Ronni
The motormouth ;)
- Location
- Nashville TN
I have two tiny chihuahuas....3 pounds each. They have tiny little paws, but very hard nails, especially Jazz, the tri color one, who has a variegated nail color including black, and several completely black, and they're even harder.
I used to take them to PetsMart once a month to get the nails clipped because they'd howl like they were being stabbed every time I did it and though I'm not a wuss, I just couldn't deal. I did all the rest of their grooming though...ears, bath, teeth brushing etc.
Tango, the white one, developed a joint tissue issue...the connective tissue in his joints is breaking down and so his limbs have become very fragile, resulting in me needing to take over his nails myself because I'm concerned someone may do him damage. I bought a special small grinder (like a dremel) and now I grind their nails. Neither like it, but I can get Jazz's nails done in about 5 minutes.
Tango's on the other hand take me forever. He constantly pulls his little feet away, whines, flinches, wriggles, won't stay still, and because of his joint issue I have to be very careful. I usually devote a morning to the process...doing a couple nails at a time, putting him down for a rest for the both of us while I do other stuff, doing a couple more etc. It's draining and I hate it. But at least I know he's getting gentle care.
What about you? How do you care for your dogs' nails?