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My question references the April 25th question by Bella "Can puppies be declawed?"
My pug is well mannered & trained but panics so much she has to be sedated at my vet's office to get her nails trimmed. She loves my vet & not afraid of him. She's 2 & this has been a problem since the first time. We keep trying without sedation but she fights to the point of almost injuring herself. My vet is amazing & I trust his judgement. Yesterday I asked him as Hayley had her worst panic attack yet. Although he hasn't performed it, he says people do it on the front paws. He's checking with UGA's vet school for their opinion. She loves belly rubs & puts up her feet to be rubbed with no fear or reluctance, I don't get it. I've read the answers & agree it sounds cruel but I don't want her to have to endure a lifetime of sedation. I'm torn because I truely want what's best for her wellbeing. I want to make things better for her, not worse. I've no idea which one that would be. HELP! Also, Is there anyone that has had this done? I would really like to know.
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Guest 475848
on Jun 6th 2009
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in Other Grooming
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Answers
I have met declawed dogs- I do not like the long term effects. It does change the way they walk, and can cause damage to joints, severe arthritis later in life.
Have you considered just walking her on pavement every day to keep the nails worn down? Have you tried a file instead of a nail trimmer?
Declawing should really be a last resort.
Megan
answered on 6/6/09.
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Throw a ball or her favorite toy on some cement or asphalt and those nails will be trimmed within minutes. I throw the ball for my dog in an tennis court and when we come out of there 10 minutes later, his nails are shorter than the fur on his paws. It's great.
Also, what have you done, long term, to show her that getting her nails trimmed won't harm her. By that I mean, have you done some desensitizing with positive reinforcement. Take the nail clippers and leave them on the floor for your dog to see. Just leave them there and every time you dog even looks at them, give her a treat. Do that for a while, then when you get past that, if your dog is in your lap, put the clippers on the couch next to you and when your dog looks at the clippers and treat. Do that for a while (days/weeks) and then maybe hold the clippers while you're holding your dog and do the same thing with the treats. If you hire a trainer, they can really walk you through how to desensitize your dog to the clippers.
Guest 404377
answered on 6/6/09.
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I agree that long walks or fetch on concrete will help keep the nails trimmer, but eventually you will have to face having them trimmed, either by you or a professional.
Have you ever tried trimming them yourself? It could be that the stress is more about the VET doing something to her than the nail trimming.
Frankly, I think the declawing is a really bad idea that is best saved for medical necessity rather than an (admittedly extreme) behavioral reaction that can be downgraded significantly with proper training and doggie congnitive therapy.
Ask your vet to recommend a good trainer you can hire to work with her on this problem and if you are patient and very consistent, I think you can get this under control so that you don't need to worry about it as much.
She might never be "okay" with her nails being trimmed, but I'm confident if you get professional training assistance, you can get it to a point were both of you can live with it.
Please don't declaw her.
Jack
answered on 6/6/09.
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As a dog groomer, it has been my observation that pugs, as a breed, are notorious for being difficult for nail trimming. More to the point, a dog's nails are attatched very deeply and have nerves all the way to the root. Removing them causes nerve damage that will remain with your dog for the rest of it's life, also healing will be slow and painful and your dog will most likely be chewing and licking which will cause sores and infections on his paws, plus walking on those paws is going to be very painful during the healing process. I hope that will change your mind. That being said, you should have your pug's nails clipped every 4 weeks, as their nails tend to grow fast. It can get very costly to have the vet sedate every time, so try going to your local pet store and picking up a product like "Quiet Moments", a natural supplement to calm your dog. It will probably have less severe side effects than the sedatives the vet uses. I hope that helps. Good luck to you and your pup!
Gypsy
answered on 6/6/09.
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I am againist this.
Sure cats have been declawed that's fine.
But, the physical aspects of a dog's antomy when walking I would say no.
A dog's foot is so much different than a cat's.
A cat's structure and the bones in their feet are not the same. A cat's nails are retractable and the dog's is not. The dog's nails are so much dense than a cat's.
I just don't think it is a good ideal at all.
When you get any dog as a pup you can desensitize them to getting them cut from the get go, it is so easy to do. You can avoid sedation and pressure on the dog mentally.
Dieta
answered on 6/7/09.
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Hi Bella!
I hate having my nails trimmed, too, but my mom just recently found a new way to take care of this task. She was doing her nails, filing them with an emery board, and I kept sniffing it because I was curious. She let me sniff it and then went back to what she was doing. A few days later, after several hours of running errands and going to the dog park, I was sleeping on the floor when she decided to try the emery board on my nails. She sat beside me, took my paw and tried filing one of my toenails. I pulled back a little, so she dropped it and tried the other paw. I let her file it for a little while, then pulled my paw back. Now, every day, she spends just a little time on whichever nail looks longest. As soon as I pull back, she drops it.
I don't know if this will work for you, but it might be different enough to get you curious and tolerant of having your paws handled and your nails filed. Good luck!
Katie
answered on 6/9/09.
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