I just hurt my dog :-(

[Slaphppy7]

BTW : recently a nail of my lab was pulled out completely by the vet (there was in infection behind it). Without a warning PULL. It bled yes.
Kept it clean and it ended well.

Ouch!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thanks everyone!

Update: Pixie was acting almost like normal again by this morning. Eating and drinking like normal, no limp, insisted on her morning walk as usual where she ran around as if nothing had happened! I couldn't keep a dressing on her foot (after she lost the fourth one, I gave up trying to wrap it) and it wasn't bleeding, so left it uncovered.

She was licking at it a bit this morning so it's clearly somewhat sore, but not worrying at it too much and easily distracted with playtime or some peanut butter!

Took her to the vet anyway just in case, vet winced when she saw how far back it was cut, but said it happens easily, and that it's closed over nicely. That we did the right thing with the styptic pencil and wrapping it. No sign of infection and since she's walking fine and eating/drinking/not worrying at it too much, that she doesn't think she needs antibiotics, painkillers or a dressing. Just gotta keep it as clean as possible, distract her if she starts gnawing at it, and keep an eye for any signs of infection. Otherwise, clean bill of health! Pixie wanted nothing to do with the vet as usual, but she seems to have forgiven me

Really appreciate the stories and tips everyone shared! It was horrible last night. Cutting too much off and nicking the quick always means a lot of blood, but since this was most of her nail -it was even more of a bloodbath! I had a lot of fabrics and floor to clean today... but we seem to have got lucky, and she's a super sweet and tough doggy, so she'll be fine and I'll be fine! Thank you again from the both of us

 

[Slaphppy7]

Glad to hear she's OK, such a pretty girl....

 

[seangee]

I usually manage to avoid needing to trim by keeping her on the lead for long walks on paved pathways a couple of times a week
Been spending a lot of time in the wet country recently where its all out in the country or on the beach so she is due. Planning to try to sweet talk the vets nurse tomorrow as she will be in for her quarterly diabetes check up. She's 11 but you would never say it when she is let loose on the beach. Seen here enjoying quite time with her BFF

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Glad to hear she's OK, such a pretty girl....

Thank you!
I think she's a stunner, but I admit to being biased
But her character is even better. The sweetest, smartest, most loving girl. Feel so guilty for hurting her, but what everyone said is true; they do sense that you didn't mean to hurt them, and instantly forgive you! Dogs really are the best.

I usually manage to avoid needing to trim by keeping her on the lead for long walks on paved pathways a couple of times a week
Been spending a lot of time in the wet country recently where its all out in the country or on the beach so she is due. Planning to try to sweet talk the vets nurse tomorrow as she will be in for her quarterly diabetes check up. She's 11 but you would never say it when she is let loose on the beach. Seen here enjoying quite time with her BFF

View attachment 142943

Aaww, such a pretty pair! I remember seeing your cat sitting on top of your fish tank before That might be the prettiest cat ever that you have there. Himalayan? And your lab! Such a lovely shade of reddish gold on her coat.

I'm with you, I always took the dogs for walks on pavement either before or after a run off lead somewhere. They'd pop to the local dog friendly shop with me most days too, and that kept their claws nicely short and never had to worry about trimming them til now. Older dog no longer able to go on walks at all, and with the way the heat has been here lately, I've not been walking Pixie on pavements much, but taking her to local shaded woodlands so she could have a good run without overheating. Hers aren't super long yet either, I just thought I'd do them since I was doing Jack's, and they were longer than normal.
(Also really wish I lived closer to the sea! She loves the beach and the water. You're so lucky!).

Good idea to get the vet nurse to give them a trim if you're there anyway! Turn on the charm At least they have powders and dressings on hand to stop the bleeding if the worst happens.

Managing diabetes in a dog is tricky and means a lot of work for you! My uncle's last dog was diabetic, remember he had to give daily insulin etc. But he lived to a good age with it well controlled, wishing the same for your gorgeous pup!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

What you need to remember from now on is not to be nervy about doing the nails in future, dogs - like all animals - know when their human is nervous and that transmits to the animal. Be assertive to the dog, do not show nerves or fear and the dog will be relaxed with you again when sorting the nails....or as you already mentioned, a visit to the groomer or vet to do them in future is ideal if you feel too nervy to do them again yourself.

I had planned to do another really tiny trim on my older boys nails in a week or so, since I only took a small amount off his nails when I did them the other day. So I planned to do little trims a week or two apart, to make sure the quick had time to recede. I'll see how I feel about doing it then... I followed advice in a video to not use the nail guard, and regretting that now!! Perhaps when the upset has worn off, and with the older dog being easier to handle his paws, I'll work up the courage to start again with his.

Pixie doesn't relish her paws being touched/handled, but she loves being groomed and she's very used to and pretty tolerant of me trimming all the fur around her paws. Both dogs have fluffy Springer coats around and between their paw pads which can matt easily, and given that they're mud magnets and Jack needs daily bathing because of his bladder problems, keeping that hair trimmed short is part of their routine grooming. But nail clipping is new to them, and I was trying really hard to make a positive association with it for her! High value treats, short, low pressure sessions after I'd worn her out with a long walk etc. Was going so well -but might have blown that! We'll see. Hopefully upping the pavement walks will mean I don't need to trim hers again!

Welcome as a new member of the ptctnotdtf-foundation (people that cut the nails of their dogs too far). Kind of busy here

I'm a reluctant new member, but hey! It's good to not be alone

Clipping nails was not one of my favourite parts of the job but has to be done especially if owners don't walk dogs on hard ground like pavements and road which naturally grinds nails to a manageable point.

needless to say i was nervous about trimming dog nails again but since was part of the job, I had to and slowly over time began to get used to trimming nails with clips and never forgot that and was always cautious thereafter. (Dogs nail did grow back eventually btw)

I definitely should have been more cautious! If I do it again myself on any dog, I'll stick to using the nail guard on the clippers! Stupid to have tried without it. But I'll make sure I have styptic powder and dressings on hand (ordered the powder since I threw out what remained of the blood coated styptic pencil) if I try to do them myself again. Glad you managed to get over the nerves and continue doing it 'cos you're right, it needs doing sometimes, and my old dog especially can't walk on pavement anymore, so someone will need to trim them, whether it's me, the vet or my groomer.

It's lovely that you used to do that job! I'd love to chat about that sometime

Mrs. Slap just bought a pair of dog nail clippers to do our 3 pups; vet charges $15 USD for each dog.

I know clipping "into the quick" is a common mistake, and that dogs recover quickly from it, but because of the possibility of even slightly hurting my babies, I can't muster the courage to do it....I'd rather pay the vet

It's definitely scary! And somewhat traumatic when you're a softie who goes to pieces like I did!
What I've learned from my experience; Be prepared with styptic powder, dressings, paper towel etc on hand, just in case!

I found it much easier to do my old boy's nails than Pixie's, because he was lying on his side in the garden in the sunshine, snoozing after a bath and brush. Being on his side and sleeping meant I could see the paw and nails from every angle, which really helped! Along with the bright daylight. Doing Pixie's late at night under a normal room bulb and with her sitting, her paw in my hand, made it harder. Couldn't see nearly as well, and one jerk of the paw at exactly the wrong moment led to this

Hope it goes well! My groomer doing their nails would be a lot cheaper than the vet, but I'd trust the vet/vet tech over a random groomer. Mine used to groom Jack every three months or so to smarten him up, and she let me stay with him and Pixie the first times she groomed them. So I've seen how gentle she is with dogs, that she takes her time and has worked with them for years and they still love her. So I know I can trust her with my babies. I wouldn't trust any old dog grooming place; especially like the big chain pet stores, who might not have well trained staff and are likely pressuring them to rush each job and onto the next.

So if you find a really good private local groomer you can trust, cherish them and keep their number!

If I can't bring myself to try clipping them again, or I do and manage to cut the quick again (please no) I'll be asking my groomer to do a house call and tipping her well!

I agree though that I'd rather pay extra to have it done well. I could have not bothered with the vet appointment today since Pixie seemed to be back to normal, but it was totally worth the consultation fee to put my mind at ease.

BTW : recently a nail of my lab was pulled out completely by the vet (there was in infection behind it). Without a warning PULL. It bled yes.
Kept it clean and it ended well.

Ouch ouch ouch!! Your poor pupper! Glad s/he's better now, what happened to her paw? Treating problems with dog feet can be so hard (and expensive!) Jack cut his paw on glass once, and keeping a dressing on, infection, return vet visits etc soon added up to a lot. Easy for a paw to get hurt out on a walk though.

 

[seangee]

That might be the prettiest cat ever that you have there. Himalayan?

Ragdoll

Managing diabetes in a dog is tricky and means a lot of work for you! My uncle's last dog was diabetic, remember he had to give daily insulin etc.

Yeah its twice daily jabs. Quite a pain (or expense) to go on hols now. Part of the reason for the place in Devon. Means we can get away more often and just take the lot with us.

Hope it goes well! My groomer doing their nails would be a lot cheaper than the vet, but I'd trust the vet/vet tech over a random groomer.

Check at your vets practice. Ours doesn't charge for nail clipping. As long as its not too bad she does a mini groom on the cats too. Rufus (the Ragdoll) loves being brushed and has a silky coat so he is quite easy. Siouxsie (ragaMuffin) is a nightmare because she does not like it and hers matts really easily. Its not been so easy with all the restrictions but pre-covid I used to book her in every 6 weeks for a nurses "weight check", and she came back nicely brushed. It only costs me a box of chocolates and a bottle at Christmas time . Sadly the restrictions and the summer we have had means she is going in for a proper (paid) session tomorrow, and I'm afraid that requires sedation

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Yeah its twice daily jabs. Quite a pain (or expense) to go on hols now. Part of the reason for the place in Devon. Means we can get away more often and just take the lot with us.

Devon and Cornwall are perfect for dog friendly holidays! It's where my friend and I went with Pixie and his greyhound. They're very different types of dogs, but it worked out well and was great for both dogs and us. We were going to go again in 2020, but, you know.

Check at your vets practice. Ours doesn't charge for nail clipping. As long as its not too bad she does a mini groom on the cats too. Rufus (the Ragdoll) loves being brushed and has a silky coat so he is quite easy. Siouxsie (ragaMuffin) is a nightmare because she does not like it and hers matts really easily. Its not been so easy with all the restrictions but pre-covid I used to book her in every 6 weeks for a nurses "weight check", and she came back nicely brushed. It only costs me a box of chocolates and a bottle at Christmas time . Sadly the restrictions and the summer we have had means she is going in for a proper (paid) session tomorrow, and I'm afraid that requires sedation

Nice! Thanks for the tip, will ask. Our vet practice is letting us inside the building and consultation rooms at last, so fingers crossed. Love one of the vets there. She was so good when Jack was deathly ill, genuinely concerned for him too. Months later I was at the surgery with a different pet, seeing a different vet, and she came outside to speak to someone else. On her way back in, she came over to me and whispered "Hi, how's Jack doing?" And was delighted that he was doing okay. That she remembered me after months and even my dog's extremely common name, when he wasn't even with me really impressed me. With the amount of people and pets they see every day, she really cares about him, and that's awesome to know your pets are in good hands. Sounds as though yours are too!

Any chance of a pic of Siouxie please? Since I've seen the rest of the gang

 

[seangee]

Any chance of a pic of Siouxie please? Since I've seen the rest of the gang

Oh all right then since you asked so nicely. IMO she is much prettier than Rufus, and so different. He is an out and out thug and super bolshy. She is shy and nervous but really affectionate - well they are both very affectionate

 

[seangee]

And another of Rufus and Jabu - they really are inseparable

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Oh all right then since you asked so nicely. IMO she is much prettier than Rufus, and so different. He is an out and out thug and super bolshy. She is shy and nervous but really affectionate - well they are both very affectionateView attachment 142973

Aawww, she's beautiful!

Now when I said that Rufus might just be the prettiest cat ever, I hadn't seen Siouxie yet! They're both SO.FLUFFY. Gah, I can't take it! It has to be a tie between them.

I really miss having a cat right now! Always had both cats and dogs as a kid (waifs and strays, usually 2-3 cats at a time) and I lost my own cat last year when he was 17. So I'm catless at the moment for the first time. However, a neighbour's neglected cat has been attempting to move in, so that might change soon. He's also super fluffy and affectionate, a tuxedo.

Gah! The new pic! I can't take how adorable they are! Did they grow up together when very young?

 

[seangee]

Gah! The new pic! I can't take how adorable they are! Did they grow up together when very young?

No. Jabu is 11 and Rufus 2. Rufus arrived as a tiny kitten (Siouxsie is adopted) and immediately tried to kill the dog. Today the dog is his personal property and when he wants a cuddle his first response is to flop down in front of the dog, who obliges by licking his face. He is squawking like a banshee now because the dog is at the vets and he is home alone.

FWIW dog does not entirely trust cat. Sometimes this mean she is evicted from her bed when the cat climbs in for a cuddle and she really just wants to sleep.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Rufus arrived as a tiny kitten (Siouxsie is adopted) and immediately tried to kill the dog. Today the dog is his personal property

That made me laugh as know exactly what you mean

 

[Brendanpat]

Hi . Done the same to my pup !Never clipping them again . Shes alot bigger now !

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Rufus arrived as a tiny kitten (Siouxsie is adopted) and immediately tried to kill the dog. Today the dog is his personal property [...]

FWIW dog does not entirely trust cat.

Lmao who can blame her for being a tad wary at times?

Today the dog is his personal property and when he wants a cuddle his first response is to flop down in front of the dog, who obliges by licking his face. Sometimes this mean she is evicted from her bed when the cat climbs in for a cuddle and she really just wants to sleep.

This is so sweet! And the photo of them cuddling together is too adorable, needs to be turned into a framed print for the wall!

As I said before, as I was growing up we always had two dogs and at least two cats, sometimes three. Only one time did they buy a cat on purpose - a kitten who became quite close with my dad's new puppy. Curling up together, the kitten grooming the dogs head, stuff like that. So sweet to see! But the other cats were all either strays, two semi-ferals they took in, and ones the owners no longer wanted and asked my parents to take in. So all adults, most wary of the dogs at first. We'd always manage to get them to accept the dogs being there (and dogs taught to leave cats alone, a lesson sometimes reinforced by a cat claw to the nose), but it was nearly always a reluctant truce on the part of the cats. They'd accept them being around and sharing space, with the cats very much calling the shots! But other than that kitten, not become buddies with one of the dogs, even if the dog dearly wanted to be friends! I'd love to have a dog and cat that loved each other as much as Rufus and Jabu (very cool names!) do.

Hi . Done the same to my pup !Never clipping them again . Shes alot bigger now !

I love that this has turned into a thread to share pet pics! What a cutie! Can we see how she looks now, pwease?

And since we're doing baby pics, one of Pixie as a pup;

Those photos are from before I got her, from the awful people I got her from. I broke every rule about buying a puppy that there is, consciously, because I fell in love with her and couldn't leave her with those 'people'.

In that second pic, you can see how round her little belly was - don't think she'd ever been wormed. She was small for a Springer pup too, think her growth was somewhat stunted. But with immediate worming, vet care and good quality food she soon caught up, and I got lucky. She's been very healthy, and the best dog I've ever owned.

Pixie left, Jack right.

Jack left, Pixie right. She would have been about 3.5-4 months old here.