What's a safe way to trim you Lhasa Apso's tiny nails, without crippling him, or throwing up ?

    • Gold Top Dog

    What's a safe way to trim you Lhasa Apso's tiny nails, without crippling him, or throwing up ?

    What's a safe way to trim my Lhasa Apso pup's tiny nails, without crippling her, or throwing up ?

    Thanks
    • Gold Top Dog
    If she's got white nails, cut only the white part. Stay away from the red/pink.
     
    If you're scared you'll hurt her, leave it to the professionals and take her to the groomer for her nails. She'll need to go every 4-6 weeks anyway, what a good time to start now.
    • Gold Top Dog
     She's been to the groomer once, about 2 wks ago, and got her nails trimmed then, but we want to learn how to do some of this grooming stuff ourselves.  Well, my wife and I braced ourselves (thanks to God that we have a very cooperative pup at 15 wks) and used a regular human nail trimmer, and took off the white part.  We wet her paws first so that we could get her hair to clear her little nails.  We came up with this idea ourselves, so, I'm waiting for my Nobel prize to arrive in the mail any day now.

    PS.  Good to hear from Texas, my home state (Dallas). 
    Have been living in Godless Massachusetts since '81,
    • Gold Top Dog
    It really IS scary. I do all of Trudy's grooming except that. I take her to my sweet groomer guy at my vet office once a month or so. He is so nice to her. It is FAST too! Takes me forever and she is not good for me. She is very nice for him though. I learned to groom her by watching him groom her.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Sallya - Do you keep your Shih tzu long haired like in the pics?? Her hair looks silky rather than fuzzy and super thick, like my Layla's. I have such a hard time combing or brushing her because of this. Maybe I'm not using the right tools. She goes to the groomer every 2 weeks. I have a bad back and can't bathe them. My Lhasa has silky, almost human hair, so she's not a problem. Layla has been matting a lot in the last two weeks so I'm going to have her cut short next week. I think she'll be more comfortable too. Your pup is so adorable!!!!! Such a sweet face! I need to upload pics still. I'll have to to work on that!
    • Gold Top Dog
    Panchodog -- another thot -- a human nail trimmer usually has a cord.  You can use a Dremel Myte-Mite (about $20 at WallyWorld a/k/a Wal-mart) and it's cordless and has two speeds and about a zillion different 'tips' so you can find the one that really fits your dog's nails.
     
    Put treats in your shirt pocket -- seriously.  It will keep the dog's head 'up' and away from the nails  -- shoot, it's worth a cheap pocket-t-shirt with pieces of hot dog, braunschweiger or whatever in there just to keep them busy.
     
    Learning to pull back the hair and hold that one nail firmly in your thumb/finger is a learned trick too -- but it works well.  If you get in the habit of doing even one or 2 nails an evening with a standard dose of 'goodies' you can often incorporate it into "sitting down and relaxing" -- if it's not a long-drawn out process the dog will actually enjoy it once you desensitize them to the vibration of the Dremel (or nail sander)
     
    I admit it -- I'm a complete wuss.  I do the same thing as Sally -- I've been known to  take mine in once a month to get them clipped if I haven't been able to Dremel them as I like to.  It's gotten so many many groomers are using the Dremel too -- just because it works so well and is so portable with no cord to tangle.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Sunshine girl, Trudy does have long hair. She always has. I brush, then comb her daily. I bathe her in my kitchen sink because my back is also bad. She gets a bath each week and I wash her feet after each walk. Her hair is like a human. Thick, silky. Not flyaway, it is heavy. Keeping her clean helps me to brush easily. I use Solid Gold Shampoo and Conditioner. You can carefully brush her out, then carefully use a comb to make sure there are no matts to the skin. I LOVE Shih Tzu hair! It is gorgeous.   
     
    Again, about the nails. It is just best for Trudy to let a nice groomer do the nails for her. He is SO fast and good. MUCH nicer for her. I do the rest. Sally
     
       
    • Gold Top Dog
    as a note about the fuzzy lhasa hair..if your dog is a puppy, their coat does tend to be more on the thick wooly side.  As they grow they'll get their adult coat with a more easily managed texture.
     
    As nails go, getting them used to nail issues when they're young is the best age. Even if you end up deciding to take them to a vet or groomer for nail trims, it is much appreciated if the dog doesn't want to panic, flail or nip.  Every day when you're watcing tv, have the pup in your lap and just handle the feet.  Give treats as you do so, and offer praise. 
     
     
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: calliecritturs

    Panchodog -- another thot -- a human nail trimmer usually has a cord. 


    Wait, what human nail trimmer has a cord? Aren't these what most people use:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_clippers

    Anyway, human nail trimmers aren't the best type for a dog's nails. I would get a good pair of dog nail trimmers; there are two types- guillotine and scissory. Here's a link with really detailed instructions and pictures explaining nail trimming:

    http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dog_nails.asp