Toenail Terror

I've always trimmed the toenails of any dog I've had, and my greys would be no different. I don't have to trim them too often. Because I walk them on the sidewalks in our neighborhood, the cement helps to keep them filed down. But over time, they grow out and then need a trim.

I've noticed Hoss' nails were getting a little long, so this evening I decided to trim them down. I had done it once before and it had gone well. He laid there like a perfect angel and didn't whine a bit. Snip, snip, and I was done.

This time didn't go quite so smoothly. I was down to the last foot and I did it - I cut one too short. Hoss jumped which freaked me out, but no yelp. I looked down and saw the bleeding start. I got a rag in hopes that I could get it to stop, but no such luck. And no, I don't have any of the magical stuff that you are supposed to put on in events like this. I tried cornstarch, which sort of worked, but not really.

I gave each of the boys a treat and waited to see how the bleeding would do. It seemed to stop, so I was feeling pretty relieved. About an hour later, I took the boys out for a walk, and when we came back in, I noticed the bleeding had started again, with much more gusto than before. In fact, when I noticed it, Hoss had laid down on his bed with his feet up underneath him, so blood was all over his belly and chest! It looked like a war zone!!!

The pet store was closed so I couldn't get any of the magical stuff to stop the bleeding. I'll definitely make sure I have some for next time. Once again, my carpet cleaning machine will pay off - cleaning up the little blood spots I've seen here and there around the house.

I think Hoss has forgiven me, but he is definitely taking advantage of the guilt trip and soliciting more belly rubs than usual! :)