| Don't Like Trimming Your Dog's Nails? You're Not Alone ...
Many people quail at the thought of trimming their dog's nails. If you have areas of concrete in your yard, or take your dog for a daily walk on the paved sidewalk, you may not have to give much thought to this issue, as your dog probably wears down his own nails.
Dogs and cats have an incredible sense of hearing. To protect their hearing and prevent damage to the ear drum, their ear canals are L-shaped. The problem with this design is that it allows the ears to trap parasites, moisture, debris, and earwax, and any of these can lead to ear infections. Up to 80 percent of ear problems in dogs are linked to allergies, and earmites are often the cause of infection in cats. The traditional treatment for ear infections is to give antibiotics, antifungal medications or other drugs. The problem with this approach is that drugs upset the normal chemistry inside the ear and can possibly turn a simple infection into a long-term problem. It makes more sense to deal with underlying allergies and strengthen the immune system so that it is able to fight bacteria and other germs BEFORE they cause infection. Also, there are many natural treatments for cleaning the ears and stopping infections without using drugs. These are the Signs of an Ear Infection in Pets: *Pet shakes head or holds it to one side. *Pet scratches or rubs ears, or rubs head against furniture or carpet. *There is a yellow, brown or black discharge in one or both ears. *Ears smell bad or are tender or red. The Solutions: *Clean the ears with vinegar - If your pet's ears are filled with brownish-pink wax, there is a good chance that allergies have caused a yeast infection. To clear up yeast infections, clean the ears thoroughly. Veterinarians often recommend using white vinegar, also called acetic acid, because it removes dirt and debris and helps restore a healthy chemical balance in the ears. Diluted vinegar works well. When using vinegar, pour a small amount into the ear canal, massage the area, then gently wipe the inside of the ear with a cotton ball. Do this once a day until the ear is better. *Stop infections with pau d'arco - The herb pau d'arco, which comes from the inner bark of a South American tree, is a natural antibiotic that quickly kills fungi and bacteria. At the first sign of infection, mix equal parts pau d'arco tincture and mineral oil and put several drops in your pet's ears. Give the drops two or three times a day for several days. *Reduce inflammation with vitamin C - The adrenal glands produce a natural steroid that can help reduce inflammation when ears get infected. Giving pets vitamin C can help the adrenal glands work more efficiently. Pets weighing under 15 pounds can take between 100 and 250 milligrams of vitamin C a day. Cats and dogs 15 to 50 pounds can take 250 to 500 milligrams a day, and larger dogs can take 500 milligrams two or three times a day. Vitamin C can cause diarrhea, so you may have to cut back the dose until you find an amount that your pet will tolerate. But for anyone else, it's important to keep those claws down, and it's useful to know how to do it yourself!
Giving your dog a bath - no problem. Probably cleaning your dog's teeth wouldn't be an issue. But trimming doggie’s nails, no way! Ok, listen up. You can do this. It’s not nearly as difficult or frightening as it seems.
Nail trimming in dogs can be done very easily if you know how. It is a good idea to watch someone else (vet, groomer or friend) who is experienced in nail trimming show you first. Some dogs don’t need to have their nails trimmed. Many will naturally wear the nails down or the dried ends of the nails will simply flake away without you even knowing. But some breeds, especially Basset Hounds and Dachshunds will likely need your help in keeping the toe nails reasonably short. As much as you’ll never want to, you might as well just count on cutting a nail too short on occasion. It just happens sometimes, even with experienced groomers. The nail will bleed if you cut it too short, so just be prepared for that. Get a good nail trimmer. Ask your vet or the clerk in the pet store which kind they recommend. Place the main part of the trimmer in the palm of your hand and the moveable part is controlled by your fingers. You want to be able to see the small cutting blade that slides when you squeeze the handle. Make sure you’re not cutting from the top downward; but rather from underneath. Slide the opening over the end of the nail while staying in the whitish part of the nail. The pink area of the nail is the live part and has blood vessels throughout. Hopefully you’ll be able to see where the pink part starts. If your pooch has dark nails you won’t be able to see any pink to know where the live part of the nail starts. Just do a little bit at a time with the dark nails. Check the end of the nail. The dead area usually is whitish and as you cut deeper into the end of the nail you will begin to see a dark area. That dark area is where the live part starts. When you are ready to cut, and you are sure you aren't at the live, pink part of the nail make a smooth, quick squeeze on the handle while holding the trimmer steady. Don't try to "pop" the end of the nail off; it will fall away on its own. You can file the edges or just let the dog wear the nail smooth. Taking your dog for a walk on the sidewalk or street can help them file down. Remember that at some point you will cut too short. When this happens, place a tiny piece of tissue paper tightly against the end of the nail and hold it for a few minutes. Better yet, have some cornstarch or flour available and put a small amount against the bleeding end of the nail, hold it there with your finger. This works right away. Or you can do nothing and the bleeding should stop in about five minutes. If it continues to bleed much more than that, give your vet a call. You can do this. Play with your canine’s feet first to get them used to the idea. If you do it once a week, it won’t seem like such a tragic event. If you can only do one paw a day, that’s ok too. Man’s best friend needs you to do it for him. Relax and enjoy your dog! (c) 2005 - All Rights Reserved
For info on other dog grooming issues, click here.
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