I now do them all in a row, usually starting with Daisy because she's the most likely to decide to go hide somewhere when she sees the dremel come out. She doesn't really protest so much once we start but she does try to avoid the whole thing. Darwin does not really like having his nails done BUT his desire to be his mama's special pet overrides all that & the moment the other dogs are having *anything* done to them, he's in there, lying down close to me and pleading for it to be his turn now. Bear is a stubborn old dog who I don't has ever been groomed at all before coming here; fortunately he is easily bribed with fish paste.
The light was cooperating at one point and I managed to take some photos of Old Bear's feet, because the condition of his nails is a good hint about some of his problems.
Here's one of his nails. Just your average, overgrown nail, right?
Same paw, the nail beside it. See the problem?
It's even clearer on the next nail.
Bear has mobility problems and drags his feet. Uneven wear of your dog's nails and especially drag marks on the top of the nail are important things to look for when you are doing their manicures. If you notice this, you must consult a veterinarian. The dog may have arthritis or neurological problems (or be an over achiever like Bear and have both!)
And just because it makes me laugh, look at his hairy feet!
I trim all that fur off with scissors (you could also use electric trimmers if you're worried about jabbing or cutting the dog). Trimming all the fur between the pads means that the dog is less likely to slip on smooth surfaces and also stops snow from balling up in uncomfortable icicles at the bottom of the foot.
Remember to examine the paw carefully when you're doing the nails, checking for signs of bacterial or fungal infection in the pads. Use your eyes, and don't forget to use your nose. If you know what your dog's feet smell like normally, you'll be quick to notice if there's a fungal problem.
And besides, dog feet smell nice.
Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would lean over and smell the skin at the base of its paw. This, he would say, as if coming away from a brandy snifter, is the greatest smell in the world! A bouquet! Great rumours of travel! She would pretend disgust, but the dog's paw was a wonder: the smell of it never suggested dirt. It's a cathedral! her father had said, so-and-so's garden, that field of grasses, a walk through cyclamen-a concentration of hints of all the paths the animal had taken during the day.
Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient
1 comment:
The nails on Calli's back feet are worn down worse than Bear's. Don't have to ever trim the center two, but the outside two need the occasional trimming. The back feet are easy to do, because she isn't really aware you are doing them. She hates you doing her front feet, but puts up with it because she knows who's in charge:)!
You know, I handled her feet and nails daily when she came home at nine weeks, and it certainly didn't make her accepting of a pedicure. In fact she doesn't like her front feet being handled at all. I tried to teach her to 'shake a paw', and was unsuccessful, as the last thing she wanted me to do was touch her foot 'IF' I could get her to lift it up. Not that it would have been impossible to teach her, but it would have taken way more effort than I was willing to put into something like that.
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