 |
SizzleDog Design |
 |
|
|
 |
||
|
|
|
 |
| Why I Dremel My Dogs' Nails | ||
|
Well, they say a photo is worth a thousand words... I dremel because: 1. I don't like to hear my dogs click through the house. 2. I like tight, neat, well-kept feet. 3. I do not like to be scratched. 4. I do not like my floors all scratched up. 5. I do not enjoy making my dogs bleed profusely. 6. I do not want my dogs to be foot-shy. 7. I want my dogs to be able to rely on their feet for their whole lives. Some things you need to know about dremeling: 1. My dogs came to me with very short nails - it is easier to maintain a short nail than to work back a long nail. 2. Some dogs will never have nails as short as the photo above. This is because the shape of the foot also dictates, in part, the length of the nail. 3. Dremeling is not a fail-safe... dremeling can hurt, and dremeling can make your dog bleed (just not as much) 4. Dremeling will not recede a quick if you aren't diligent - you MUST dremel frequently and consistently to get shorter nails. 5. Dremeling is dusty and sometimes smelly. 6. Care must be taken to tie your hair back, wear protective eyewear, and to protect your dogs coat as well. YOU NEED TO READ THIS: I am not a veterinarian. I am not a veterinary technician. I am, however, a groomer. I have been taught how to grind nails by professionals in both the grooming and showing world. I have worked for years to perfect my technique. I assume no responsibility for any injury to either you or your dog(s) if you decide to try grinding for yourself. Okay! Legal stuff aside, let's get on with the Dremeling! THIS IS NOT A SITE FOR INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO ACCUSTOM YOUR DOG TO A DREMEL. All dogs react differently to dremeling. Some take to it right away, and some need to be babied through it. Mine have never put up a fuss and neither have any of my clients' dogs, so I have no firsthand knowledge of teaching a frightened dog to accept dremeling, or even to slowly accustom a dog to the procedure. In all cases, do not make a big deal out of dremeling - don't give your dog a reason to become anxious about having their nails dremeled. A great site to learn how to dremel is http://homepages.udayton.edu/~merensjp/doberdawn/dremel/dremel.html Stuff you'll need: 1. A grinding tool. Most people use the Dremel brand, but I choose to use a Black&Decker Wizard rotary tool. The wizard is cheaper and louder, but it's got great balance and fits my hand well. It has lasted five years and is still going strong. 2. Sandpaper wheels. DO NOT use the stone tools, as these get too hot and will burn your dog. I use the rougher grained ones. 3. Cauterizing powder. Many people use a brand called Kwik Stop, but flour will also work in a pinch. If you happen to make your dog bleed, just apply the powder and some pressure to stop the bleeding. 4. Protective eyewear. This is mandatory! Nail dust HURTS when you get it in your eye! I use my safety goggles left over from freshman chemistry, but shop goggles also work well. 5. Pantyhose (if you have a long coated dog) - simply push the dogs nails through the pantyhose to protect the hair from tangling in the rotary tool. "Don't forget your protective eyewear!" reminds Ilsa.  Here is a photo of my rotary tool, and some Kwik Stop:  I prefer to have my dogs lay on their side for dremeling. This makes it easier for me to turn the foot around and position it in the way I want it - this allows for smoother, better looking, and shorter nails. It is more comfortable for the dog AND you! If you aren't fighting the dog's weight and attempts to find its balance, then you have two less things to worry about. I will not dremel a dog if it is standing. Period.  I like to get a good grip on the toe, as well as extend the digit slightly. This helps the toe from moving around, and also extends the nail so I can dremel it better. Can you see a ring-shaped, pinkish area on one of the nails? This is the quick - and on that particular nail I woud not dremel back any further. However, on that nail I would take the sides back a bit, as well as a bit off the top of the nail. The white area outside the pink ring is safe dremeling territory, but be careful - the quick can feel the heat from the sanding drum, so remember to be quick and light in your grinding.  I start by taking the nail back until I see the pink ring. At this point, the top of the nail is longer than the bottom part. Next, I take back the top "hook" of the nail, exposing the top few millimeters of the quick. Lastly I clean up the sides of the nail, and any rough edges I can see. To maintain nails, I dremel my female every week, my male every two to three weeks - my male has tighter, rounder feet, so his nails stay shorter. YES, even small variations in foot shape will change how long a dog's nails get, and how fast they are worn down. My female's feet have relaxed a bit with age, so they are not as tight and round as they used to be. Because of this, her nails get longer, faster. If they get too long, I will dremel every third day until they are short again. I have never had to do this with my male, as his nails always stay short!  Here are a few photos of my female's nails, back when she was younger. Now that she's older, she carries a slightly longer nail, as her feet aren't as tight as they used to be.   |
|
| © 2005 Leah Hartlep |
Create a free website at Webs.com
|