[NAGDU] advice on nail grinding

Fri Mar 3 15:23:53 UTC 2023

Hello,
I have been doing my dog’s nails for many many years.
First of all, folks should realize the harm that having long nails can cause to the dog. If the nails are touching the ground, and especially if they are over-long, they can cause the dog to slip when walking or running. They can cause the toes to twist, hence putting strain on ligaments and tendons, they can get caught and tear off causing lots of pain and blood. 
I hear folks speaking about causing bleeding by cutting the quick. Whenusing a dremmel, or grinder of another type, you will not cut the quick.
Of course, the dog will try and pull his foot away at first. The grinder feels weird and makes a funky sound. One must be firm, holding the paw firmly, and telling the dog it’s all fine. I start working on this when my dogs are pups so, by the time they are adults they know all about it. 
I do have a systematic way that i grind which would most likely be way to much to describe in an email. But, suffice it to say that, one should not approach thenail directly by only holding the grinder in one  spot at the very tip of the nail. Moving the grinder around and attacking the nail from various angles is the way to get ‘er done.
As for grinders. I use the pet nail grinder made by dremmel. However, this grinder does not have a safety cover over the wheel. If you are new or, uncomfortable with a free spinning wheel, i suggest you find one with a safety cover on it. 
I hear so many dogs clattering around on paws with very long nails and,it makes me cringe every time.
If you can hear the nails on the floor or pavement, they are to long. Time to grind. It only takes me about 5 minutes to do all 4 paws. 
Good luck. And hth.

Vivianna

Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 2, 2023, at 4:06 PM, Susan Jones via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Tracy,
> 
> If I were to get a nail grinder for my dog, is there a particular brand?
> Can you tell me what you have?
> My groomer just closed, and I need to figure out how to do nails regularly.
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance for your help.
> 
> Susan
> 
> Sblanjones11 at sbcglobal.net
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
> Sent: Thursday, March 2, 2023 2:39 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: carcione at access.net
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] advice on nail grinding
> 
> I have been grinding my dogs' nails for around 25 years now, and never hurt
> a dog in the least.  I have to be careful not to catch the paw pad, but
> that's easy to avoid.  I do nails every Sunday, so they never get very long,
> and each paw goes pretty quickly.  I bought a plug-in nail grinder from
> Amazon, because I got tired of the battery not being charged when I was
> ready to use it. It also has a variable speed knob, so I can set it to the
> speed I want and change it if it doesn't seem right.
> 
> I started doing it for Igloo about a year ago, and this is what I did, as
> best I recall. Most of it is what I still do.
> I put a handful of kibble in my treat bag and hooked it on my waistband.
> Then I command Igloo to lie down where I want him to be.  When he's down, I
> hold a kibble a little back and to the side, so he turns a bit onto his side
> to get it.  Then I tell him to rest.  I start the grinder and do the 2 back
> paws, which are sticking out nicely to the side.  I give him a kibble when
> we finish each paw, and I don't stop the grinder until the paw is done.
> Then I do the front paws, which are a little harder because he won't lie
> totally on his side.  When I'm doing the paw nearest me, I put my foot
> behind his elbow so he can't move it.  When we're all done, he gets the
> jackpot--a nice handful of all the kibble that's left. 
> I think, when we started out, I might have only done one paw the first time.
> If he started jumping, wiggling or complaining, I scolded him gently and
> reminded him to rest.  I want him to know that doing nails is something I
> want him to do, and I'm not taking any silliness.  Within a couple weeks, I
> was able to do all his paws, and now, when I get out the treatbag and the
> grinder and call him, he comes running and flops down in the spot ready to
> go.
> It probably helped that my old dog Krokus lives with us, and I did Krokus
> first the first few times, so Igloo could see what was happening and how his
> packmate was handling it.
> Igloo is a lab.  Some of my friends with shepherds have to work harder.
> Some shepherds are such babies! :.)
> Tracy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Marj Schneider via NAGDU
> Sent: Thursday, March 2, 2023 9:21 AM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Marj Schneider <marjschneider at bellsouth.net>
> Subject: [NAGDU] advice on nail grinding
> 
> Hello All,
> 
> 
> Can those of you who use nail grinders to keep your dog's claws short give
> me suggestions on how you accustomed your dog to the experience?
> 
> 
> I bought a grinder from Amazon, based on the recommendation of a fellow
> Seeing Eye grad who uses one with more than one dog. I've been back from
> Seeing Eye for about two weeks with my new dog and have tried turning the
> grinder on to its low speed and putting it next to his paws. He pulls back
> the moment I try putting a claw on the grinding surface. He otherwise hasn't
> minded his feet being handled, though I haven't tried a more typical claw
> trimming approach yet, something I need help to accomplish. I'd rather be
> able to do the task independently if I can just get my dog comfortable with
> the experience.
> 
> 
> I'd appreciate any tips on this.
> 
> 
> Marj
> 
> 
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