Trimming black nails and what kind of doggy shampoo do you use?

[corgimom]

I trim Ein and Tucker's nails myself, and I'd like to do Colleen's as well. Some of her nails are black, and I have no clue how to tell how far to cut because you cannot see through them. Anyone have any tips on cutting black nails?

Also what kind of doggy shampoo do you use? I'm always looking for a good shampoo and would love recomendations. We have tried 3 kinds, and 2 of them still leave them smelling like dirty, wet dogs, which defeats the purpose of the bath. The other one (made by crazy dog) leaves a nice rainforest scent.

[jennawing]

If there are some clear and some black, that makes it easy- just tim the about the same legnth as the clear ones. 2 of my dogs have allblack nails- you sort of learn by the shape and the taper where to cut. I've only nicked one once- and that was Hogan's because he wriggled. Cornstarch and newskin came in very handy cause it bled A LOT.

I use different kinds according to their needs. A hint- if odor is the problem- I bathe in the dog shampoo then wash them again in St Ives body wash- they make some very gentle and moisturizing formulas- adn some oatmeal formulas that are good for dry skin. You have to rinse them very wekll, though- leftover soap residue causes flakes and can irritate the skin- and probably not good to lick, either. Not good to use on dogs with the thick, shaggy hair that tends to get greasy, though.

Hydrapearls is the best I've found to smell fresh longest- I've only found it at the vets, though, and is kind of expensive- like $18/bottle.

[Denise]

I use Buddy Wash shampoo and conditioner.

[Angelnstuff]

Some of allies nails are black, we jus try to trim them a little bit at a time, she hates having her nails clipped so we jus do a tiny bit each time, cuz she would prolly never let us touch her paws again if we got a bleeder.
i would say jus do a tiny bit each time, if you dont think you cut enough off you can always do a little more in a week or so. Some people say id you hold a fmall flashlight under the black nails you will be able to see it, altho ive never tried this.
For shampoo we just use the puppy shampoo from walmart, i think it does ok, my mom uses dawn dishsoap sometimes on her rotties, david said they used to use normal shampoo on there moms old dog. i dont think it matters too much what you use, as long as you rinse it really well. altho ive never had a long hair pup like colleen, you might wanna use some type of conditioner as well? im not sure. does she like bathes?

[corgimom]

Colleen has only had one bath with us (bath #2 is tonight because we are going to a birthday party tomorrow for Lucas' cousin's kids) and she was not thrilled. She tolerated it, but wasn't happy. Tucker hates getting in the bath, too, but will stay once he is in.

Is hydrapearls made by the same people as nova pearls? nova pearls is one of the 3 we have. I think that's what it is called.

[Leo]

When cutting nails do only a little at at time until you see white when looking at the middle of the inside of the nail (looking where you just clipped)... when you see white STOP cutting.... thats what the people at my groomer told me... also I have heard that flour is supposed to work really well in case of a bleed.

Petsmart charges about $5 to do a nail trim, you should be able to get in with no appointment and they will do it with you standing right there... if they are nice people they might even show you how to do it.

Don't ya love those black nailed doggies ? I have 2 of them, ya gotta love how nice that makes trimming the nails.

As for shampoo I use an oatmeal dog shampoo because of my paranoia of my dogs having an allergic reaction to the shampoo that would cause them to start shedding any more then they already do..... Petsmart salon has a good oatmeal shampoo.. you have to go right into the salon to purchase it they don't have it on the shelf in the regular grooming aisle. Also their doggy cologne (petsmart grooming salon's) is awesome and really nice for in between baths.

Have you tried using the KONG brush when giving a bath? it works great for getting all the way down to the skin.

[corgimom]

I've never heard of a kong brush. Is it in the same aisle as the doggy shampoos? I need to look for it the next time I'm at the pet store.

[Kanga]

I have nail clippers with a guard on them so I cannot trim more than just the tip. My vet actually said that a walk once a day on concrete paths will keep the nails down and they should never need a trim. I don't have much concrete around me to see if this works or not.

[Eli]

one of the tricks th at I learned when I was working in the dog groomin salon, is to lo ok and see where it goes narrower, then you clip there, and also sometimes if you look under neath the t oe, you can see wh ere the excess nail is and clip that off. My theory is always take too little off rather then too m uch and when the dog jerks back, it us ually means that your gionna quick them. Unless the dog is just really squirmy. I used natural dog shampoo when I worked there there was a really w ierd name,d on't remmber the name.

[Eli]

Quote: Originally Posted by Leo Have you tried using the KONG brush when giving a bath? it works great for getting all the way down to the skin.

those are great for scrubbing, I loved those when I worked th ere. I m iss it, and will go back as soon as I can..

[Sasami]

I've heard of shining a flashlight under the nail to see the quick...it'll be a darker spot. Rocky is the only dog with black nails we have, though, and he keeps his nails worn down from playing outside and going on lots of walks .

Oh, and we use an organic not-tested-on-animals pet shampoo called Earth Bath or something.