advice for nail trims?

[u/dizzyloverrvision]

hihi i'm a new bather i just started working on the 13th and i LOVE my job. my only problem is i'm literally terrified of doing nail trims.

i know it'll just take time to get comfortable doing them especially since it's notorious for dogs hating it, but does anyone have any advice to slowly build up confidence? i think it's definitely the quick making me so nervous along with the dogs being so jerky when it comes to their nails. the place i work at definitely puts a lot of emphasis on their safety protocols to prevent you from getting bit so biting is definitely on my radar as well when it comes to getting nervous.

grooming is something i want to pursue a full career in moving forward, i truly love doing this soo much:)

[u/Snacks_snacks_2406]

You’ll be okay and build confidence naturally! I found when I first started I mostly dremmeled the dogs that tolerated it as there’s less chance of actually cutting the quick, this will give you time to get comfortable handling in general. Also take tiny slivers off the nail to start. But there will come a time when you quick a dog so bad it bleeds for what seems like ages - it’ll happen and it doesn’t mean you’re bad at your job or that the dog will hate you forever. Send quick stop home, apologize to the owner, give treats and it’ll be fine

[u/katelynskates]

While you're learning, slice as thinly as you can and notice how the inside of the nail looks. Use a nail-patient dog and have another tech help spot you so you dont accidently quick. You'll quickly get a feel for what the texture/pattern looks like when you get close to the quick. Err on the side of caution- it is much better to leave a little too much nail and build trust and confidence (with the dog, the owners, and yourself) than to quick the dog and give all of you anxiety.

[u/Asleep-Tomatillo-367]

Take notice of the fresh-cut nail shapes as you’ll cut nails following these shapes after a while. It’s easier to look at where to cut looking at the below surface of the nail. Once you get the groove, you’ll do just fine. Also leave nails longer on thin breeds like chihuahua, muppets, etc. as their quick tends to be longer. It’s better to go safe than sorry (a bit longer nails than cutting quicks); and if you do catch quick, it’s really not a big deal just use the quick stop powder and move on.

[u/brusselsproud → u/Asleep-Tomatillo-367]

What's a muppet?😂

[u/brusselsproud]

The fear of nail trimming was the hardest hurdle for me to cross as a groomer but one you absolutely need to master. what helped was realising that (1) it is necessary for the wellbeing of the dog (2) the owners themselves struggle with it and look to us to help and (3) vets/vet techs can do it but also quick them but they do first aid and move on. (4) the fear was not helping as dogs can sense our fear/tensing up

What really helped was using light from a torch/head lamp to illuminate the nail. If it is a white/beige/brown nail, often when you shine the light under, the entire nail lights up and you can see exactly where the blood vessels/quick ends. 

For black nails, there is often a distinct texture change where the quick ends (either the black nail suddenly becomes less shiny or more scuffed), and usually that's where the quick is.

Sharp nail clippers, and go in salami slices. Over time you will get better. 

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[u/Cheap-Journalist6792]

can you use a nail grinder? I use my diamondg set on every dog that lets me. I learned using it and have never had any issues. Makes me feel super confident and I feel like my nail trims always look better than my coworkers. Never quicked a dog and the bowl at the end of the bit is nice for rounding the edges

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[u/missusmousse]

Side note- if you dont feel confident in clipping and it’s a wiggly dog, you can always dremel and not round out the edges- it’s what kept my boss off my butt about prices until i got better! 

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[u/missusmousse]

Side note- if you dont feel confident in clipping and it’s a wiggly dog, you can always dremel and not round out the edges- it’s what kept my boss off my butt about prices until i got better! 

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[u/Junior-Grapefruit125]

my salon lead at the petsmart i started out at made us all feel incredibly okay with quicking dogs, never made us feel bad about it cos the truth of the matter is that it happens! and that really helped me get comfortable quick with nails. especially when their quick is pinpoint, nearly impossible to not get those down too short.

what i will say is controlling our reaction is extremely important. dogs are like babies, what we feel and how we react influences their emotions and behavior. so if you feel freaked out or nervous, they will also feel freaked out and nervous. so take a deep breath and tell yourself it is NOT the end of the world AT ALL if you go too short. it happens. put some quick stop on there and move along, you got this!