Nail Clipping: More than a Pawdicure

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK!

For those of us with hardwood or tile floors in the home, it's a familiar sound. Once we can hear this sound it's time for every dog's least favourite thing... Having their nails clipped.

Now, let's be honest.  Many dogs (including both of mine) HATE having their nails clipped. They'll fuss, whine, pull their paws away and occasionally use their teeth to protest as well!  But no matter how much your pup may disagree, keeping your dog's nails short is an important part of a regular grooming routine. Longer nails over time can negatively affect your dog's gait and damage bone structure in the feet. In extreme cases, nails can grow long enough to curl back around into the pads of the feet.  

Needless to say, both of these possibilities are extremely painful but can be easily avoided by regular clipping. Depending on how often your dog walks or runs on pavement (which wears down the nail naturally), their nails should be addressed either via clipping or filing every 4-6 weeks.

For the DIY'ers

Trimming your dog's nails from home is also an excellent option.  Set yourself up for success by ensuring you have the right tools.  

The most important thing you'll need is a good pair of nail clippers. There are a few different styles to choose from, but I recommend and use scissor style clippers.  This style of clipper gives you the most leverage and control. A photo of the clippers we sell in our salon is shown below.  These sturdy, stainless steel clippers are durable and have rubber coated handles for easy gripping.

The other tool you'll need in your nail trimming arsenal is styptic powder. 

Kwik Stop brand styptic powder

Styptic powder is an anesthetic as well as a cauterizing agent designed to stop bleeding on contact. Bleeding can occur when you accidentally cut the nail too short and clip the nail's quick.  

A diagram of various nail lengths and proper clipping length 

Some websites and blogs will suggest that baking powder or flour is a suitable alternative, but in my experience there is no substitute for the real thing.  Most containers cost under $10 and will last for years if you're only doing your own dog's nails at home (and you're careful!)

Once you've got the tools, you're ready to start clipping!  Check out this video for step-by-step instructions.

The Easy Answer

The easiest way to avoid the heartache and frustration of attempting to clip your own dog's nails at home is to take them to the groomer on a regular basis. Sometimes, the most wiggly of dogs who just won't let their owners do them often are just fine when they're on a groomer's table.

Don't feel badly if you can't clip your dog's nails.  You're not alone!

Many dog groomers offer nail clipping as a walk-in service and can often do them while you wait for a reasonable price.

Nail clipping teamwork at The Friendly Groomer

The Last Resort

Some dogs absolutely REFUSE to allow their nails to be trimmed by their owner, or by a groomer. The last resort should never be to leave nails to grow un-clipped.  Unfortunately, no matter how upset or aggressive a dog may become, it still must be done.  In these cases, I recommend taking your dog to the vet.  Vets can ensure both your dog and the person attempting to trim their nails remain safe.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your dog's nails trimmed is more than just a luxurious pawdicure. Whether you decide to bring them to a groomer, a vet or even do it yourself, it's an important part of keeping your dog at their best!

 
-Peter

Getting Ready for Spring: Fleas

It's one of those dirty words that makes you (and your dog) itch just thinking about it; fleas.  Perhaps the greatest fear of pet owners during the spring and summer months, fleas are external parasites that live off of hitching a ride onto a mammal (not just dogs and cats), biting their skin and sucking their blood.  These tiny vampires are very small, about the size of a sesame seed, so they can be very difficult to detect on your pet until a full blown infestation is underway.

                                 

How can I spot fleas?
During our first spring with Wallace, we noticed him scratching himself more than usual, and upon inspection, we noticed his armpits and belly looked a bit dirty. It turns out this was flea dirt.   Generally the most tell-tale sign that your dog has fleas are deposits of flea dirt rather than the actual fleas. Flea dirt is dried blood that the fleas have passed through their body -- Basically, it's flea poop. The fleas and flea dirt can most commonly be found hiding in the armpits and between the hind legs.  Fleas can be especially tricky to spot on darker coloured dogs since the dirt and fleas tend to blend in.

Flea dirt is usually the easiest way to detect fleas on your pet.

Where do fleas come from?  
One of the most frustrating things about being a groomer is hearing from a client "my dog got fleas from your shop!"  This is not impossible (that is to say, nothing is impossible) but it is extremely unlikely. Good groomers will take precautions to make sure that all fleas found on a dog in their care are immediately eradicated and the shop is properly cleaned and sprayed with insecticide.

In reality, fleas prefer warm, humid habitats such as sandy areas, crawl spaces under houses and gardens or under leafy vegetation.  As such, the most common way for fleas to get onto your pet is from out in nature....  This has become increasingly true in recent years as the use of pesticides is becoming more and more rare, due their being outlawed in many regions.

So no, your dog has probably not gotten fleas from other dogs at the groomer's but likely picked them up in your own backyard! 

Fleas live out in your yard, so make sure you're protecting your furry friends from them!

I found fleas! What do I do?
The first thing to remember is to not panic and the second is to call your vet.

When we first found the fleas on Wallace we immediately ran out to the pet store and bought a shampoo to give him a bath and went about vacuuming every inch of carpet and upholstery in our house every day for a week straight, sprayed insecticide all over and took all of the towels, bedding and curtains to the laundromat. Our house was very clean, but the fleas were still there and Wallace was still scratching...

If only we'd spoken to our vet!  It turns out that although Wallace was on a flea prevention program, our indoor kitten, Bridget, was not, and should have been. After Wallace brought the fleas into the house they would hop onto her and multiply. 

After speaking with the vet we decided to keep Wallace's flea treatment the same and start Bridget on a program as well.  Wallace is on a product called Trifexis which is a pill he takes once a month.  It's very effective as it not only kills adult fleas that try to feed on his blood, but also sterilizes them so they cannot ley eggs either. We also like that it's made in Canada.  We use a different product for Bridget called Advantage that is a topical application.  Generally cats get topical "spot-on" products since getting a cat to take a pill is not fun.

Again, consult with your vet  before using any flea treatment; these products are intravenous, meaning they are absorbed into the bloodstream, and some products sold in stores (Zodiac, Frontline) may have severe side effects.  

Getting Rid of Fleas - Step by Step

1. Call your vet. Book an appointment to put all indoor and outdoor animals on flea prevention programs.
2. Put your dog's bed, blanket and fabric toys in the wash.
3. Give your dog a bath with medicated flea and tick shampoo for immediate relief (or send them to the groomer to do it).
4. Vacuum your home paying special attention to corners, behind curtains and by the baseboards.
5. If your dog spends a lot of time in the backyard consider treating the leafy shrubs with insecticide as well.  There are specialty sprays available at pet stores.

Keep your pets free from fleas this summer with a preventative treatment from your vet!

Fleas are a very common pest that can cause agony for your pets by making them itch horribly.  To make matters worse, incessant scratching and licking often leads to skin irritation and infection.  Make sure you nip this problem in the bud and get your dogs (and cats) on a prevention program from your vet from spring through fall to keep them healthy and happy!

-Peter