Grooming between the toes

[debraschow]

I want to keep Milo's feet perfectly round,(they are really cute) and I read that you have to clip the hair out from between the toes. I can't find any info here in search, or specifics on the web. What do I do and how do I do it?

[Wes Chow Chows]

This is not hard but will take a little time to do. First you need to teach them to lay down its easier to do this way. Then clip or grind the nails as low as you can with out quicking them. Now clip all the hair you see between the pads. once you have that you need to take the sissors and go between each pad and the hair at the same angle as the paw once you have this done to all feet stand them back up and clean up what is not even foloowing the outline of the paw. This is my pet pev when showing.

[debraschow]

Hey thanks Wes, can I suck more info from your wisdom? Okay some of his toe nails would be longer than I would have allowed. Can I nip back to just a smidge beyond quick, stop bleeding and maybe like in a couple of weeks go back more? Or do I cut back the nails where they should be and stop bleeding and then keep there?

Also like what kind of scissors should I use? Or just be careful.

[Wes Chow Chows]

I teach the nails to grow back by cutting as short as I can with out bleeding and repeat this every week till they are short as I want. You can do it with any pair of scissors I use a bent shaft pair but everone have them. I was doing this with a pair of 6" stright ones for years. Then I had a lady I show for but me this pair. Also do you slip the nails or grind? I grind mine with a dreamal tool. I find this better at getting right to the end of the nail and if you nick them it does not bleed as bad.

[WildThings]

Tess and Fiona's fur does not grow long in between their toes...does it on some chows? My collie has really long toe hair...we call them her Grinch (as in How the Grinch Stole Christmas) feet so we clip them from time to time, but I always assumed chows just did not get the long fur on their feet.

As for the nails, the quick will recede with frequent clippings. I know some vets will quick the nails during spay/neuter surgery or teeth cleaning when they are already under anesthesia so they don't feel it, often in rescues/shelter situations where regular grooming has been neglected, but it does cause some pain for a few days after...makes the feet very sore and sensitive. Doing it yourself may cause Milo to learn to fear nail clipping, associating it with pain. Clipping them yourself, without cutting the quick may take a little while to get the quick back to wear it should be, but in would be much more comfortable for Milo. [/i]

[GoHokiesGo]

Digging up an old post since Honey's fur is getting a little long on her paws.

I've trimmed most of the fur that extends below the pads on her feet, I kind of have to sneak a few clips every once in awhile in there since she hides her paws when she sees me with scissors now. But after reading this thread, do you actually trim the fur between the toes as well? How exactly do you get scissors in between the toes without really catching the skin around the paws? I'd be afraid of snipping her actual toes if I clipped in between the toes. Do you actually trim in between the toes, or just on the bottom and sides of the feet?

Thanks,
Jason

[Sinniebunnie]

Hmm.. I use normal scissors and cut the hair from the bottom of the foot and around the toes. Cutting the hair on the bottom keeps little things from getting stuck in there.