without worrying you'd hit the quick and hurt them.
Over time if you keep working on it, the quick should recede.

[Alex's Mom]

When James arrived, his nails had curled right around to his pads cuz he was so bad about getting them done, and so they just....hadn't :sosad:. The only way we could cut them was to do them when he was under a general anaesthetic (he had a dental shortly after he arrived). It did bleed, but he didn't feel it :). Since then, I've been religious about keeping them pretty short. From my understanding, the only way to keep the quicks short is to keep the nails short. If you do it a bit a time, they will recede. That might mean cutting them (or dremeling them) every couple of weeks for a while. But if she's due for a dental any time soon, I'd get them cut right back then and then go from there.

[Frzframe]

I have two dogs that have long nails due to their quicks. Buddy gets his nails done once a week and Lily when they get to sharp. I've been working hard on Buddy's nails and so far 3 years they haven't receeded far enough yet. :( I have learned to tell by the look of the nail when I'm close to the quick. I don't trust myself with a drimmel so I just go by a groomers trick. If the inside of the nail is white then I'm okay once that white turns into a dark color/spot then I'm close to the quick and stop trimming. I take off a little sliver at a time. When he has to have a dental I'll have them quick his nails way back but until he goes under we'll just keep working on them. :)

[BeauBuddy]

Well I'm the dremel queen. lol Using a dremel every 3rd day will get the quick back in 2 months. I found this out when Beau was entered in a dog show and we had to have them 'show' short.

A cordless dremel has enough power. I have one with the rechargeable battery. You can start be desensitizing them to the noise. If you're relaxing with the TV on, run it for a bit during the commercials so it's just noise to ignore, like the fridge running. If it doesn't bother them, turn it on, and give a massage while they hear it running. They will come to learn to relax when they hear that noise. I have had it running, and I put the vibrating handle up and down their back, and they liked that. You know, massage, vibration. By slowly introducing the dremel like this, it won't be a traumatic thing. Touch one nail, massage, touch another nail, massage.

Here's Beau's foot..
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u174/pennypie_2007/IMG_8877.jpg

They don't mind coming to me when I turn the dremel on. ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbSL9TiSLcM


I could give you more pointers on the dremel if you're interested.

[Patt]

Well I'm the dremel queen. lol Using a dremel every 3rd day will get the quick back in 2 months. I found this out when Beau was entered in a dog show and we had to have them 'show' short.

Here's Beau's foot..
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u174/pennypie_2007/IMG_8877.jpg

They don't mind coming to me when I turn the dremel on. ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbSL9TiSLcM

I could give you more pointers on the dremel if you're interested.
WOW good job! :appl::appl: My dogs nails are trimmed every 3 weeks. The quicks are suppose to recede, and this has not happened.

I'm going to try the above (every 3rd day) and see if it will do the trick. Thanks for the tips!!

[Frzframe]

I forgot to add that most of mine are terrified of the drimmel (I bought one but never use it) even after working for weeks trying to get them used to it. I would pull it out turn it on while watching tv and everyone would fly off the sofa and not come back. :rotfl: Talk about drama queens!:rolleyes:

[BeauBuddy]

I forgot to add that most of mine are terrified of the drimmel (I bought one but never use it) even after working for weeks trying to get them used to it. I would pull it out turn it on while watching tv and everyone would fly off the sofa and not come back. :rotfl: Talk about drama queens!:rolleyes:

That's too funny!
Do these same dogs come running to you when they hear a can opener?? lol
Maybe someone would like to buy that dremel off of you. Maybe me! lol

[lotsadox]

I forgot to add that most of mine are terrified of the drimmel (I bought one but never use it) even after working for weeks trying to get them used to it. I would pull it out turn it on while watching tv and everyone would fly off the sofa and not come back. :rotfl: Talk about drama queens!:rolleyes:

Scooter is the only one that I can use the dremel on. The others do the same thing. In fact, when I pick up the dremel Miller leaps off the couch and runs to the DH's chair like 'Save me, Dad, save me" :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

My dogs have no idea what a can opener is. :rotfl: I don't feed them canned food and the only canned food I use is tomato sauce or canned salmon and that's just occasionally.

[Doxie Dee]

Great pic of Beau's foot! And the YouTube video! You've inspired me to get a Dremel and start working on Sadie's nails myself.

[RustysMom]

I take the boys to the groomer for nails (so much easier) and she uses the dremmel and sometimes in between visits I trim them with clippers to keep them in line. Odie has long nails, they grow like weeds. The vet cut them short when he had his last dental. He is due for another dental so we will get them cut short again then.

[BeauBuddy]

Great pic of Beau's foot! And the YouTube video! You've inspired me to get a Dremel and start working on Sadie's nails myself.

Wow! Great to hear. That's why I did the video. :cheer3:

[Ivan]

Wow, they really got excited about it in that video. What kind of sorcery is this? You've got a magic touch with them. What Dremel model would you recommend?

[BeauBuddy]

I'm using a Dremel MiniMite
4.8 v Model 750
It comes with a rechargeable battery.

http://www.amazon.ca/Dremel-750-02-Minimite-4-8-Volt-Two-Speed/dp/B0000302Y1

It is a rotary tool that you can use for other applications. The people I know that bought the cheaper 'for pets' type of sander found that it didn't have the power and they ended up with the dremel anyway.

Since I do 3 dogs, I picked up another rechargeable battery so if it dies when I'm on dog #2, I pop in the 2nd battery. Bet they love that. lol

[BeauBuddy]

Have you seen this video? Bl/t smoothie getting her nails clipped. Wow. Applause!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOVosIcsXng&feature=related

[Ivan]

Thanks, I'll go look for that Dremel. Yes, we've got that underpowered PediPaws gadget which eats batteries and too easily stalls: http://www.amazon.com/PediPaws-3269-6-Pet-Nail-Trimmer/dp/B001FMHZSC

None of our furkids ever liked those toenail clippers, which pinch. Jebbie had 'show'-short pretty nails like your Beau (nice photo!), but Buddy's & Holly's nails are still much longer for now (click-click-click across the floor). B&H are not quite as sleepy as Dauphne (cute video), but they're pretty relaxed about it. Treats! But we tend to need stiptic powder almost every time on at least 1 nail, even while taking great care to avoid the quick. Romping on grass until it clots also works.

[Patt]

I also have a couple of Dremels 4.8's. The newest one I have is a Model 7300 (02/2012). If you're interested I've purchased one at Wal Mart and one at Target. They were $19.95 and in the small electrical dept NOT pet dept.