Dog Nail Clipping- Touchy Dog?

Our dog is a 15lb 5 year old male rat terrier. He HATES to have his nails clipped. We have to bring him to the vet and the doctor has to completely put him under to clip his nails. When we try to clip them ourselves he will bite and scratch. He's boken a leather muzzle and a nylon muzzle. He gets so extremely stressed when we try to clip his nails, his fur will actually begin falling out. Our vet prescribed medication to calm him, but it doesn't affect him. The price of bringing him to the vet is $55 so we really need help figuring out a new approach to nail clipping. We're always calm when we try to clip and we've tried giving him treats but he gets too worked up.<br />
Please help!!<br />
The weird thing is, he will let us touch his feet all we want as soon as we put the clippers by him he flips!<br />
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We've also tried filing but he gets aggitated by that also<br />

At one point, he was hurt when his nails were clipped, and he won't forget it.<br />
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Use that new device they're advertising on TV these days - it's shaves off bits of nail in thin increments. I do forget the name of it, though.

Try a drummel tool to file his nails instead of clipping them. My dog doesn't mind having his nails done with the drummel at all. You can get a small battery operated one at the wal-mart for about $15.00. It's rechargable and doesn't make a lot of noise when in use.

Our dog is like that when he needs his ears cleaned. So my husband and I both help get him. We get a towel and put it over him and my husband kinda lays/holds him reallly tight so we can get him. We've got it down to a science now.

They have a dremel tool, it's like a motorized nail file ( nail technicians use them). Get him used to that just being near his foot and then slowly introduce him into using it as a nail trimmming tool. It takes a little bit longer to get those nails shortened but it'll get the job done and hopfully help you out.

Spend a lot of time just touching your dogs paws- no clippers, but just petting the foot like your pet his head or back. That way he gets used to you touching there. <br />
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Try using an emory board. I saw my vet do this to my pup when she had nicked a bit of the quick, and then everything was OK later with the clippers. That seemed to do the job.

Have you tried using a dremel tool instead? Sometimes, if a dog has had a bad experience with the nail clippers, then they will be more accepting of the dremel.<br />
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The first thing you need to do, is to try and get him use to having his feet touched/manipulated without the nails being cut. The more you play with his feet, the better he'll be.<br />
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When trying to get him used to the dremel, then you become a pez dispenser- he gets tons of treats while you are playing with toes- as soon as you let go of his feet, the treats go away as well.<br />
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Then, when you can do that, then you turn the dremel on- once again, you become a pez dispenser- he only gets the treats while the dremel is turned on.<br />
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The next step is to touch the not grinding end against his body- anywhere- all the while being a pez dispenser.<br />
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From there, you only do 1 nail- pez dispenser- then work up to 2 nails, then 3, etc.<br />
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If you're patient, and really work on it and take your time, there's a good chance it will work.<br />
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Good luck!

Yes, I agree with Bonzie12, try a dremmel. It is a drill like device with a sandpaper cylinder at the end. It grinds the nail down instead of clipping it. <br />
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As with any new thing, try to make if fun, start with short time periods, and use treats or toys to make it something special. The dremmel is relatively quiet. You might want to try starting the device so that your dog gets used to the sound and then give him treats and attention without ever touching his nails.<br />
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Also -- is it difficult for you to touch his feet? If not, use this step -- treat him and touch his feet with the sound of the dremmel without actually grinding the nail.<br />
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Try to acclimate him as much as possible before you try the nail. Good luck!

WOW, I have a Rat Terrier who acts the same exact way during nail clippings!!<br />
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What we do is this....bring him to the Vet and the Vet muzzles him ( tiny dog with a muzzle....too cute! ) and he cuts them. He hates it and tries to jump and squirm but I have to hold him still....it's the only way.<br />
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Your Vet shouldn't charge you anything for just a nail clipping! My Vet tells me to bring him in when he needs it done and she charges me nothing at all! Ask a groomer how much they would charge...I would change Vets if I were you...they sound rediculous.

Our puppy was giving us a similar problem, though your dogs problem seems to be much more severe. To deal with it, we began to use teh drummel. My wife carries him and continually feeds him treats, while I file down his nails. He becoms so focused on the treats, that he does not even notice the Drummel. (Maybe a combination of the treats and the sedative from the doctor will work out.)<br />
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Good luck