Dog groomers have insisted on the importance of keeping your Dog’s nails short, but we have to agree that not everyone is equipped to trim the nails. We have always relied on professionals to do that heavy lifting for us, but now that we have no choice, one woman has shown us how to cut our canine’s nails using one item that is readily available in our kitchens: peanut butter. If you are wondering how she did it, let’s let you in on her trick as well as other tips that dog owners have found useful.
Using peanut butter to trim your Dog’s nails
Lindsey Shelton shared her method of trimming dog nails in a TikTok video that has gone viral and has so far garnered more than 3 million views. The video is captioned “Need help clipping your Dog’s nails? I got you.” Lindsey is referring to how she has wrapped her head in cling film and smeared peanut butter on the forehead. She is still kind enough to narrate the process by saying one needs a saran wrap and peanut butter, which she says does not contain xylitol. The emphasis in the ingredients is because xylitol is toxic to dogs, and as low as 0.1 grams ingested by the canine can cause hypoglycemia within 30 minutes. Hypoglycemia in dogs results in a lack of coordination and weakness that can last from 6 hours to several days.
Lindsey Shelton attracts the attention of a man in the background who calls her a “dork,” but she replies that she may look like a dork, but is about to look like a genius. The traveling nurse who relocated to Tulsa with her husband and two dogs, Schmidt and Murphy, is helping with the coronavirus pandemic. In the clip, Lindsey goes ahead to cut Schmidt’s nails without him flinching as he licks the peanut butter. She said that sometimes she puts the peanut butter on plates and places them on the floor to encourage her canines to stay still. However, she decided to put it on her forehead so they would look at her instead of their paws. She explains that although she did not expect it to go viral, her trick enables the dogs to relate the procedure with food.
Other methods that have been proven to work
Necessity truly is the mother of invention, and on CountryLiving, Kendal Peifer shared how her Dog, Oliver, hardly stays still when clipping his nails. Therefore her father, Patrick, having seen a gizmo designed to help anxious dogs, decided to create his own. He had also noticed that hanging a dog from the doorway while clipping the nails is a great way to reduce restlessness; thus, he bought a purse and made four holes in it, for Oliver’s legs. It worked and they shared the beautiful photo on Twitter; the picture has received 317.4K likes to date.
Other dog owners prefer to distract their dogs during commercials and then give them a treat as they clip the nails. However all insist that clipping takes patience since a dog needs to get used to being touched on the paws and not relating it to a painful process. Still, some dogs are difficult to train to get used to clipping hence you might have to cut each nail per day meaning ten days to clip all of them. Al the same, what matters is you will have solved some of the problems that come with long nails.
Should you sedate your Dog when clipping nails?
Although having your Dog play with his favorite toy during his visit to the groomer can help keep him calm, some canines can only relax if they are sedated. Therefore some professionals will use sedatives to reduce the anxiety of your pet but since some medication is available over the counter, some dog owners might think if medicating the dogs. Gleeful Dog advises that sedation is complicated and should only be done by a professional. Therefore even if you decide to sedate your Dog in preparation for trimming nails, you should talk to a qualified person to tell you the amount to administer. Additionally, the Dog should be examined by a vet for any underlying conditions that may interfere with how the drug works.
Common sedatives include Benadryl which in addition to treating allergies can help calm down your canine. Melatonin is not approved by the FDA but it has been known to help dogs relax in some situations such as during thunderstorms. However, it should be not be used in puppies or pregnant dogs because it can cause side effects such as itching, upset stomachs or confusion. Other drugs include diazepam and acepromazine but they both have their side effects too so always consult your vet before administering.
Natural ways to calm your anxious Dog during grooming
You do not have to stress yourself with sedatives or applying peanut butter to your forehead to clip your dog’ snails. Dogs Naturally offers a few natural ways to calm the canines’ nerves, one of which is using CBD oil. You can put a few drops in her mouth or food 30 minutes before clipping the nails and the serotonin will have kicked in to alleviate any anxiety about the unpleasant experience. If you thought chamomile is only for humans who are struggling with insomnia, the article enlightens us that it is an excellent remedy for stressful events in dogs. The same goes for St. John’s Wort and Valerian which you can infuse into herbal tea. For dogs weighing under 20 pounds, a quarter cup is enough while those that are between 50 and 100 pounds can drink half a cup. If all these methods do not work, try taking your dogs for walks on hard surfaces and the nails will wear out hence no need for trimming. Therefore if you have cemented pavements in your neighborhood or can access a rocky trail, that is all you need to avoid stressing you and your dog out.
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* This article was originally published here