Ask The Vet: How to approach trimming dog’s nails

We have a one-year-old toy schnauzer and have two issues. Cutting nails — she is out of control and refuses to let me do it and the vet even gave up!! I don’t want to put her to sleep and spend $200 every few months. Socialization with dogs — when she comes near unfamiliar dogs she becomes EXTREMELY aggressive (barking and jumping). Commands, treats, and restraining her do not help!! Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

—Lynanne Wyatt, Manassas, Virginia

Hi Lynanne, your question is extremely relevant to so many of my patients and I’m glad you asked! Nail trimming is a common challenge across the veterinary field. Before resorting to complete sedation through your veterinarian, there are some options that could be attempted at home so long as it can be done safely. .

First, if you’d like to try and do the nails at home again, consider asking your veterinarian for oral sedation. Many combinations are available for safe use at home, and one of these may make your pup more amenable. If this isn’t successful, your vet can also prescribe oral sedation to your schnauzer before a veterinary visit so that she is more amenable to having the veterinary team care for her nails.

Once all other options are exhausted, the unfortunate reality may be that she needs to be anesthetized for her nails to be safely trimmed. Generally, these anesthetic protocols are very safe, short acting and result in minimal side effects to the animal.

On your second question, the first thing to consider is the degree of socialization she had as a puppy. Most people don’t realize that the vital window of socialization in dogs begins when they are about 12 weeks old and ends around 20 weeks. If there is not appropriate socialization in that window, it can be very difficult to “rewire” how their brain responds to social stimuli like other dogs.

My advice is twofold.

First, if there are situations that you know agitate your dog, they should be completely avoided until you are able to take the proper steps to try and overcome the challenges. I know this sounds annoying but avoidance is extremely important in these instances. My second recommendation is to work with an animal behaviorist. Animal behavior is a niche section of veterinary medicine whereby the behaviorist has completed veterinary school training and then gone on to specialize in animal behavioral issues. These professionals will be most effective in helping you and your pup overcome her challenges.

Keep in mind, it will take a lot of time, work and dedication to be effective in reteaching your pet how to appropriately respond to situations that trigger her.

Pet profile: Pepper

Our cat, Pepper, was adopted from BARCS 15 years ago.  She has silky, soft fur and beautiful green eyes. Her hobbies include bird watching from the sunny balcony, taking walks through our condo hallways and reading her favorite novels.  Pepper brings joy and love to our home.

—Bob and Dona Garvey, Bel Air

Ask the Vet is a weekly series by Dr. Devon B. Smith, a Baltimore veterinarian who is an associate at Madonna Veterinary Clinic in White Hall. Send your pet questions and photos to vet@baltsun.com.