German Shepherds Forum banner

Nails too big for nail clippers

19K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  SuperG  
#1 ·
I have been struggling with this for a while. Then I thought DUH ask the other GSD people. LOL I have tried every pair I could find. The problem has been that his nails are too big to fit in the space or his nails are too strong and break the clippers. Does anyone else have this problem? If so, what do you do? It has been a while since I tried because it can be painful for him but they are getting too long.

I tried to get a couple of pics but he must have thought I was going to clip them and kept running LOL The other dog in the pics is a Pitt. I think he was trying to save him! :D

Sent from Petguide.com Free App
 

Attachments

#8 ·
I still use clippers but a dremel is great. I don't have one but one day maybe. I think I would need to desensitize my dog to the dremel noise and feel before I was very successful at switching over. The clippers seem to work fine. Her nails are black so I have to be careful of the quick and the dremel would probably be better for that as it takes a little off at a time.
 
#9 ·
My husband and I tag team and use the dremel. I give treats while he mans the dremel. However, in between times, I'll nip the tips off occasionally on my own with some regular clippers made for large dogs while giving treats just to keep him willing to let me use either.
 
#10 ·
My husband and I tag team and use the dremel. I give treats while he mans the dremel.
Ha, we're the opposite - Tom gives treats while I dremel!

With Halo, if it's been awhile since we've done nails, I usually clip the tips first because she's a diva and loses patience with the whole process very quickly. The dremel is great, but it is slow, so that speeds things up.

Keefer's nails are hard as rocks, and grow much faster than hers. He's much more patient and is actually really good about having his nails done, but my hands aren't strong enough to use clippers on him, so I dremel, dremel, dremel.
 
#16 ·
Is there a groomer with a good reputation in your area? Is your vet willing to cut them down for you? This way, you don't have to worry about hurting him, a professional can take them down to where they should be. Then you just need to take the tips off once a week or two, depending =)
 
#17 ·
Dakota's nails are bigger than that and I actually use human nail clippers on them. I just keep re-positioning them and clipping off small pieces. It is very difficult but it works. I also have the vet clip them on occasion. The dremel scares me and I cant see my dogs putting up with it without a struggle.
 
#19 ·
I vote also for the dremel. I had the same problem with my 130 lb. Sting. I first tried a Quickfinder for large dogs- it found the quick but I had to squeeze so hard that Sting yelped and then the battery cover would pop off - it was one big hassle. So I searched on the forum, found helpful advice on how to use it and got a dremel. Works great - Sting couldn't care less about the noise, he is just interested in the treats. Though for the first few months I did just use the low setting. I did trim only a little bit as the nails were long and the quick had grown with it. I do it weekly and am careful to only do a few seconds on a nail -move on, then go back, so the nail doesn't get overheated.
 
#21 ·
What kind of clippers are you using, the Resco guillotine type? Those are terrible. Get the big pliers-type clippers with the orange handles. They can handle just about any size toenail. Dremel is great too, but it takes a lot longer, and gets fine toenail dust everywhere (which I have discovered I am highly sensitive to). What I prefer to do is clip the nail down to the shortest length I can, and then round off the sharp edges with the dremel. Some dogs tolerate one and not the other, so whatever works best is what you should do. :)
 
#22 ·
when dremelling i use a gas mask that has 2 cartriges. i also
use the ones made out of paper. i wear goggles most of the time.

What kind of clippers are you using, the Resco guillotine type? Those are terrible. Get the big pliers-type clippers with the orange handles. They can handle just about any size toenail. Dremel is great too, but it takes a lot longer, and

>>>>> gets fine toenail dust everywhere (which I have discovered I am highly sensitive to). <<<<<

What I prefer to do is clip the nail down to the shortest length I can, and then round off the sharp edges with the dremel. Some dogs tolerate one and not the other, so whatever works best is what you should do. :)