Toenails accountability thread

[QBert]

with a recent blog post addressing nail trimming circulating, I have been trying to snap pics on nail trim days. Show us your pretty feetsies!

Piper (French Bulldog)

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Bizee (American Hairless Terrier)

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Lincoln (Xoloitzcuintle)

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Shelby (Xoloitzcuintle)

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[Trademarkbark]

Not really relevant, except it's Malcolm showing his nails. They're long. He was old. Shoot me.

[SherriA]

I'm way too embarassed to show anyone pictures of Oliver's nails! He freaks out when his feet are touched in any way, so I clip one or two at a time when he's sleeping, but lately he's taken to sleeping with his paws tucked under him. He's trying to compete with Gringo for the drag queen of the year title. *sigh*

[UpwardDog]

Aw Malcolm

I think I could show off Henry and Rosie's--they look good but they are easy peasy. Sam and Trick with their long quicks and distrust of my abilities aren't going to ever look fashionable short I don't think.

post your crested nails .

[Calypso]

I'll do nails this weekend and post, but no one will be impressed. :P Havana has therapy visits twice a month starting this month and she's supposed to have her nails and everything else done within 24 hours of the visit, so her quicks will recede a bit then.

[JudyL]

I tried to get pictures but the hair was in the way in some and the others were too blurry. I'm still nipping away to try for the quicks to recede. It seems like they should be getting shorter since I have to be cutting off more than they've grown. I'm working on them 2 or 3 times a week. Has anyone really had success in seeing the quicks recede? I seem to remember Tatyana saying she never did.

[QBert]

awww, Malcolm...

I don't want "impressive" nail pics (mine certainly don't impress me), and I promise to try hard not to scold for untrimmed feet. The blog post touts a trim style that they claim is uncommon (she makes several comments that groomers don't do nails "right" which left a sour taste in my mouth) but I felt her approach is really very similar to how I trim, which motivated me to snap a few pics.

I will try to get Crested feet too, UpwardDog. I grabbed Boogity and tried to take a pic of her paw but the camera on my phone is borked and that's all I have access to right now. (side note - *whaaaah*). be forewarned that hairy feet do not lend themselves to nice nail pictures, I never have anyone to take pictures while I hold hair back out of the way.

JudyL, yes, I have had success forcing quicks back. The pics aren't very informative, and it certainly wasn't a major makeover, but Bizee the AHT had been away at her breeder's for a while and came back with her nails longer than I prefer - the photo above is her 2nd or 3rd trim since she returned and her nails are almost where I want them now (which translates to exactly how her owner likes them and shorter than her breeder likes them.)

[QBert]

Whiteboxerboy's white Boxer boy Pi, with an assist from the tennis court surface.

Pi (Boxer)

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eta: I didn't think of that at first. If you play along and post pics, include your chosen method of trimming. Clip, file, grind, combination, other?

[whiteboxerboy]

Thanks for the tech help, Kara.

Pi's nice toes were done with a clipper and the tennis courts. I wanted to file them all pretty but Pi says he's not a metrosexual. LOL

[QBert]

the ones I posted were all done with just a grinder for that trim, previous trims have been done with clippers and finished with the grinder.

[JudyL]

Nails clipped with small plier style clipper, no grinding or filing. I'm trying to work them back. Nails were trimmed 2 days ago. I even trimmed Cinnabon's feet just for you Kara...with little scissors, not the kitchen shears.

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One of Cinnabon standing:

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Dixie, sorry for the untrimmed foot. Will work on that for ya:

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ChiChi, also untrimmed, I'm hopeless:

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[QBert]

Whiteboxerboy's white Boxer Boy:

Gringo (Boxer)

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[QBert]

JudyL!!
lookit all those wee tootsies! *swoon* so cute.

[maxs_mommy]

Task for today, fix Max's fraggle feet. Task for Monday, run to the vet for a nail trim then post pictures. (Does paying someone to do it for you count as a chosen method? )

[QBert]

...post your crested nails .

Chinese Crested toes. none freshly trimmed. Abby had her nails done with a grinder about two weeks ago, The Rabbit clipped about two weeks ago, Polly clipped about ten days ago.

Abby (Chinese Crested)

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The Rabbit (Chinese Crested)

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Polly (Chinese Crested)

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[Bettyna]

How do you get their nails so short! I have been trimming natsu's nails every few days to try and shorten her quick, but it doesn't really seem to be working....

[QBert]

How do you get their nails so short! I have been trimming natsu's nails every few days to try and shorten her quick, but it doesn't really seem to be working....

get pics and play along! If I can see how you're trimming now, I might be able to suggest a different approach to help shorten them up...
fwiw, I struggle to not overshorten nails on some of these dogs where the standard calls for nails to be of moderate length and the owner does not like tiny pencil-eraser nubbies. She thinks Bizee's nails (AHT in 1st post) are just right as is, I want them a smidge shorter. I think Polly's nails are too long, and the owner frequently suggests I not trim them for a while. I'd like Piper the Frenchie's nails better just one wee bit shorter, but her nails grow in a very pronounced curve very tight to the pad right from the cuticle, so I have been focused on reshaping that more than on length.

[Amanda]

My cordless dremel battery will no longer take a charge. I'm not sure if I should buy a new battery or change tactics all together. What kind of grinder do you use, Kara?

[Bettyna]

Freshly trimmed nails today!. So up till a few months ago, Natsu wouldn't even let me trim her nails. Now she'll let me do it, albeit reluctantly.

I am scared of cutting too close to the quick. She's also whiny and struggles... And if I cut too close to the quick , even if it doesn't bleed, she shrieks!

She absolutely hates the dremel so my policy is do it quick.

[QBert]

Amanda, I use Dremel, I have a few different models but my go-to are the little "MiniMite" cordless. They're cheap enough that when the rechargeable battery starts to die on me I just buy a new one. (fwiw, the "pumpkin carving kit" model has served me very well and you can sometimes find those cheap when seasonal stuff goes to clearance sales.)

[QBert]

Bettyna, if she just cannot bear the grinder, I'd try a combo of clipper and file. I like the big sturdy black files that are sold for use on acrylic nails - they hold up for several uses, are coarse enough to remove some bulk but still leave a reasonably smooth finish. I would clip off as much as you comfortably can from the bottom - essentially aiming for an imaginary line that parallels the top edge of the pad. then turn your clipper and cut from the end of the nail, aiming for an imaginary line that parallels the nail bed. then take off the flat edges left by the clipper. I am comfortable shaving and whittling with a clipper but you and Natsu may find the file easier for the edges.
Did you watch the video in the link I posted? She draws a diagram that sort of shows the angles you want. She doesn't do as much from underneath as I like to do, but I suspect it's more an aesthetic choice (and a "my dogs walk all over me" thing.)

[JudyL]

Kara, I've seen many videos of people using the pliers type clipper by cutting through the nail side to side. Then I read or saw somewhere that this actually squeezes the quick as the nail is cut, and that those clippers should be positioned so that the nail is cut through from top-bottom. This information might have been in a video of how to properly use a guillotine style. Do you thing it matters whether the nail is cut side-side or top-bottom?

I watched that video in your blog link! Somehow I missed the link until you mentioned it again. I now understand why I've always had trouble getting the quick to recede, and the pictures I posted of Cinnabon's and Dixie's nails are a great example where I can see how the new growth is protecting the quick in short order. They'd only been trimmed 2 days prior to the picture, yet the outer portion of the nail had already grown and was protecting the quick, kind of like a horse's shoe.

I trimmed them again today, trimming off that outer part that had grown, trimming the extra angle at the top as the vet indicated, and nipped off around the edges so that maybe the quick will now start to recede. I need to get a file too. I had to nip off with the little clippers. I trimmed all feet hairs for you, and here's a picture of Dixie's newly trimmed nails:

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[QBert]

JudyL, those look great!
I personally don't think the position of the clippers relative to the nail matters all that much - what matters to me is that they're sharp. If I am taking off significant length I'll do one quick lop with the clipper positioned so one blade is on top of the nail and the other underneath, then flip them vertical to nibble away at the front/top and bevel the cut edges. I also tend to wrap my whole hand around the paw and get a pinch-grip on the toe I'm working on, even sometimes holding the nail with my fingertips at the nail bed - I think it helps to diminish the tugging/squeezing sensation of a clipper and I know it helps to ease the vibrations of a grinder.

[whiteboxerboy]

Dang Judy, those do look fantastic!! Good job!

[JudyL]

Holy moly, I just took them each for a short walk on the driveway and down what little sidewalk there is, and they were pulling again including ChiChi. Not that that is ever a good thing, but they seemed to be walking better than in a long time. ChiChi especially has been having some troubles that I think the vet in the video described pretty accurately. At the walk she seemed to be walking a tightrope by placing her feet on a center line out in front of her, so I'm hoping this will help her in particular. The nails are still long and I hear lots of clicking, but for the first time ever I think it might be possible to shorten those quicks!

[QBert]

yay for comfier wee feeties! Keep at it, I bet you see some real progress after three trims or so. Remember to update with new pics!

[OhDaniGirl]

Any tips on trimming BLACK nails? I can't see Tali's quick, and it has me totally paranoid. I attempt trimming, but I know I'm not taking enough off to make much difference.

[Sabine]

she makes several comments that groomers don't do nails "right" which left a sour taste in my mouth

Yeah, I agree, that was uncalled for. My first thought was of you, and how you do so much great work with dogs' nails!

I'll try to add a photo of the monster terrier claws later. They are a bit longer than I'd really like, but we are working on it too.

[Bettyna]

Can I just check, is this how we are supposed to trim dog's nails?

Drawing 1 is what I used to do. One snip vertically across the nail, which like Judy says, doesn't seem to have much effect on shortening the quick.

Drawing 2 is what I understand from the video and what you are saying. Other than trimming off the top edge, I should also trim the edges around the tip of the nail and at the bottom.

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I actually tried this with Natsu yesterday, and was surprised how much nail I was able to take off, and how much closer to the quick I was able to get, just using clippers!

I will have to post pictures after a while to see the difference!

[QBert]

that's actually quite a good diagram! And yes, also from the front tip of the nail, I like to bevel back the edges all around the circumference. In my first post, look at the pic of Bizee's foot, and in JudyL's second photo post, look at Dixie's foot - those two pics to me illustrate the beveled edges best.