*Except circular saws. I am irrationally terrified of circular saws. Jigsaw = useful tool. Chop saw = useful tool. Circular saw = scary instrument of horror straight out of a nightmare.
Anyway... I love power tools. I don't often blog about them because I'm not sure my readers share my enthusiasm for drills or pneumatic pin nailers. ;) However, I'm going to write a review of my latest tool purchase as it might be of interest to anyone with a pet.
I always had to take my previous dog to the groomer for nail trims. Her nails were thick and black, and I was afraid I would cut one into the quick. I'd be nervous, which made her nervous... the whole ordeal was just too unpleasant.
I was determined to handle things better with the two dogs I recently adopted. Filing their nails wouldn't make me as nervous as clipping them, so I followed that path. Research showed a couple of options: a pet nail grinder or a rotary tool with a sanding drum. Naturally, I chose the latter. Why buy a grooming implement when I can buy a power tool that serves the same function plus many more? :)
I chose the Dremel Micro.
I love it! It is small, lightweight, and easy to hold. It has a nifty charger stand so it's convenient and ready to go when I need it. And it's quiet. On the lowest setting, which is what I use for the dogs' nails, it's barely as loud as my electric toothbrush.
Okay, so it doesn't take much to sell me on a multi-function power tool. ;) The real question is: How do the dogs like it? More specifically, how does fearful Nook like it?
Nook is afraid of EVERYTHING. Not just the usual suspects of fireworks and loud noises, but anything and everything new. Set an object on the floor, and she reacts like a monster was released into the room.
So of course, she was scared of the Dremel initially, even before I turned it on. But with patience and lots of reassurance, I managed to convince her it wasn't a monster. Then I managed to convince her to sit still for a couple of minutes and let me file a few of her nails. Now, after a couple more sessions, she isn't the least bit afraid. I did all of her nails this evening, and she didn't protest at all; in fact, she practically fell asleep.
I am absolutely thrilled! I will be able to maintain both dogs' nails with no fear and a minimum of effort. It truly is a huge relief.
Anyone else tried a Dremel or similar tool for their dog's nails?
I had one specifically for filing down the dog's nails, but the replacement heads got lost while moving. I really liked it and she didn't mind it too much either. Now that we have two dogs and we're about to have wood floors, I've been looking at various options. I have a set of clippers, but I hate them and so do the dogs. I can pay to have them trimmed, but it isn't cheap since I have two and would have to have it done pretty regularly.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent idea and one I think I can sell my hubby on. Thanks for the tip!!!
The bonus with filing/grinding is that the nails are nice and smooth. Clipping can leave them with sharp edges. My vinyl floors show the evidence of that.
DeleteWish I would have thought about this when we had Kaos, the biggest Borzoi/Chicken ever born!
ReplyDeleteMy son gave the spouse a Dremel two Christmases ago, and since he already has two this post has reminded me to go downstairs and look for it and claim it as my own. I actually used a power sander for the first time ever when refinishing a table top recently. I still don't see any kind of electric saw in my future though. ;)
You should definitely claim it! He can't need three, after all. Woo, power sander! That could be considered a gateway tool, you know. ;)
DeleteI do okay with the chop saw because it is mounted to a stand and the blade is mostly covered. But circular saws are free to run wild, so to speak, and that scares me.
VERY clever idea, and economical, too! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy with it. And I haven't even tried the router attachments yet! :D
DeleteMy dog also have thick black nails , since i don't like to cut them myself, I just take her to the vet every 3 weeks. We've tried that tool at the vet but she's so scared of power tools (and the vacuum cleaner, and my hair dryer) that she starts to get aggressive and bites. Fortunately i dont live in the USA so taking her to the vet to trim her nails costs me 5€.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad she's so scared that she gets aggressive. :( I hate vacuums and hair dryers, too, because they're so loud. I wear ear plugs when I vacuum!
DeleteNail trims here are $8 (about 7 Euro), so the money is not a big deal. I didn't want the hassle of taking the dogs to the groomer frequently... and then of course there is my stubborn determination to do everything myself. If I'm honest, that's probably the main reason. :)
I wasn't aware that dog's nails needed cutting - but I never owned dogs, so there's that! How cool that you found another "household" use for the powertoy!
ReplyDeleteThey do, and unfortunately it's not easy like cutting a person's nails. If you clip a dog's nails too short, you can cut the blood supply... so many dog owners are afraid to clip their dog's nails. Filing/grinding is a lot less nerve-wracking!
DeleteWow, I didn't know that was a thing! A tiny power tool for dog's nails! My doggy hates getting her nails clipped, they don't grow fast, I have taken her once since I got them. I hold her still while the lady clips them. But if you want to see a fuss you should see the way our tiny bird reacts to nail clipping. She makes dog nail clipping look like a walk in the park!
ReplyDeleteHa ha! A high school friend of mine had birds that reacted like that. They would produce more noise than you'd think possible from such tiny creatures.
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