If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
I dropped my daughter off at a new friend's house this afternoon and
wasn't gone 5 minutes before my cell phone rang. It was my daughter. She sounded really odd - sort of tense and strangled - and she asked me if I could please come back *now* with the dremel tool and look at her friend's dog's feet. I circled back around, grabbed the dremel from the back of the van and had a look. The dog was a 21 year-old, three-legged beagle who could barely walk. His family had assumed that it was just old age, but his nails were so overgrown they had curled around to the side and under and were in danger of cutting into his pads. Working with the dremel and the guillotine clippers, after about 45 minutes I was able to get the toe nails trimmed back to where they were no longer touching the ground when he stood. But the dew claws had grown into a circle and the tips were imbedded in his flesh. There was no place to start with either the clipper or the grinder. There is no doubt in my mind that the dog needs to be seen by a vet, and I told the girl as much, but I suspect that finances are a major issue. The only way I can imagine to do it would be to use a cutting wheel head on the dremel to (carefully!) remove a chunk of the middle of the claw, then back the amputated tip end of the nail out of the flesh. And I don't know if I'm up to that. Is there any method or technique I can use to deal with this with any degree of safety if they can't/won't take him to see the vet? If not, I will pony up the vet fee myself to get this poor old boy seen to. It made me feel really good to see the old guy's lameness miraculously cured when we finally set him down, but the dew claw thing just really gives me the heebie-jeebies. Kathleen |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
The dog was a 21 year-old
21 years old! wow, I hope I get that long with my dogs. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
MauiJNP wrote:
The dog was a 21 year-old 21 years old! wow, I hope I get that long with my dogs. 21 years old at the bare minimum (he was a rescue). And yeah, me, too. Kathleen |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
If it's embedded I would be more inclined to have the vet do it. You may be
able to clip it but tugging it free could be darn painful and it may be grown in so much it requires some surgery. Celeste "Kathleen" wrote in message ... I dropped my daughter off at a new friend's house this afternoon and wasn't gone 5 minutes before my cell phone rang. It was my daughter. She sounded really odd - sort of tense and strangled - and she asked me if I could please come back *now* with the dremel tool and look at her friend's dog's feet. I circled back around, grabbed the dremel from the back of the van and had a look. The dog was a 21 year-old, three-legged beagle who could barely walk. His family had assumed that it was just old age, but his nails were so overgrown they had curled around to the side and under and were in danger of cutting into his pads. Working with the dremel and the guillotine clippers, after about 45 minutes I was able to get the toe nails trimmed back to where they were no longer touching the ground when he stood. But the dew claws had grown into a circle and the tips were imbedded in his flesh. There was no place to start with either the clipper or the grinder. There is no doubt in my mind that the dog needs to be seen by a vet, and I told the girl as much, but I suspect that finances are a major issue. The only way I can imagine to do it would be to use a cutting wheel head on the dremel to (carefully!) remove a chunk of the middle of the claw, then back the amputated tip end of the nail out of the flesh. And I don't know if I'm up to that. Is there any method or technique I can use to deal with this with any degree of safety if they can't/won't take him to see the vet? If not, I will pony up the vet fee myself to get this poor old boy seen to. It made me feel really good to see the old guy's lameness miraculously cured when we finally set him down, but the dew claw thing just really gives me the heebie-jeebies. Kathleen |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
In article zAwHf.2030$lG.446@trndny01, "Spot" wrote:
- If it's embedded I would be more inclined to have the vet do it. You may be - able to clip it but tugging it free could be darn painful and it may be - grown in so much it requires some surgery. Or at least some antibiotics. -- 8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail) ~~~~~~ "I reserve the absolute right to be smarter today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/ http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/ http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/ |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
"Kathleen" wrote in message ... But the dew claws had grown into a circle and the tips were imbedded in his flesh. There was no place to start with either the clipper or the grinder. There is no doubt in my mind that the dog needs to be seen by a vet, and I told the girl as much, but I suspect that finances are a major issue. The only way I can imagine to do it would be to use a cutting wheel head on the dremel to (carefully!) remove a chunk of the middle of the claw, then back the amputated tip end of the nail out of the flesh. And I don't know if I'm up to that. ..........what a savior you were to this pup! How did he take to all the grinding and cutting? If he was OK, I think I'd just bite the bullet and do it if you can make yourself. Does he react when you touch the nail? Take a really good look at it and maybe draw a crayon line where you want to cut, get a couple of people to gently restrain him and give one a go. Maybe put something between the nail and the paw to keep from going too far. How many dew claws does he have? OTOH I wonder if a groomer would have a technique/tool for this situation? Perhaps worth a call. buglady take out the dog before replying |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
buglady wrote:
"Kathleen" wrote in message ... But the dew claws had grown into a circle and the tips were imbedded in his flesh. There was no place to start with either the clipper or the grinder. There is no doubt in my mind that the dog needs to be seen by a vet, and I told the girl as much, but I suspect that finances are a major issue. The only way I can imagine to do it would be to use a cutting wheel head on the dremel to (carefully!) remove a chunk of the middle of the claw, then back the amputated tip end of the nail out of the flesh. And I don't know if I'm up to that. .........what a savior you were to this pup! How did he take to all the grinding and cutting? There was a lot of groaning and mumbling but he was amazingly tolerant. The girl was in tears, though, which got my daughter going. And since nobody cries alone in my presence, of course I welled up, too. It was a freakin' awful situation, and by the end of it we were all covered in tear-streaked beagle dust. If he was OK, I think I'd just bite the bullet and do it if you can make yourself. Does he react when you touch the nail? No, not really. I suspect I'm more bothered about it than he is. But oh god, they are big thick nails, and they're in there really deep. Take a really good look at it and maybe draw a crayon line where you want to cut, get a couple of people to gently restrain him and give one a go. Maybe put something between the nail and the paw to keep from going too far. That's what I did with some of the curlier toe claws - stuck a piece of cardboard between the claw and the pad to keep from accidentally grinding living tissue. I think for doing the dew claws I'd want something sturdier than a piece torn off of a kleenex box, though. A piece of plastic. Maybe a section cut from a fast food cup. Getting the dew claw out will involve cutting towards the leg and I'd want to make damned good and sure I don't go to far. How many dew claws does he have? Two. Both front, no back. OTOH I wonder if a groomer would have a technique/tool for this situation? Perhaps worth a call. I'm going to call the vet Monday. They use the same vet I do. Maybe she'll have some thoughts. Kathleen |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
buglady wrote: "Kathleen" wrote in message ... But the dew claws had grown into a circle and the tips were imbedded in his flesh. There was no place to start with either the clipper or the grinder. There is no doubt in my mind that the dog needs to be seen by a vet, and I told the girl as much, but I suspect that finances are a major issue. The only way I can imagine to do it would be to use a cutting wheel head on the dremel to (carefully!) remove a chunk of the middle of the claw, then back the amputated tip end of the nail out of the flesh. And I don't know if I'm up to that. .........what a savior you were to this pup! How did he take to all the grinding and cutting? If he was OK, I think I'd just bite the bullet and do it if you can make yourself. Does he react when you touch the nail? Take a really good look at it and maybe draw a crayon line where you want to cut, get a couple of people to gently restrain him and give one a go. Maybe put something between the nail and the paw to keep from going too far. How many dew claws does he have? OTOH I wonder if a groomer would have a technique/tool for this situation? Perhaps worth a call. buglady take out the dog before replying Another thing to try is using the big orange handled clippers that cut with a more scissors action. ( I have done this on clients' dogs with overgrown nails.) Take them and work them so that the edge of the nail at the place where it is grown into the flesh is in the cutting position. Then clip. If you don't have someone that can restrain the poor dog's head you may want to muzzle him. also be prepared with some quickstop though you probably won't need it. And once the nail is no longer imbedded you can either "shave" bits of it off with either set of clippers or maybe get the dremel in to grind it down. Good luck and I'm glad someone cared enough to take care of the old boy's feet. Beth |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
|
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Ingrown dew claws
On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:46:20 -0600, Kathleen
wrote: The girl's mother has agreed to take the dog to the vet. She was amazed to see the old boy gallumphing around the backyard. But if he hasn't been seen to by the end of the week I'll take him myself next week. Kathleen Bless your heart! It is people like you who make me continue to believe that there are good heart & minds in the world! ----- Kim/Dreamspinner3 Visit My Homepage: http://members.tripod.com/dreamspinner3/ |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Can claws damage a car's leather seats? | Robin | Dog breeds | 9 | April 17th 04 05:46 AM |
Dew claws and Corgy genetics | Katra | Dog behavior | 18 | August 26th 03 05:00 AM |
Dew claws and Corgy genetics | Katra | Dog behavior | 0 | August 24th 03 06:53 AM |