Trimming Stedman's Nails is a Total NIGHTMARE!!!!

[stedmansmommy]

Ok guys, once again I need help Do any of your babies totally FREAK OUT when you go to trim their nails?? Stedman is soooooooooooo bad when I try to trim his nails. To be honest, I can't even get them trimmed, not a single one! He freaks out soo soo badly I cannot even tell you. He squirms ALL over the place and I end up with scratch marks ALL over me...on my arms, legs, neck, etc., etc. I mean it is just insane. He gets so out of breath from fighting my hubby and I that he starts panting with his tongue hanging out. It's crazy!! We just WILL NOT let us do it. I hope this isn't horrible but last night we actually gave him a pill to help to calm and relax him and THAT didn't even help! It's like it didn't do a single thing and he was still freaking out when we tried to trim his nails.

I seriously do not know what to do with him. His nails are getting so long and I know they are probably bothering him, but what the heck do I do?? He REFUSES to let me trim them. I have taken him to the vet before and they have done it (it took THREE nurses to hold him down PLUS the person trimming his nails - so FOUR people total and he is only 4 lbs!) - this little guy is STRONG!! If all else fails I can try and take him to the vet to have them trimmed, but I swear he is even worse about it now that he was before and to be honest I don't know if they will even be able to do it. I mean he is BAD and sooo super squirmy. Plus, heck, he'd be going in ALL the time...just for a nail trim?? I am at a total loss here...please help!!

P.S. - I should get a video of this...you would all just die

[Tiramisu]

What do you use - the clippers or dremel?

Mine are good with nails, but Fancee acts like that with her ears. It's a tug-of-war to try and hold her while plucking and cleaning her ears. I've tried everything from babying to forcing. I always leave her until last because I know I'll be worn out when I finish (or giveup). The oddest thing is that she is the most clingy of them all. I laugh that I don't have any good pictures of her because she won't move far enough away for me to make her picture.

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by Tiramisu

What do you use - the clippers or dremel?

Mine are good with nails, but Fancee acts like that with her ears. It's a tug-of-war to try and hold her while plucking and cleaning her ears. I've tried everything from babying to forcing. I always leave her until last because I know I'll be worn out when I finish (or giveup). The oddest thing is that she is the most clingy of them all. I laugh that I don't have any good pictures of her because she won't move far enough away for me to make her picture.

I use clippers. I was thinking of trying the dremel, but I know he would freak out just the same. He just does not like ANYTHING going near his nails, no matter what it is. And if he "heard" something buzzing around by them I think that he would really go nuts I don't know though, maybe it is worth a shot to just try it and see? The Peticure that they adviertise on T.V. (I always see it on Animal Planet) has also crossed my mind. I almost ordered it but I didn't know if it wasn't any good so I decided just to wait.

Fancee sounds just like Stedman and you are absolutely right! They really will wear you completely out!

[bchgirl]

Sit on him. LOL....

You just describe me trimming Ramsey....in the beginning.

You have let him win the battle...if he squirms long enough...you will stop. So for awhile..it's gonna be a fight until he realizes it will be done. Now Ramsey has learned...it will be done...it can be 5 minutes...or 25 but I will trim her nails. She also knows...when you are finished...you get a treat. I put her down...she's barking...I let you, where's the dang treat!!

[sims822257]

OMG Brooke....I can totally relate. Murphy is absolutely CRAZY when it comes time for me to try. I seriously take him to the vet just to do it and that is just ridiculous in my opinion. I feel I should be able to control a yorkie but HECK NO he is crazy just like Stedman. I wish I had advice for you but I am just as bad off as you are ... that’s why I was so scared about the ear hair you were telling me about a few weeks ago.

I do have to say this last time I tried again I did it when it was just Murphy and I. I sent Mia on an errand with her daddy and I rolled Murphy over after he had been sleeping on the sofa and tried. AT first he was totally calm and I thought HOLY CRAP this is going to work and than one clip and he freaked so than I just had to hold him down HARD to do it. It was crazy but I got it done for the first time in my life. Afterwards he was panting like crazy...I mean CRAZY!

Gosh I empathize with you - it is tough for me too. Okay now that I wrote a book and did not even offer one single amount of help - ha, ha!! Sorry!!

[bchgirl]

Originally Posted by sims822257

OMG Brooke....I can totally relate. Murphy is absolutely CRAZY when it comes time for me to try. I seriously take him to the vet just to do it and that is just ridiculous in my opinion. I feel I should be able to control a yorkie but HECK NO he is crazy just like Stedman. I wish I had advice for you but I am just as bad off as you are ... that’s why I was so scared about the ear hair you were telling me about a few weeks ago.

I do have to say this last time I tried again I did it when it was just Murphy and I. I sent Mia on an errand with her daddy and I rolled Murphy over after he had been sleeping on the sofa and tried. AT first he was totally calm and I thought HOLY CRAP this is going to work and than one clip and he freaked so than I just had to hold him down HARD to do it. It was crazy but I got it done for the first time in my life. Afterwards he was panting like crazy...I mean CRAZY!

Gosh I empathize with you - it is tough for me too. Okay now that I wrote a book and did not even offer one single amount of help - ha, ha!! Sorry!!

In the south...we call that sympathy.

[sims822257]

Originally Posted by bchgirl

In the south...we call that sympathy.

LOL....ha, ha.....or just the gift of GAB (as my mother says). LOL

[browniesmom622]

Kayko was the same way Here's what i posted on another thread...

Wrap her Like a burrito- Snug- Leave one paw out at a time, Before you know it you wont need the blanket. Do Snipet's weekly So she get's use to it.

[FL Tink]

Someone else posted this problem recently and suggestd doing right after a bath when the nails are softer. I know Bella is really chilled out in the bath. I think I will try it again myself. I have to let the vet do it now.

[LoveMyJake]

Oh, I know what you mean, Brooke! Both my boys hate having their nails trimmed. I've been trying something new, which seems to be working. I wait until they are already sleepy, then I hold them and give them a massage and get them all relaxed. When I massage them, I touch their feet alot. In fact, I touch their feet alot when we're playing or if they're just sitting on my lap. After they are nice and relaxed, I hold them on my lap and my husband clips their nails (one dog at a time, of course). They get treats when they are all done. Also, trimming their nails after a bath seems to make it a little easier because the nails are softer.

Good luck, I know what you're going through!

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by bchgirl

Sit on him. LOL....

You just describe me trimming Ramsey....in the beginning.

You have let him win the battle...if he squirms long enough...you will stop. So for awhile..it's gonna be a fight until he realizes it will be done. Now Ramsey has learned...it will be done...it can be 5 minutes...or 25 but I will trim her nails. She also knows...when you are finished...you get a treat. I put her down...she's barking...I let you, where's the dang treat!!

Sit on him....LOL!!! Good idea! Actually though, I do eventually give up because he gets SO out of breath from fighting us that it actually scares me. Seriously, hubby makes me stop because he is afraid that Stedman is eventually going to hyperventilate or something. It is VERY bad. And I can't just start clipping the nails because he is moving around SO MUCH....I would just end up hurting him.

He has got to be still otherwise I just can't do it. There is no way of me SAFELY trimming his nails without hurting him when he is jumping and squirming around all over the place I would probably end up cutting one of the pads on his paws by mistake or either clipping the nail too far and going down to the quick and that's SO painful for them I am just at a total loss!

[Juliealfies mum]

I just take Alfie to the vet, he does not squirm but he makes me feel as if he is in mortal danger!!

Someone told me to put his paw in a popsock and his nails will go throught the stocking material and then you can trim them knowing you are not cutting the pad .

But it sounds as if Steadman might not like this either......

what does your vet suggest.

[jencar98]

Brooke, you might try the Peticure. I was skeptical at first, having two here that HATE nail trimming, I didn't believe the Peticure would make a difference. It's so quiet though there just isn't much noise to bother them.

It did take being persistent and I started with Ruby first, then once she was comfortable with it, started on Reno. I wanted to get confident with it at first before trying Reno, as he goes into the old "alligator death roll" when you try to trim nails.

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by sims822257

OMG Brooke....I can totally relate. Murphy is absolutely CRAZY when it comes time for me to try. I seriously take him to the vet just to do it and that is just ridiculous in my opinion. I feel I should be able to control a yorkie but HECK NO he is crazy just like Stedman. I wish I had advice for you but I am just as bad off as you are ... that’s why I was so scared about the ear hair you were telling me about a few weeks ago.

I do have to say this last time I tried again I did it when it was just Murphy and I. I sent Mia on an errand with her daddy and I rolled Murphy over after he had been sleeping on the sofa and tried. AT first he was totally calm and I thought HOLY CRAP this is going to work and than one clip and he freaked so than I just had to hold him down HARD to do it. It was crazy but I got it done for the first time in my life. Afterwards he was panting like crazy...I mean CRAZY!

Gosh I empathize with you - it is tough for me too. Okay now that I wrote a book and did not even offer one single amount of help - ha, ha!! Sorry!!

Well even though I feel sorry for you that you have to go through this with Murphy too, at least I know I'm not the only one who has a "wild child" when it comes to nail trimming! LOL. I would probably die of a heart attack if I was EVER able to pull it off....I swear I need to get a video so that everyone can see what he does It would probably look like I was being mean to him in the video because I have to be SO forceful in trying to hold him down...but I'm actually not hurting him at all....he is just sooooo squirmy and persistent! It's so frustrating too....if he could just hold still for a FEW minutes...I could get all of his nails trimmed in a snap - but he absolutely refuses

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by browniesmom622

Kayko was the same way Here's what i posted on another thread...

Wrap her Like a burrito- Snug- Leave one paw out at a time, Before you know it you wont need the blanket. Do Snipet's weekly So she get's use to it.

THANK YOU Lenora! I will try this....heck I'll try anything!! This boy needs him nails trimmed SO BADLY!!