Sounds odd, right? So how exactly do you trim your dog’s nails with peanut butter? Like many pet parents, I have trouble trimming my dog’s nails and would often take my MuttButs in to the vet or groomer to have them done. The problem with that is it can be expensive and time consuming. Our lives are so busy these days that it can be overlooked and it is an important part of our dog’s health. (If you’re now humming the peanut butter song, sorry, but I haven’t been able to get it out of my head for weeks now!)
I know that trimming our dogs nails are important and if they are allowed to grow too long, the quick can grow longer too and can make trimming them even more difficult, but I found out even more about it recently while watching Dr. Buzby’s Neighborhood on The PetScopeTV on Periscope. I find I learn something new during every show she does. Make sure you are following me on Periscope. You don’t have to broadcast to join the discussion.
Dr. Buzby mentioned that if our dog’s nails are allowed to get too long, it can have a significant negative impact on their health! Specifically, if their nails are too long, they can adjust the way they walk and stand which will cause back problems!
WOW! As in humans, back problems can be painful and very hard to treat. (I could do a whole nother website and just talk about my back problems and surgery, but I won’t bore you.) We definitely want to do everything we can to make sure our MuttButs have happy and healthy lives. I decided I needed to become more diligent about trimming my MuttButs nails.
At first it can seem overwhelming, but I then remembered just how much they love peanut butter. I decided to see if I could distract them and trim their nails and guess what? It Worked! Cool, huh?
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Your MuttBut
- Miller’s Forge Nail Clippers (offered through Dezi & Roo)
- Dremel (optional)
- styptic powder (or alternative)
- Carrot Toy (offered through Dezi & Roo)
- Carrot or other veggie
- Peanut Butter (WITHOUT xylitol because it is TOXIC to dogs, more on this in a future post)
I decided to use a new product that I offer with Dezi & Roo, the Carrot Toy. You can fill it with any variety of veggies for your MuttBut. I found that Riedi loves carrots, but Margi doesn’t. She chews them and spits them out. That naughty girl!
If I put some peanut butter on a carrot before placing it inside The Carrot Toy, Margi would go to town on it. So I thought: Why not use this to my advantage? I got her Carrot Toy ready and gave it to her and while she was really distracted getting the peanut butter out that was way down inside, I trimmed all of her back nails!
I got all 8 of her back nails trimmed within minutes! It was AMAZING. The next part is to try the front nails. They are always way more difficult. Our dog’s paws are very sensitive and they really don’t like us touching them much.
Trimming the front nails
For Margi’s front paws, I tried something a little different. Often when we trim their nails, they can get stressed out and that is something we want to try to reduce as much as possible. If you are able to trim their front nails the same way as the back without them stressing out, go for it!
Margi likes to please me, but when it comes to her front nails, she can be stubborn. I found the best way to trim them is to distract her with her Peanut Butter Carrot and trim as many front nails as I can and then give it a rest for a while, even a day.
You may be able to do all 18 nails in one sitting and if you can, that’s great. You are definitely ahead of me. I found it best for me to trim the back nails all at once and then when I move to the front, only trim 1 or 2 a day. Then when I get done with the front nails, they get a few days rest and we start over. Possibly over time I will be able to do all 18 in one sitting, but for now I am happy to be able to do it over time, in my own home and my MuttButs are enjoying the carrots and peanut butter!
Miller’s Forge Nail Clippers
I primarily use the Miller’s Forge Nail Clippers I got from Dezi & Roo, however I also got a Dremel. I use this sometimes to get them trimmed even shorter without worrying about clipping their quick. I also use it to even off any rough nail edges. Because of the vibration, this can take a bit more time for them to get used to. Remember also that the dremel can heat their nails, so be sure not to leave it on for too long.
Keep something on hand to stop the bleeding
While trimming our MuttButs nails, there can be times when we accidentally cut their quick. Don’t let that stop you. Did you know that vets and groomers sometimes do this too? That’s why it’s a really good idea to keep something like styptic powder around to stop the bleeding if you do accidentally get their quick. While styptic powder does a great job at stopping the bleeding, it can also really sting. I’ve found a few alternatives. Do you use anything else that works?
Don’t forget the most important part: Always end the nail trim session with Hugs & Kisses!
Check out the video Margi and I did and see how well she now does getting her nails trimmed. It’s really amazing. She used to have a fit every time I brought the trimmers out. Not anymore. Enjoy!
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And here I thought peanut butter was my top secret nail clipping weapon! I have been using peanut butter for about a year and a half for nail clipping with Ruby, and it’s been so successful that she runs excitedly to her pedicure spot on the sofa when I say “peanut butter paws!”
I can’t believe it took me this long to figure it out! Can’t believe how great it works.
So nail trimming has been my arch nemesis for years! Zora has mostly dark/black nails so I was always petrified that I would hurt her and would let the groomer or vet trim her nails, Simon is the Tasmanian Devil in dog form and it literally takes a team of three at the vet to get his nails trimmed because he thinks it’s a party 😉 and Piper HATES having her feet touched so that makes nail trimming a challenge. Basically, I decided that nail trimming was not my forte so I would just let the vet or groomer take care of it but I love your suggestions and appreciate that you included video instructions. I will give it a try.
Do give it a try and let us know how it goes. My Margi is almost 11 and this is the first time I’ve been able to trim her nails!
I’m trying this tonight…like when I get done with this post! Why on earth have I not thought of this…..it’s so we rid be yesterday I read a post about peanut butter to make bathing your dog easier. Why on earth do I not think of that. I’ll let yang know how this goes. Ossian my 90 lb saint HATES…hates his nails trimmed, it takes a blanket and my 6’4 husband to hold him down….and even then he still gets loose runs around the house…and we’ll it takes at lest an hour…and sometimes I barely even get a paw done. So wish me luck!!!
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
Nola’s not a fan of peanut butter (why, I have no idea – never seen a dog not like pb!), so we use cream cheese instead!
I’ll have to try cream cheese. Mine both go crazy over peanut butter. I discovered that if I give Margi a carrot without it she chews the carrot and then spits it out. Funny!
Treats also work as a reinforcement. If you trim your dog s nails frequently they will associate the process with getting a treat when it is over. Over time, your dog just might shock you by getting excited about the process.
Yes, their favorite treat works well too! My dog eats them too fast, so I use the peanut butter because she’s licking it a lot longer than when she gobbles up a treat! ☺️🐶