[nagdu] Nail clippers.

Sat Mar 22 13:41:49 UTC 2014

great discription Julie.
that's a good idea to check out how much a professional is taking off your dog.  
i do the exact same thing but, my dog won't stand, she lays down so i have to get into all sorts of weird positions to do her back feet.
when you first are learning just take off the very tip of the nail.  you can also have the dog stand up and feel the feet, checking to see if any nails are longer or touching the floor.  when you are finished your dog should not make any clicking sounds when walking on the floor.
it's so important to keep the nails trimmed IMO.  much better for the feet and joints.  long nails cause the pads of the feet to not sit correctly on the ground and also long nails can actually cause the joints to be forced to move in unhealthy directions.  
and, don't forget to clip the dew claws if your dog has them too.  they can end up all curled and sharp.
good luck.

Vivianna

On Mar 22, 2014, at 8:30 AM, "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com> wrote:

> Jeff,
> 
> If you are using clippers, the first thing is to find a pair that fit your hand and feel comfortable to use.  They also need to be the right size for your dog.  The folks at the pet store can help with this.  Flimsy clippers will make the task difficult.  Don't skimp.
> 
> My dogs prefer to stand when I'm trimming, especially Belle.  I don't mind because they stand still, so that's what we do.  Other people have the dog sit or lay down and the person sits on the floor.  Whatever works.  I don't think it matters much.
> 
> I hold the dogs paw in my left hand, separating out the nail to be clipped with my thumb and pointer finger.  I hold the clippers in my right hand.  I place the nail to be clipped in the hole of the clippers where the blades are.  I use the pointer finger of my right hand to feel how much nail is sticking out on the other side of the blades, so I know how much I'm going to cut.  My technique is to cut a tiny bit, maybe a couple of millimeters. I repeat small cuts until the nail is to the length I want.  I've also noticed when you cut off just the very tip, the exposed inside of the nail will feel flat.  Then as you get close to the quick it feels like there is an indent in the center of the nail.   I've just recently noticed this, so I'm not sure if it's just Belle's nails or if this is something in common to all dogs.
> 
> Usually as the nails grow out they get this little hook or curve to the tip. that's another indicator of how much to take off.  Also when the dog is standing the nails shouldn't press into the floor.  They should be at floor level or just a tiny bit above it.
> 
> Interestingly, sighted people can only see the quick when the nails are light colored.  the quick isn't visible in black nails.  There is a powder you can buy that will stop the bleeding if you snip too short.  It's the same stuff guys use if they nick themselves shaving...styptic pencil, not sure of the spelling.  If you have one of these laying around, if will work just the same as the stuff they sell for dogs.
> 
> If you are trimming nails every 3 weeks, you won't need to take off very much at all.  Most guide dogs will wear down their nails just through normal wear and tear.  I just trimmed both Belle's and Monty's nails this morning. Monty, my working guide, only needed a tiny bit off the front feet.  I haven't trimmed his nails since probably last fall.  I'm not sure if I've ever had to trim his back feet.  Guide dogs use their back legs more to push into the harness, so those nails typically wear down faster.
> 
> Maybe you could stay with your dog when his nails are being trimmed next time.  Check out the nail before it's clipped and then right after so you can see how much is being taken off.   That might help you be more comfortable doing it yourself.
> 
> Best of luck!
> Julie
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: jeff crouch- k8tvv
> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 12:24 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Nail clippers.
> 
> hi:
> I've not hurd of such thing, my question is how do you cut the nails
> with out hitting the quick. It would be nice to cut my ben's nails
> with out paying 20 dollars every three weeks.
> 
> thanks
> 
> On 3/20/14, Vivianna <irishana at gmail.com> wrote:
>> hi all,
>> someone told me that there was a dog nail clipper where, you can set a gauge
>> to a specific measurement and there is a guard so that you only clip off
>> that amount.  i went looking for such a thing and can't seem to find it
>> anywhere.
>> have any of you ever heard of or used such a clipper?  and, if so, how do
>> you like it?
>> i just use the plain old fashioned type but, it would be neat to clip them
>> all exactly the same amount.
>> thanks for any input.
>> 
>> Vivianna
>> 
>> 
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> 
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> Jeff Crouch
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