How To Clip Your Dog's Nails

   

We get alot of questions from people about how to trim their dog's nails. Many of the questions stem from scary stories they've heard from their friends and, more often than that, their vet. But don't fret! It's not as scary as you would think.


Top 5 myths:


1. If I cut the quick on my dog/cat it will lame them for life.
You would have to cut really far up the quick to lame your dog. If you trim their nails properly, this won't even be a worry. The best way, as you'll see later in this post, is to trim a
little bit at a time. If the quick is long, you'll run into a little blood, but it's not a huge deal! a
little styptic powder (like Kwik Stop) and it's good as new.


2. Only a vet can trim nails!


Trimming nails is really easy. You'd have to be pretty careless or there would have to be some
sort of freak accident for something to really go wrong. As long as you take the time and
patience, you'll find that it's not much different than trimming your own.


3. If I cut the quick it will hurt my dog


Have you ever cut too far on your nails or accidentally nick a hangnail? It stings, but nothing
like sawing off your finger. It's the same, only it tends to be a little more messy with dog nails. What does help is the styptic powder and some pressure -- treats definitely couldn't hurt either!


4. My dog would never trust me again if I cut the quick!

Dogs are a "live in the now" creatures. Generally they don't even remember the last time they
even saw a nail clipper. However, some dog breeds hold a grudge. Big deal? Not
as much as you would think! There is one important thing to know however -- how you
treat the incident is everything. You should stop the bleeding and treat them, but then move on
to the next nail. Even if you freak yourself out and have to 'tip' the other nails, the important
thing is to not let the bad experience be the last experience.


5. I'm too freaked out, the nails will take care of themselves anyway...


This is the one thing that can truly lame your animal! Nails continue to grow, especially dog
nails, and can curl back into their flesh or get caught and rip off. Even with long runs and walks on concrete, your pet's nails still should be checked and trimmed regularly.


So, how to trim dog nails...


First, you need to make sure that you have all of the materials needed. You need:


Nail trimmers -- I prefer this kind. I don't like the guillotine style clippers. For some reason they make me feel uneasy and less in control. I find this style of clipper to be much easier. It fits better in my hand, I can see more of what I'm cutting and there's less margin for error. For puppy nails, I actually prefer human nail clippers. Very easy to use, but it's not meant for larger/thicker nails.

Styptic powder -- I really prefer Kwik Stop. I used it at Petco in the grooming salon and I use it now. If you put a little bit on the counter that you're working on, close to the paw, you can quickly and easily dip the exposed quick into it before the dog even realizes that you nicked them. It works really quickly and it has benzocaine to take away the sting. It's definitely a must have. However, if you're in a real pinch, you can use some flour, it just won't work as well.

And... that's it! Really! If you choose to throw in a nail file, some people do that. I personally find it tedious and the vibration doesn't seem to be too comfortable for the pet. So, how do you actually DO the deed?

Generally your dogs nails should be flush with the pads of their feet. Note: this is the IDEAL length depending on the quick. If your dog's quick is very long because of a lack of nail care, this wont be the case and it will take time for the quick to recede (be patient!) So, this is mainly a guideline. You should never just chop the nails to this length, THAT is how dogs get hurt.  

 For light-colored nails -- You're so lucky! These are the easiest nails to clip because you can really see where the quick is. The pink that you see from the side of the nail is the quick. This is the blood vessel that everyone makes such a big deal about. You want to cut about 1-2mm away from the quick. Any further than that and you can cause it to bleed, but remember, it's not a huge deal if you nick it!

I do it a little differently than what I've seen on the internet. I gently take the dog's paw and hold it backwards with the pad up in the air. That allows me to hold the elbow of the dog still so they can't pull away, giving me much more control than just holding the paw. After looking over the paw and checking for any cracks or issues,you want to start at the bottom and take off a little bit at a time. If you and your dog are too uneasy, you can 'tip' the nails, which is just cutting off the very tip of the nail, making it less sharp (but not as effective as trimming the nail.) Work your way up until you're

approximately 1-2mm away from the quick. Do the same for each nail and don't forget the dew claws! That's it!

It should look like this!

For dark-colored nails -- Don't worry, you're still okay! Pull back the paw and look at the bottom of the nail. Sometimes the back is open and you're able to see what is hard nail and what isn't. Use that as your guide as you trim a little bit at a time. Stop at the white.

If the nail isn't open in the back, you'll need to remember that time and patience thing that I mentioned earlier in the post. Trim (if you can, shave) the nail a little bit at a time. If you see that the nail is a solid white in the center, don't worry! Go a little further. You're going to slowly trim until you see the "target" as depicted in the third picture. The quick is where the dark center, stop there. 

Do that for every nail (don't forget that dew claw!) and BREATHE! Because that's it.

Now go get a treat for you and your dog!

Any questions? E-mail Bonnie at two_divas@hotmail.com!

Spring Cleaning!

Spring cleaning? Yay! Why do we love Spring cleaning, you ask? Because we know a few tips to make it just a little less hectic and alot more enjoyable. So stop shaking in your boots and hiding behind your dusty curtains and read these tips!

1. Purge! And I cannot say this enough! Purge, purge, purge those closets! A truly clean home starts with organized closets. They clean up your space, they keep the clutter away and they clean up your mind. The best way to do this is to pull everything out of your closet and separate your things into 3 bins: keep, donate and trash. If you have a place for it, you use it and it's in good condition? Keep it! If it's too big, too small and you don't (or shouldn't) use it? Donate it! If it's full of holes and is damaged or if it just reminds you of some bad days? Trash it! Obviously there are exceptions. You don't want to throw away family heirlooms or precious memories! Easey peasey, right?
2. Curtains dusty? Curtains don't get dirty very often and you only want to wash them when they're pretty bad. Instead of spending all of your time using the upholstery vacuum attachment put them in the dryer with a Bounce sheet! It will dust and freshen at the same time while you can spend your time doing something else. Just check to make sure that they can go in the dryer safely.
3. Stuck-on grease and dirt in the microwave? Take a lemon, cut it in half, squeeze the juice into a bowl of water and then place the lemon halves in the bowl. Microwave the bowl for 5 minutes and watch as you easily wipe away what you couldn't before.
4. Stubborn toilet bowl stains? Don't fret! Just drop 2 antacids in your toilet bowl for 20 minutes and walk away. This is great for stubborn toilet stains and it gives you the time to work on something else!
5. Lime build-up on your sink faucet? Soak a rag with vinegar, wrap it around the area and fasten with a clip. Leave it on for 1 hour, take it off and dry the faucet!

Happy Spring cleaning and stay tuned for more tips and hints!

My Top 10 Favorite Household Tips

10. Removing Burnt on Food From a Skillet: To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop.

9. Measuring Cups: Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

8. Reducing Static Cling: Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone.

7. Good-bye Fruit Flies: To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever.

6. Get rid of ants - the safe way: Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They can't digest it, so when they take it home to eat it, it kills them. It may take about a week or so, but it works AND you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed

5. Cleaning Artificial Flowers: To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!

4. Take baby powder to the beach: Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When your ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.

3. Pet Stains: Never use ammonia on urine stains–it strengthens the smell. Blot the spot with plenty of soap and water, then let dry. When completely dry, use baking soda and vinegar as a scrub. This should eliminate the ordor.

2. Keep Squirrels Away: To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

1. Keep weeds away: Take Wet newspaper and put layers around the plants, overlapping as you go. cover with mulch and forget about weeds! Weeds will get through some gardening plastic, but they will not get through wet newspaper.