Calgary and Area Private and Commercial Pet & Equine Photographer

Part 2: Common Challenges

In this segment of the interview Desiree goes over the common challenges to nail clipping and gives us suggestions on how to help make the process easier for both you and your pet.

What would you suggest for the frequency of nail trimming?  Should people be doing them weekly, monthly or what’s the best schedule to follow?

I would say that 99% of my clients are monthly. Monthly seems to be a good time, if you let them go too long then the quick grows. Then the overall length will grow and then when you cut you’re not actually affecting the length of the nail. So monthly is good for maintenance. For the dogs that do have the really long quicks I do them every 2 weeks and I could go on for a couple of months. Once they’re an appropriate length then we’ll switch them to monthly. Some dogs, if their nails grow really slow, I have a couple clients that they do it every 6 weeks.

Are there specific signs that indicate it’s time for your dog to be trimmed?

Yes, definitely when you’re hearing the tippy tapping on the floor that’s a big sign. The thing you want to be careful is as pet’s age they get really arthritic in their joints. Some dogs will chew on their nails and that’s a big sign that they are probably uncomfortable. Some pets you’ll just find that they’re getting caught on the furniture and in the blankets you know so that’s probably uncomfortable. You may notice when they are standing and their nails are kind of curved to the side or they curl underneath if you leave them too long. They can actually pierce their pads so that is definitely a concern, so you don’t want them going too long. Some dog’s front toes grow out long instead of curl under, so they’re hitting them on things. These you may not hear as much. The dewclaws commonly grow and curl and it isn’t uncommon for them to get stuck in things which is why some breeders cut them off at birth.

Are there any other common challenges that pet owner’s face when it comes to nail trimming? 

The most common thing I hear from new clients is “We tried to cut their nails once and we quicked them and they bled everywhere and now we’re scared.” It’s a traumatizing event for the people as well as the animals and definitely knocks your confidence down so that you don’t ever want to try it again. Unfortunately when they bleed they bleed like stuck pigs, so they do bleed a lot. I can’t say that I’ve never quicked a dog but I do try to make it a very rare occurrence. It does happen occasionally with the dogs that have the really, really long quicks. Usually when it’ll happen is the first time I’m doing a dog and I don’t realize. Then “oh shoot” they’re really tapered at the end and you can’t see it. Once I realize OK this is how the dog’s nails grow this is how they look on the inside. 

How far is too far and will the dog give you any indication?

It’s tricky because some dogs are very vocal like shepherds. I’ve got a shepherd that when I trim him, you’d think I’m ripping his toes off with pliers one by one, you know he’s just a vocal dude and very opinionated. So for owners this is very scary and traumatizing. You want to be able to just barely see the quick when you cut. But no blood. And different breeds act differently about it, with their quirks and such. 

So if you do hit the quick, suggestions on what to do besides freaking out?

Yeah so when you’re done freaking out, just go to the pantry and  grab some flour or corn starch and just put a little dab on the end of the nail and don’t let your dog lick it off. It’s safe for them but if they lick it, it’ll keep bleeding. If you have a very active or very anxious dog, and his heart rate is up he’ll bleed more. If you can, sit with your dog and try to keep them calm. Put the baking powder on there, just keep him comfortable, and in a couple of minutes he’ll stop. There is bloodstop which is a yellow powder made of coagulating products that will clot the blood so you can buy that at pet stores, otherwise in the vet clinics we use silver nitrate sticks and they work really well. I think they do have a little sting, initially because usually the dog won’t love it. 

Anything else that you can think of that people might have difficulty with when they’re clipping their dog. Should dogs be standing up or lying down?

So depends on the dog and their comfort. A dominant dog for example might not feel comfortable laying down cause they’re very vulnerable and exposed. Some dogs like standing up and I’ll usually put my knee under their belly to support them and then I’ll pick up their legs one by one. Some dogs like my own dog I can lay him down on his back with all 4 legs up in the air and do him like that, so every animal’s different. I like to find however the animal is comfortable because, like with aging animals who are arthritic, they might be a little grumpy or more likely to snap. Not because they’re mean by any means but they’re uncomfortable or they might be in pain so you do have to learn to work around a lot of that stuff. It makes sense to put them on something where they can actually grip.

Like a carpet?

Yes, honestly I know in grooming salons and stuff they put them on tables but they’re not cats and it’s not natural for them to be up high. They don’t like that so putting your dog on a table is not ideal. I go to client’s house and people ask me “Where do you want to do this?” I say wherever the dog is comfortable. If he’s comfortable laying on his bed or standing on his bed we do him on the bed, if he likes to lay in the middle of the floor in front of the TV we do it – wherever the pet is comfortable.

In Part 2 of this interview with Desiree we talked about common problems that can occur while caring for your dog’s (or other pet’s) nails. Please come back next week for Part 3 where Desiree will be talking about how to handle pets that are more difficult. She will be giving us ideas on how to make the process safer for both the pet and the pet owner.

Once again, if you would like to ask a question, please write your comment below and we will do our best to answer it. If you are interested in having Desiree come to your home to clip your pet’s nail, do an ear cleaning or an anal gland expression, Desiree can be reached through her Facebook Page ~ Desiree’s Pawdicures.

If you are interested in having your pet star in our 2025 Pet Calendar, please consider entering the Ruff Start 2025 Pet Photo Calendar Contest. This contest is a fundraiser for a local volunteer pet rescue. Weekly prizes are awarded to those pet owners who have entered a picture of their pet on the on-line calendar website platform and have gotten the greatest number of weekly votes. Grand prizes are awarded after the contest closes on March 28, 2024 and the 12 pets with the highest number of votes will win a free photo session with Silver Hound Studios and their pictures will be placed into the rescue’s 2025 calendar. The top two grand prize winners will also win extra prizes valued at $150 or more. You can register your pet at https://www.gogophotocontest.com/rsrs . Click “Sign In” to get started!