NAIL TRIMMING.

Reprinted from the Stabal Mail Bugle -
A letter from one of its readers, from the Wirral

I suspect that many readers, like myself, dread the task of trimming our dog's nails. Those with dogs that are oblivious to this chore are indeed blessed, unlike the remainder of us who must resort to all kinds of tactics and deceptions to get the dog to stay still, not bite or howl until everyone in the county complains of the cruelty we are inflicting on our dogs.

I now have a wonderful tool that makes all the traditional nail trimmers totally redundant. I now use the DREMEL MINI MITE, cordless grinder [available from Diamond edge, Petcetera and others]. This battery operated gadget comes available as either a dry cell model or one with rechargeable batteries. The dry cell model is priced in the region of £45, but you might find it cheaper if you shop around. The unit is two-speed [10,000rpm & 5,000rpm], of which I find the slower speed better for those awkward dogs who might be put off by the whine of the higher speed.

The unit is ideal and safe to use for use with dogs, as the power is limited and will stall if perhaps hair is accidentally caught in the revolving head. Use of the course sanding disk removes large amounts quickly and the fine disk is ideal for quick tidy ups. I have found that the carborundum stone does an ideal job of finishing the nails off and giving your dog a professional look manicure. Replacement disks, mandrels and other accessories, are readily available at D.I.Y. shops. You can even use this tool for other jobs - craftwork, metal and glass engraving etc.

We have one dog that had to be under general anaesthetic to cut her nails, but now she enjoys her feet being manicured.

I wish to thank Andrew Brace for this tip, it is the best idea I've come across in decades…………