First Nail Trim & Bath

[Adrienne]

Dougie's nails are getting long but I am too scared to cut them because they are dark and I can not see the quick.  I planned to take him to PetSmart for this purpose--adding a bath because I don't think that they will just cut his nails and be done with it...  My concern is that he has not had all of his shots and I fear that he could get sick or catch something.  Please help, I am at a loss here :)))

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

The problem with public places like Petsmart is although the grooming dept may require a vaccination record (and I may be mistaken, but I think they just ask, and don't require verification), the store in general definitely does not verify for up-to-date vaccinations. They post a notice that your dog must be current on vaccinations, and that's it. Unless there's a private door to the grooming dept., you'd be walking your dog through the store where lots of questionable dogs have also been.

[Michael Gurley]

Actually, Petsmart has a rule that a groomer must see paperwork from the vet verifying that the dog has had the rabies vaccine. Then we record the expiration date in our computer. We do not ask for any other vaccines, though, just rabies.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Thanks for clarifying. I don't know at what age rabies vaccine is required by state law where you are, but here in Oregon its by the age of 6 months. Theoretically, a puppy would have had all its shots by then. I think the discussion here is regarding dogs that haven't had all their puppy shots and are allowed into grooming shops. I took Lucy to PetSmart for her first shampoo and blow dry when she was 5 months old (before her rabies, but after her puppy series vaccines). Obviously, they do allow puppies in before the rabies shot verification.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

There are a couple of other solutions you might consider. There are stickers you cover the nail with that show where the quick is. The sticker changes color where the blood makes the nail warmer.

Another solution is to use a sanding tool. There are several on the market.

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

I've never heard of these stickers, I will have to look for them - thanks.

A lot of people I know use a dremmal grinder to shorten nails. I use a grinder to found the edges after cutting.

[Joyce (Casey & Cody's mom)]

My daughter gave us a nail grinder for our pups. They weren't too pleased with this at first, but have gotten used to it. Their breeder said that daily, they rubbed their feet and played with their nails, so they don't mind having us cutting their nails. My dachshunds on the other hand go CRAZY when we try to cut or grind their nails.

[Julie and Charlie]

They should just trim nails if you want them just to trim nails! He might be a little young, though. Ask your vet and PetSmart.

Long term, you should consider learning how to do it yourself. Charlie has had some times where he wasn't allowed at the groomer because he was ill, sometimes for a long period of time. Charlie has dark nails, and I do them with a pliers style trimmer- it's easier for me to maneuver than the guillotine style. I'm of the opinion that you should do it weekly, and just nip a little bit off at a time. That way, I have more opportunities to train him to tolerate it and less of a chance of hitting the quick. He doesn't growl at me and doesn't make attempts at escape anymore, and we no longer need peanut butter or treats during the trimming process. We tried a bunch of different positions- him on the kitchen counter, on the floor, on the couch, on the picnic table outside... the best position for us is so strange that I'll probably have to post a picture for it to make sense!

Get yourself some styptic powder just in case. I've quicked him a few times.  The worst was when he didn't really show any discomfort (no yelp, no flinch) and I finished up, and then he promptly ran all over the house and we had bloody paw prints everywhere, on everything. I felt awful!! I learned after that that I should touch each nail before letting him go just to make sure. 

[Star and Goldie]

Petsmart wouldn't even trim Goldie's nails when she was a pup until she had all of her puppy shots so it may not even be an option. However, I would steer clear of any form of petsmart grooming. They don't even require any grooming experience for someone to groom animals there. I know this for a fact because my friend just got a job there to groom animals. They told her that since she is a hairdresser they would accept that experience. Yikes! Definitely not be same thing!
I'd look for a private groomer. Your vet can clip the nails in the meantime. Plus petsmart is ridiculously expensive. There was a $75 difference between them and my groomer for the same services!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Personally, I'd avoid any areas like Pet Smart and Petco until the pup is fully vaccinated. My vet offered nail trims during vaccination appointments. You may want to look into that.

[Anita - Thunder, Noodle, Sparky]

Absolutely!

[Bob Johnston]

I think I would avoid pet smart to since he hasn't gotten all of his shots yet. Puppy nails are soft compared to adults so you can even use human nail clippers and just take off the very tip where it is sharp and file the rest down. Even if you only get 1 nail a day that way.

I will have to look up the stickers to we have quick stop on hand if I cut to close but those stickers would be great.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

Stickers look like this. http://www.renspets.com/quick-see-quick-see.html