Cutting dogs nails

I have had my rescue dog two years and I do all her grooming myself but I've never cut her nails. A couple months ago my mums dog was visiting his groomer and I decided to send my dog along for the works.. Wash, brush, nails, anal glands! The groomer is also a veterinary nurse, has years of experience and is an all round lovely lady. When I collected my dog she had done all the above bar the nails. Knowing nothing about my dog she asked if she was a rescue. She said she was good as gold for everything including her anal glands but when she tried to touch her feet she had a total panic attack. No aggression just absoute fear. I thought maybe it had something to do with it being her first visit to a groomer.
Last month she had to see our vet for a lung related issue. This is an ongoing issue so she knows our vet well and really likes her. So I asked the vet to have a go. I've never seen my dog like this. Total meltdown! The vet brought her upstairs and she and one of the other vets tried to cut them together (one holding her down). They didn't manage it. In fact they said she was so terrified they'd have to put her under to do it! I don't want to put her through that.
I've bought clippers since and tried myself. She let's me touch her feet no bother. (I've since noticed she doesn't let most other people). But even with me she starts flipping and twisting, panting and her heart hammers. I got one cut and just couldn't put her through her anymore. The last thing I want is her to become afraid of me too!
What can I do?? Putting her under to cut them seems drastic but they have gotten really long!
BTW she road walks pretty much everyday and it has minimal effect on them. Vet said they are tough hardy nails!

mymo

I would try and desensitise her if she lets you touch her feet ok.
It needs to be done slowly, very slowly, start by touching her foot and praising her, or treats whatever works, once she's comfortable with that, move onto touching her with the nail clippers on the paw, again praise or treats, then onto touching the clippers to her paw while you hold it, then onto touching the nail while holding her paw.
This should only be done a couple of times at first, one step at a time over a number of days or weeks. Any sign of stress go back a step. I have to do something similar with my boy regularly so he lets me clip his nails, but I only ever do two or three at a time.

Hope it works for you, if she gives the paw you can work it into that too.

mymo

mymo wrote: »

I would try and desensitise her if she lets you touch her feet ok.
It needs to be done slowly, very slowly, start by touching her foot and praising her, or treats whatever works, once she's comfortable with that, move onto touching her with the nail clippers on the paw, again praise or treats, then onto touching the clippers to her paw while you hold it, then onto touching the nail while holding her paw.
This should only be done a couple of times at first, one step at a time over a number of days or weeks. Any sign of stress go back a step. I have to do something similar with my boy regularly so he lets me clip his nails, but I only ever do two or three at a time.

Hope it works for you, if she gives the paw you can work it into that too.

Thanks. I'll try this. It will definitely be weeks not days! I'll use some high reward treats, like left over steak pieces. I put the clippers on the floor beside her and walked away to see what she'd do. She just gave them a lick and stayed lying where she was. She's such a funny dog sometimes.
And yeah I'll have to just clip a nail or two at a time to reduce the trauma, when she's desensitised a bit. I just examined them there and her back ones aren't bad at all. Its only the front 'claws'! So at least I only have two paws to worry about.

mymo

My two both need the front ones trimmed every so often, no amount of walking keeps them fully worn down, and both of mine are wimps even though they are well used to it now.