A dog's nails are very important parts of their bodies. Dogs are what
we call “digitigrade,” meaning that they walk on their toes. Canine
nails are made of the same material as ours and also continuously grow
like ours do. When left for too long, overgrown nails can cause pain and
difficulty walking. That's why having short nails is so important; can
you imagine walking on long, pointy nails? Yikes!
But most dogs
don't sit placidly while you clip away
the excess. Nail trimming is one of the most popular services in pet
grooming salons because it's just so darn unpleasant for many dogs. You
know the drill… you get ready to trim your dog's nails and somehow he
senses that you are about to mess with his paws before you even get
started. Now the real fun begins! Your corner him, grab his paw and try
to cut his nails. But he's not having it. He begins to fight hard and
pull his leg back, and the wrestling match begins. Eventually you
will win (if you're lucky), but he won't make it easy. And with all
that wiggling, fussing and moving, you worry about hurting him or
accidentally cutting into the fleshy center of the nail. This can be
very painful for your dog and cause the nail to bleed
You stop
and think; what can you do? His nails are too long so you persist,
praying you won't hurt him. He "play bites" you, putting his teeth into
your hand. Maybe he even begins to bark and growl. The more you try,
the wilder he gets. Oh, the drama!
Frustrated, you are tempted to
give up. You tell yourself that his nails can grow until they become
"weapons of mass destruction" for all you care. But then reason wins
out. You know that there is no getting around it - those nails MUST be
trimmed.
Now you have a few options. You can simply pay a
groomer or your vet to trim your dog's nails every month, or you can
keep struggling. What can you do to make this process less stressful
for you both? (Because believe me, your dog doesn't enjoy this either.)
I
have some good news. Approaching the problem with a different tool can
make things much easier. In fact, the traditional nail clippers that
people tend to use on their dogs could be a reason why so many pets hide
when it's nail trimming time: the blades can pinch and twist the nail,
adding more pain to an already uncomfortable process. A nail grinder may
be just what you need to take the sting out of clipping.
It does not cut the nail. Instead, it files the nail away a little at a
time, eliminating the need for painful bladed clippers and making the
experience a much more pleasant one.
There are many different
types of nail grinders on the market. My staff and I have tried them all
to find out which one is best. When all was said and done, I really
liked the Gentle Paws
nail grinder, so I asked one of our veterinarians, Dr. Karin Szust, to
take it home and try it on her 5 dogs. Dr. Szust came into the office
this morning and told us that she agreed—she really loved this nail
grinder. There are lots of great things to say about it (it's
easy to handle, powerful, and the results are wonderful) but the most
important in my opinion is that the dogs like it. Transitioning to a
grinder from clippers can seem difficult at first because many dogs are
wary of the noise. But Gentle Paws is quieter than most grinders, and
can easily be worked into your dog's routine. Just gradually introduce
it to your dog by first letting them investigate it, then leaving the
grinder running while you gently pet and reassure them. Karin's dogs
warmed
up to it very quickly; once the dogs realized that this gadget wasn't
going to hurt them, they relaxed and cooperated.
Karin loved Gentle Paws and so did her dogs. Now the dogs have smooth, healthy nails and everybody was happy!
We give Gentle Paws
two thumbs up and you will, too! With Gentle Paws there will be no
more struggling and no more painful trimming accidents. It really makes
the job quick and easy. And you get smooth, rounded nails in just a few
minutes!
Give it a try. This product is in high
demand so I suggest that you act now. If it saves you a trip to the
groomer or the vet it will pay for itself many times over. To order, go
to: www.petproductadvisor.com/gentlepaws
Until next time,
Dr. Jonhttp://www.petplace.com/
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