Filing Nails By Hand?

[Guest happygrey]

Pursuant to the other thread on clipping and dremeling nails...Does anyone here file their dogs nails by hand?

 

I'm wondering if it's possible to use something like a rasp (the way a farrier would on a horse). Our guy with super long nails is terrified of all loud noise, and I couldn't even begin to dream to get him used to a dremel. He will let us clip his nails, but they came to us long and we've never really been able to get them back. I've tried filing them with a human nail file before, but it takes forever, and not much nail is filed.

 

Any stories of filing rather than dremeling?

[KF_in_Georgia]

I think you'd have to put too much pressure on the nail to file them successfully. You could file by hand to get one raspy bit off, but it won't work well for the entire nail--for all four feet. Think of how the farrier's working: with the horse's hoove braced on his leg, and two hands on the rasp. That's a lot of pressure on the rasp and bracing on the leg. I don't think it would work on a greyhound--if you could find one to cooperate. Also, the farrier's got an entire hoove to work with. You'll be trying to isolate the pressure to one nail on a foot, without abrading a pad.

 

Try cotton in your boy's ears to see if he'd tolerate the Dremel then. Cotton won't make him really deaf while it's in, but it will certainly muffle and change the pitch of sounds.

[Batmom]

If he won't tolerate the dremel, try a small (say, 6"-8"), new (and therefore sharp) wood rasp. Hold the nail firmly so it doesn't flex too much where it enters the toe.

[kudzu]

Actually I have but that is for my SLO girl, Venus. Her nails for a while had tiny, skinny, hook-like ends on them. I used a nail file to widdle those down. Now that things are getting under control & that part is growing out I have gone back almost entirely to the dremel.

[GeorgeofNE]

Take him to the vet and pay a tech to clip them as short as they can. Do this a few times, and once they're normal length, it'll be easy to do yourself.

[Guest Snazzy_Chloe]

Actually a dremel on slow speed makes little noise - and they don't seem to mind -- other than that I would cut the nails very often every 4-6 days until you get them to where you want them. I use a metal file for smoothing after trimming, but it would take forever to do a nail.

[dixidoll]

In the past I had a dog that did not like the dremel. The only one that would never allow it. I filed them with a nail file that you would use on fake nails. I did them often so there would not be a lot of nail to get off. This she would allow. I use the dremel on my dogs on low, as written above , it makes very little noise.

[jamngrey]

I use the files they use for acrylic nails. They are MUCH rougher toucan get them at any beauty supply store. I've done it before but it takes quite a long time

[Yamaha_gurl]

I went to the hardware store and bought a gaint file and did Bella's nails that way before I discovered the dremel, took wayyy longer, but it got done.

[rschultz]

I clip and file Lexie's nails. They make special thick metal files at the pet stores. They work well after u clip them. They don't make a grinding noise either.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I have the rough metal file from a pet store that I use on Jayne's nails in the winter. (I don't like the smell from the dremel indoors). What I do is clip the nail short, then use the edge of the clipper to scrape across the nails to get closer without quicking, and finally I'll file the nails. It does take a while, but since she gets treats after every couple nails she doesn't mind a bit.

[LadyGrey]

As I am clipping Bella's nails, Hubby is on the other side of her (she lays on her side in her bed). He is stroking her head and petting her and cooing her the whole time. Well, she falls right to sleep!!! It is magic. She loves it. So I am able to clip her nails and then file them with a final buffing for smoothness.