Toenail Clipping Phobia

[Guest SillyDog]

Hi all,

 

My 9 year old grey, Prancer, is truly phobic about getting his nails trimmed. His phobia has gotten worse & worse over the last two years, but it was never very good to begin with. He screams and thrashes wildly when anyone tries. I've tried desensitising him, I've tried having a groomer or the vet do it, I've tried tranquilizing him (Xanax) and I've tried holding him up like a lamb. Even on 1 mg of Xanax he's scared out of his mind if I touch the clippers to his nails. I've talked to the vet about it and her take on it is that, unless he's under anesthesia, it's torture because he reacts so badly and he might also hurt himself.

 

Does anyone else have a dog that's truly phobic about getting his/her nails cut? Can anyone think of something I haven't tried? His nails are way too long, but they're going to stay that way until his next dental in a few months unless someone has a bright idea.

 

Thanks in advance!

[kjw]

Does he respond the same way to a dremel? Many dogs that hate nail clippers will tolerate a dremel with a little work.

[Burpdog]

Mahogany goes in for her pedicure tomorrow She has her corns hulled and nails cut. She hollers when they do her nails but they get them done. Forget the corns--when they need done, they sedate her and do both.

 

First time in 30+ years I've had to take one to the vet <sigh> She litterally goes into a severe panic attack. I, too, have tried various drugs and quite honestly, don't want to knock her out at home--I'd rather they did it in the vet's office.

[kelseysmom]

We use a dremel for Kelsey. Or I should say that KelseysLackey uses the dremel while I distract her with Frosty Paws!

[Guest SillyDog]

Yeah, I've tried Dremmeling. It bothers him just as much. Any time I hold one of his feet he starts to freak out. If I touch the Dremmel or the clippers to one of his nails he starts thrashing. I've heard him scream at the vet's when they try, too. I'm beginning to think the only way he's going to get his nails trimmed from now on is totally knocking him out like what Burpdog talked about!

 

[Guest SusanP]

Our Simon was *just* like this. When she passed on at the end of July at the age of 11, her nails were sooooo long, but I was relieved that she'd never have to have them touched again.

 

It had gotten to the point where we had them trimmed only when she was under anesthesia for a dental or xrays or whatever, because even when the vets tried to do it once (and that required a muzzle because she'd bite) she bucked and jumped so violently that we were afraid she'd injure her already arthritic joints.

 

She was just as afraid of the Dremel as the nail clippers. I used to be able to get one nail really fast with the clippers without her realizing, but she'd be wary of me for a long, long time after that and jump and run if she even thought I was coming at her feet. As she aged, it got even worse. She was 7 when we got her, and I have no idea what her nail history was before that.

 

My other 3 hounds sleep right through Dremeling or clipping. But their casual attitude never rubbed off on Simon.

[Guest smarthound]

We have this problem with one of our girls. I've been working with her to get her to allow me to just touch her feet. I found an article that's helped me and that you might want to consider for the long term. It's called How to Grind Nails Using TTouch Methods. It's a long process and requires some patience but it's worth it to us. Our problem child is only 3 and I don't want to subject her to torture for the rest of her life.

 

Here's a link to the article.

http://neholistic.com/articles/0098.htm

[Guest SillyDog]

Thanks for that article, Smarthound. I'll look at it later, after work.

 

 

I just called the new vet and they're going to try trimming his nails after his accupuncture treatment on Friday, and if they can't, they'll sedate him to do it. I know they've got sedatives that are stronger than Xanax that can be reversed within an hour or so. I just wish there was a better way! I really don't want him thrashing, though, because he could hurt himself pretty badly.

 

It just breaks my heart that he is so afraid of this. He's also afraid of being lifted up, I found, but his reaction is 10X more violent with nail trimming. These are really the only two things he's afraid of. Like I've said before, he's a brave guy who likes to bark the thunder away.

[Hubcitypam]

Yes there are heavy sedatives that can be reversed so that might be a very good option.

 

Muzzled, standing on the floor with one person holding and tapping or rubbing very heavily on the head while the other clips has worked so far at work. Unless the dog is about 35 pounds or under Ron clips them on the floor.

Hope you find something that works for your guy.

[PAWsPups]

Muzzled, standing on the floor with one person holding and tapping or rubbing very heavily on the head while the other clips has worked so far at work.

 

What does the tapping/rubbing heavily do? just distract them? I use this stand up method too, but the second person just holds onto their head.

[Guest SillyDog]

Our Simon was *just* like this. When she passed on at the end of July at the age of 11, her nails were sooooo long, but I was relieved that she'd never have to have them touched again.

 

It had gotten to the point where we had them trimmed only when she was under anesthesia for a dental or xrays or whatever, because even when the vets tried to do it once (and that required a muzzle because she'd bite) she bucked and jumped so violently that we were afraid she'd injure her already arthritic joints.

 

She was just as afraid of the Dremel as the nail clippers. I used to be able to get one nail really fast with the clippers without her realizing, but she'd be wary of me for a long, long time after that and jump and run if she even thought I was coming at her feet. As she aged, it got even worse. She was 7 when we got her, and I have no idea what her nail history was before that.

 

My other 3 hounds sleep right through Dremeling or clipping. But their casual attitude never rubbed off on Simon.

 

 

I've tried the one nail sneak attack, too. It works only sometimes, and like you said, he's very wary of me for awhile after that. I always feel like I'm violating his trust when I do it, too. He should be able to trust that I won't torture him, you know?

Edited September 5, 2007 by SillyDog

[Guest ProudGreyMom]

Do you only have one grey? I find that if we do grooming things to our calm grey first, then Jake is much more relaxed when its his turn. Also, if your greyhound group (or any other local one) does nail clipping at Meet & Greets, that can be a great way to get them done too. Jake is terrified of the nail thing, but if he lines up with all the other greys for his turn, he is much braver about it.

[Guest SillyDog]

I have two greys and Carly is so good about getting her nails done that I've often thought of painting them. She lets me clip, dremmel and file to my heart's content.

 

I've tried doing Prancer after Carly and I've tried at meet & greets when there's group clipping. Neither helps anymore because he panics and starts thrashing, literally throwing his head and torso around as hard as he can.

[Hubcitypam]

What does the tapping/rubbing heavily do? just distract them? I use this stand up method too, but the second person just holds onto their head.

Yes. My vet has me do this. It really does work sometimes to distract them from what is going on at other places on their body. My vet swears by tapping, the groomer by rubbing heavily.

[Guest crazy4greys]

Winnie hates getting her nails done because she hates to have her front feet touched. I have to go in the back with her while the vet tech clips. I put her head under my arm pit so she can't see. She still is scared, but doesn't thrash around. The other vet tech holds her back end while the other tech clips.

[Guest Nik]

Jedi screamed when the vet tried to do his nails. So I have spent time working up to it, handling and rubbing his feet when we cuddle etc.

Then I did a sneak attack on one.

Then I did one little snip to each and every nail.

I'm working up to a full pruning session - finger crossed!

[RobinM]

I feel your pain! The ONLY way Beau can have his nails trimmed is under anethesia. No one, not even the vet will touch him. He will do back flips, scream like someone is torturing him and not tolerate it.

 

When he had the leg incident in late May, the nails were done and he is due for a dental so he will have them done again. Luckily, his nails get filed on the asphalt 4 times a day so they are not horrible, but Beau is completely flipped out by having his nails done.

[Guest sheila]

Kiowa used to flip out like that at the vets when getting his nails clipped. He would start howling and thrashing before a single nail was done. When muzzled (for some strange reason) he would stand stock still and allow it to happen.

[Burpdog]

I wished that worked for Mahogany (who btw had her pedicure today--nails and 3 corns removed).

 

Huston used to be very bad when I got him. Ever since he had his nails done 2 years ago by two people, one of which pinched his hoo-hoo while the other clipped, he hasn't been too bad. I threaten him with hoo-hoo pinching

[Hubcitypam]

Huston used to be very bad when I got him. Ever since he had his nails done 2 years ago by two people, one of which pinched his hoo-hoo while the other clipped, he hasn't been too bad. I threaten him with hoo-hoo pinching

Hoo hoo pinching, head tapping....whatever works! Tho I think head tapping is a bit more dignified for the dog

Edited September 6, 2007 by Hubcitypam

[Guest SillyDog]

I'm sorry, I just could not bring myself to pinch a hoo-hoo to get through nail clipping! I'd be laughing to hard to do anything!

 

Well, he got his nails trimmed this morning, and they look great now. He did freak out a little but in the end it was ok. Then he had his accupuncture treatment so now he's really mellow. He just loves that accupuncture!

[Guest SusanP]

Pinch? As in hurt?

[Guest SillyDog]

I kind of figured it was more of a holding the hoo-hoo rather than a pinch, but maybe I'm wrong? Either way I try to avoid Prancer's man parts as much as I can just on principle.