How to Trim Dog Nails With a Dremel

August 10, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Trimming Dog Nails With a Dremel

For years, I preferred using nail clippers to trim dog nails, but I dreaded the freshly sharpened nail scratches as my dogs climbed onto my lap. So I gave in and decided to purchase a dremel rotary tool again to sand my dogs’ nails shorter. The dremel left my dogs’ nails round and sanded, meaning no more scratches. Boy, have rotary tools changed!

Choosing a Dog Nail Dremel

A powerful dremel for trimming dog nails usually contains slower motors, which means longer nail clipping sessions. Quick nail trimming sessions are best. Stronger powered dog nail dremels won’t bog down and sand nails quickly, making it easier for your dogs. As an example, my 25-pound Bull Terrier’s dremel nail trims last five minutes. With a slower motor, it can easily go on for 15 minutes, which isn’t fair to either of us.

Personally, I recommend a two-speed rotary version without cords, so you can start sanding in the beginning and then speed up for larger dog nails. Trust me, many years ago, I tried a corded dremel and practically strangled myself, so choose a cordless option—it’s worth the extra money.

How to Dremel Dog Nails

Desensitize Your Dog to the Sound

It took me longer than my dogs to desensitize to the constant screaming of the rotary tool. So I started the dremel a few times a day for short bursts to desensitize myself to the obnoxious sound. Oh, and every time I turned on the dremel, I had delicious treats for my dogs. When the dremel stopped, so did the treats. Maybe I should’ve partaken in consumption of goodies too now that I look back. 🙂

It took a couple of weeks of moving the dremel closer to my body (yes, I started out with my husband starting and holding it, and then holding it at an arm’s length away) until I could tolerate the sound. Guess what? The moment I turned it on, my dogs came running for treats.

Once I was comfortable (if that’s possible), I held the dremel tool closer to my dogs while feeding treats (not touching; just holding it close). When the dremel turns off, treats stop. Keep the spinning part pointed away from your dog. It can accidentally catch fur and pull it out—ouch!

Touch Your Dog’s Nails

Assuming you’re able to hold your dog’s paws (if not, check out these tips for reaching dog paws), turn on the dremel and place the vibrating bottom (not top-spinning sander) against your dog’s nail. Again, keep a close eye on the spinning attachment. It can harm your dog’s skin and fur.

If your dog keeps her paw still, say “yes” and give a treat. Sometimes, having a friend click and treat is helpful too. Practice four more times and end the session. Keep practicing daily, making sure to keep sessions short.

Now, try touching the rotary sander to one of your dog’s nails. Each touch should last no longer than a second (say Mississippi to keep track of time) and remove the dremel. If your dog allows this quick touch, say “yes” and treat after you remove the dremel. Practice a few more times on one nail and end session.

If your dog is uncomfortable, take a step back. Click, treat and touch your dog with the bottom of the dremel (no spinning end).

Keep It Moving

When shortening nails, move the small sanding drum along your dog’s nail. If you keep the drum in one spot and hold there, you’ll likely burn your dog’s nail, which hurts.

Keep Dremel Nail Trimming Sessions Short

Keeping sessions short is the key to teaching your dog new behaviors. After a few weeks or months, depending on your dog, you can quickly file back excessive nails. I highly recommend weekly sessions. If nails are allowed to grow longer, sessions take longer, which again isn’t fair to your dog.

If your dog’s nails are longer, trim back one nail per day and continue daily until nails are at an acceptable length or they no longer touch the floor.

READ ALSO: Building a Dog Nail Scratchboard

6 Reasons Why Your Dog Refuses to Eat

August 3, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Understanding Why Your Dog Won’t Eat

When dogs refuse to eat, it becomes a stressful situation. Before worrying, narrow down when, where and how often this happens to find a solution for the issue. As you read through each reason, note a theme. It’s either stress or illness just like us.

Now, if your dog is obviously sick, then I would immediately bring him to your veterinarian. It’s always a good decision to rule out illness first.

Unsure of Bowl

Believe it or not, it happens more than you think. Some dogs are allergic to ceramic or plastic bowls. These bowls can cause lip and nose infections, which sometimes includes discoloration (lighting of pigment) in the area. Plus, your dog will associate pain with his bowl and hence not eat.

Some dogs see their reflection in stainless steel bowls and it scares them a bit. A few dogs will bark at their face staring back at them, but most will learn to ignore it. However, some don’t, so switch your dog’s dish to glass, if needed.

Another Dog Stares

This is pretty common in multiple dog households. If you don’t know what to look for, it’s easily missed. When feeding dogs, it’s always best to separate them during meals times not only by distance, but visually as well. Having another dog give a death stare at his counterpart during meal times is disturbing and can easily scare a dog away from his bowl. This is called resource guarding.

Try tossing old towels or sheets over the staring dog’s crate. By setting up temporary visual barriers, you’ll likely notice your troublemaker settling down and eating much lower too–you’ve removed his target. Your other dog can now eat in peace.

Once both dogs eat their meals, pick up bowls, lift up visual barriers and allow your “death stare” dog out of his crate. Practice this ritual every meal because your staring dog will practice his behavior again.

Picky Dog

There’s nothing worse than putting a new dog food in your dog’s bowl, he takes one sniff and walks away! When finicky meal behavior rears its ugly head in, we’re at a lost, but do know we’ve usually made the situation worse by mistake.

Dogs hold out for better stuff and so do children. 🙂 Place your dog’s foot down for 20 minutes. If he doesn’t eat it, pick it up and try again that evening. If needed, add a bit of canned dog food to each meal. As I always say, who eats cake without frosting? Check out additional tips for picky eaters here.

Major Life Change

Divorce, new baby, new home, new spouse and even a new dog pal can send your dog into a spiraling spin of stress. And we all know stress can certainly cause inappetence.

When this happens, I highly recommend enticing your dog with added canned dog food or yogurt mixed into his daily meals. Right now, your dog needs a bit more attention. He’s confused and stressed with all the changes, so spend extra time walking or playing fetch in the yard. Also, give him something else to do like licking food stuffed toys.

If your dog is stressed due to a new baby arriving, stash bowls of dog treats in each room. Give your dog a treat every time your baby cries. Treat while the crying is happening, so he learns that crying means treats and that it’s a good thing.

If your dog is uncomfortable with your new spouse, ask your spouse to give your dog treats and bring him for walks to increase bonding. For new dogs added to your home, make sure they get along. Dogs don’t have control over new housemates like we do, so listen to them or seek guidance from a professional dog trainer.

Traveling

Stress is rearing her ugly head again. Refusing to eat during travel is likely due to new surroundings and change in routine. When traveling, keep your dog’s normal eating, walking, pottying and playing routine. This helps keep things predictable, which reduces your dog’s stress. If you travel frequently, your dog will soon become comfortable with traveling. If this is his first time, make sure it’s fun and positive. Again, I would recommend adding some yummy stuff to your dog’s meals to entice eating.

Dental Issues

This is also pretty common. It hurts to pick up, chew and swallow food with dental issues. Dogs eat the craziest things, and those things can most certainly harm teeth.

Usually, you’ll notice drooling and an odor emerging from his mouth. If possible, take a peek and look for foreign objects or obviously broken teeth. Unfortunately, broken, chipped, inflamed or cracked teeth are hard to find. Some teeth crack horizontally (slab fractures). When in doubt, a quick trip to the vet or veterinary dentist can rule it out.

Good luck!

Effectively Checking and Removing Ticks From a Dog

July 30, 2015 by Fanna Easter

How to Remove a Tick From a Dog

Just like you, I dislike checking my dogs for ticks. I’m scared I’ll find one, but every dog owner should know how to remove a tick from a dog, especially after visiting tick territory. Living in the South, I’ve learned to be proficient within a reasonable amount of time.

How to Remove Ticks From Dogs

Get Comfortable

Don’t rush the process. Get comfortable on the floor or sofa, and plan 10-30 minutes, depending on the size of your dog. Removing a tick from your dog works best when your dog is lying down. Fill a food stuffed toy with peanut butter (freeze overnight for longer results), so he can happily lick away while you check your dog for ticks.

Find your tweezers or whatever you use to remove ticks. Personally, I use my fingers. Also, keep flushable tissue paper and alcohol next to you just in case you find one. Never smash the tick. Kill it by tossing it in alcohol or cedar oil.

Halfway through, you’ll need to flip your dog over. Grab a yummy treat and lure your dog up and over onto his other side. You can totally shape and capture your dog lying on his side, and even cue with “left side” and “right side.”

Use Fingertips

Rather than rustling his coat from side to side, use your fingertips instead while you feel through his hair. Fingertips are much more sensitive and can feel tiny abnormalities, especially in heavy coated areas. By keeping fingertips close together, you’re less likely to miss ticks. Don’t laugh, but closing your eyes while running your fingertips along his skin will heighten your senses, which can help detect smaller ticks or tick dirt (i.e. fecal matter made of dried blood).

Ticks feel like skin tags when they’re attached to the skin. If you feel something, stop and part your dog’s hair to get a better look. If you find one, wipe the area with alcohol, so hair will stay out of the way. Sometimes, alcohol will cause a tick to slowly pull his head out of the skin. If this happens, wrap in alcohol-soaked toilet paper and flush.

If a nasty tick refuses to move, you’ll need to pull him out. Take a deep breath and grasp the tick close to the embedded head. Some use tweezers. However, I haven’t had much luck with removing a tick with tweezers because I tend to squeeze the tick’s body, which is not what you should do. I use my fingers and steadily pull outwards, keeping the tick perpendicular to my dog’s skin. You’ll be shocked how hard you’ll actually need to pull. Those suckers really embed themselves. Wrap ticks in alcohol-soaked toilet paper and flush. If there are several ticks, fill a jar with alcohol, toss them inside and close the jar.

After removing ticks from my dog, I smear antibiotic ointment along the reddened skin just in case. It’s up to you, but this keeps swelling and risk of infection low.

Do Feet First

Once your dog is lying down, start checking his feet. Lower extremities are prime targets for ticks, so make sure to check between toe digits and pads—ticks can hide anywhere. After checking the first foot, start feeling upwards toward your dog’s elbow, checking all cervices. Then, repeat on the other front foot until both hind legs have been checked. I usually stop at the top of the thigh.

Now, start checking your dog’s rear end, lifting his tail and checking the genital area thoroughly. Run closed fingertips along your dog’s underside from rear to front and then along his front thighs, ribcage, shoulder and chest. Check along the top of your dog’s body.

Lastly, comb your fingertips through your dog’s neck hair in small sections to ensure you don’t skip a spot. Run your fingertips along your dog’s face and look in his ears and mouth. I’m sure you’ve seen the photo of a tick embedded in a dog’s gums circling around Facebook—gross!

Time Well Spent

Usually, it takes 10-15 minutes to check small dogs for ticks and 30-40 minutes for larger dogs. Also, by checking your dog regularly, you’ll able to locate or monitor any lumps or bumps, which is very important for early detection. Lastly, it’s very calming for both dog and pet owner.

Hopefully, you didn’t find any ticks!

WATCH: Tick Removal Tips

Best Pest Control Products for Swimming Dogs

July 8, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Best Pest Control for Your Dog

It’s summer! If your dog loves to swim, finding effective waterproof pest control products can be challenging. Check out the pros and cons of waterproof options plus tips to maximize their effectiveness below.

Topical Products

Apply waterproof topical products at least 48 hours before swimming or bathing. Better yet, don’t bathe your dog for at least 48 hours before application. This ensures plenty of natural skin oil to help evenly distribute the pest control on your dog’s body, forming a protective barrier. Now, some experts say 12 hours. I’m a bit old school, as I was taught 48 hours from several product vendors while I was working as a vet tech. Plus, waiting until topical solutions dry before swimming in lakes decreases toxic exposure to fish and other wildlife.

After application, take your dog on a short walk. Walking helps topical products migrate your dog’s body and prevents dogs from rubbing applied product off onto carpet or grass. If you must bathe your dog, use a gentle detergent-free shampoo that doesn’t strip your dog’s skin of oils, moisture or topical pest control.

In my experience, Frontline Plus does a great job killing ticks and fleas for 30 days even during constant exposure to baths and swimming pools.

Pills

Oral pest control products are truly waterproof options. They can’t be washed off and are effective for several weeks. My only concern is fleas and ticks must bite a dog before dying. For some dogs, just one flea bite sends them into a scratching frenzy and, worse yet, lead to flea bite dermatitis. Not all oral products kill ticks.

There’s a new product in town and it’s called NexGard, which claims to kill both fleas and ticks by “excreting through your pet’s metabolism.” I haven’t used this product before so I’m not able to provide an honest review, but it seems like a viable option for frequent canine swimmers.

Collars

With pest control collars making a comeback, there are many options to choose from. However, most collars are not waterproof and can easily be pulled off by branches. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate a waterproof option that kills pests effectively. If you have a favorite, by all means, let me know in the comment section below so we can share with others. 🙂

Natural Products

These options do work. However, they must be constantly applied and reapplied, depending on exposure. By far, my favorite is Dr. Ben’s Paw & Claw Cedar Oil. When sprayed, it works quickly. However, some dogs really dislike the intense aroma and may drool excessively. If this happens, discontinue use.

Cedar oil not only kills and repels fleas, it’s also very effective against ticks, gnats and mosquitoes. Apply cedar oil after swimming to kill any pests that may have come into contact with your dog while swimming and protect him once out of the water. Cedar oil is not harmful to the environment, but it’s not recommend for use on cats.

Re-Infestation Depends on Your Climate

Yes, choosing waterproof options and following best practices will certainly keep pests at bay, but product longevity depends on exposure and where you live. Dogs swimming in Canada could probably remain pest-free for 30 days when a topical product is used. Dogs in Louisiana wearing topical pest products may not see the same effectiveness compared to dogs in Canada due to the greater number of pests in the area.

Hopefully, these products and best practices will keep your dog pest-free this summer. Stay cool!

Why Do Dogs Eat Strange Things?

July 6, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Does Your Dog Eat Strange Things?

Pica in Dogs

If your dog has ever chewed or eaten strange things, I’m sure you’ve wondered why and if it’s normal. Pica disorder is the continual consumption of non-food items, and it can be behavioral (learned) or compulsive. Do all stick-chewing dogs have a pica disorder? Thankfully, no. Let’s discuss different causes of and solutions for pica.

Is It Chewing or Pica?

Oh, this is the magic question! Before jumping to conclusions, it’s important to note pica disorder is the ingestion (swallowing) of weird things frequently (two or more times). If your puppy accidentally swallows a rock, it could be just that–an accident. If it recently happens again, it could be a red “pica” flag. It’s important to distinguish between pica and chewing because they are two totally different things, but can be linked.

Chewing

Chewing of non-food items is not considered a pica disorder. However, if your dog constantly seeks out strange objects, chews and ingests them, then I would be concerned. It’s important to redirect him to appropriate chewing items.

Let’s discuss a common scenario: dogs chewing on sticks. Most dogs enjoy chewing wood, and sticks are pretty easy to hold with two paws and find in the backyard. When chewing, some pieces are accidentally swallowed while most chards are left behind, which is most common (not pica indicative). This is normal, but should be discouraged by replacing sticks with appropriate chews items. Then, remove all access to sticks by clearing your yard of them. This prevents your dog from learning to enjoy chewing sticks.

Pica

If you’ve ever witnessed it, then you know what I’m talking about. Dogs will seek out strange things to chew and ingest. When one of my dogs has a tummy issue, he will literally gobble up grass and leaves until I bring him indoors. Once his tummy feels better, his pica behavior ends. Yes, coprophagia (ingesting feces) is considered a pica disorder. Dogs either learn to enjoy the taste of feces, have medical issue (illness) or become compulsive.

RELATED: Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

Causes of Pica

Behavioral

A behavioral cause means dogs have learned to continuously ingest non-food items, such as rocks, sticks, clothes, leaves, grass and anything else they can fit in their mouth. If dogs are allowed to practice chewing or picking up specific items, they’ll learn to enjoy it and seek out specific objects. This usually involves the ingestion of chards or accidentally swallowing the whole thing.

We all know practice makes perfect so it’s important to curb chewing and mouthing of inappropriate items quickly. If you notice this happening, play a game of trade by offering a delicious treat for the inappropriate item. Then, provide an appropriate chew toy, such as a bully stick.

Now, behavior-induced pica is usually more common in breeds of dogs that were bred for retrieving, meaning they instinctively pick up, explore and carry items in their mouth. If you share your home with sporting breeds, you’ve probably noticed your Labrador Retriever touch just about everything with his teeth, lips and tongue. 🙂

Prevention is key!

Compulsive

Sometimes, and thankfully it happens rarely, dogs will have an irresistible urge to constantly swallow specific non-food items. Before jumping to conclusions, it’s important to rule out lack of proper nutrition or illness before deciding on a compulsive behavior diagnosis. If your dog routinely swallows rocks and has had surgery to remove the obstruction, then I highly recommend seeking advice from your veterinarian. Nutrition-induced pica usually resolves itself once your dog is provided with needed nutrition. Illness, normally gastrointestinal based ones, is a common cause of eating strange objects. However, your vet should perform diagnostics to undercover and treat the issue.

Once nutrition and illness have been ruled out and pica behavior continues, ask for a referral to a veterinary animal behaviorist who specializes in obsessive compulsive disorders. Compulsive disorders do not halt if left untreated, and fitting your dog with a muzzle to prevent ingestion of non-food items is like putting a Band-Aid on a gushing wound–it’s not resolving the issue.

Good luck, and remember an ounce of prevention is worth its weight in gold!