Trimming dog's nails

[Night Elf]

My dachshund has long nails. One vet told me this is normal. How often can I have them filed down? How long does it take for the quick to retreat? Every other week doesn't seem to be enough to get them short. Can I take him in once a week for a while unti we get them short, or is that too soon? I defintely don't want to hurt his feet.

[quark]

My dachshund mix gets his done monthly. Yes, they grow fast but he is also not happy to have his nails trimmed so I try to reach a compromise (I still don't think he is happy though).

[wintermom]

Are his nails dark or light? You can easily trim light ones yourself as you can see where the nail is and the quick starts. It's harder with dark nails, but you can still do it yourself - if he lets you. Ask your vet or groomer to show you exactly how to do it yourself. Sometimes the back nails don't need to be trimmed as often as the front ones. It depends on the surface they walk on and how they walk.

[Night Elf]

He has all dark nails. I prefer having them filed rather than cut. I've tried to do it myself but I'm just not confident I can do it without hurting him and I'm too tentative in trying effectively. When I take him to the groomer, he sits still for them so that's not a problem. It's expensive, sure, but it's a cost we expect. I want to get them shorter and then do maintenance every couple of weeks really. He doesn't walk on cement. Our backyard has a wooden deck and grass, so his nails don't wear down naturally.

[Laura's Haven]

My dachshund has long nails. One vet told me this is normal. How often can I have them filed down? How long does it take for the quick to retreat? Every other week doesn't seem to be enough to get them short. Can I take him in once a week for a while unti we get them short, or is that too soon? I defintely don't want to hurt his feet.

I would ask your vet about it. I would tell them what would be ideal for you, and what you are trying to do. My vet can usually give me a good timeframe for each one of my dogs to have their nails trimmed again.

[Incognito]

Going in more frequently is the right idea.  Every week should be fine.  FWIW, we have a clipper and a grinder at home (one of those cheap "as seen on TV" ones), and grinding the nails is very easy to do without taking too much off.  You could do it yourself every couple of days to get to the right length, then just go to the regular appointments for maintenance.  

[Pawz4me]

Once a week is not too often. One of my dogs has extremely fast growing nails. I grind them a minimum of twice a week just for maintenance. If I were working on getting them shorter I'd need to do it every other day.

 

IME how soon the quicks will recede--or if they will recede much at all--depends on the individual dog.  Some dogs really do have nails (quicks) that are naturally longer than those of other dogs, and for those dogs it can be almost impossible to get the quicks to recede.  Your groomer should be able to help you.  This is much more their area of expertise than a vet's.

[TammyS]

My dachshund has long nails. One vet told me this is normal. How often can I have them filed down? How long does it take for the quick to retreat? Every other week doesn't seem to be enough to get them short. Can I take him in once a week for a while unti we get them short, or is that too soon? I defintely don't want to hurt his feet.

 

Weekly should be fine until you get there.  Then monthly to keep it there.

 

I feel your pain.  My dog hates getting her nails done.  She's 120lb of bad attitude when it comes to nails (I dope and muzzle her).