Two toenails clipped, 8 to go.

If I had written this post yesterday, the title would have been one toenail clipped.  But wonder of wonders, Angel let me clip one more toenail today.   (I am only counting the front paws.  The claws on the back don't seem to grow as fast.)

Why is this worthy of celebration?  Well, when I was given Angel I was told it was impossible to clip her toenails.  And as you can see, that girl's toenails are lethal - long, strong, and wielded when she wants your attention.  I have scratches on my upper arms from ignoring her desire to be petted.  


Shortly after I got her, I took her to the vet for her annual shots.  "While we are here," I asked, "can you clip her toenails?'  Sure, no problem.  They took her into the back.  Fifteen minutes later, they brought her back, the technician disheveled and flushed.  "We got one toenail clipped," she admitted glumly.  Apparently they tried sweetness to no avail.  And they had three people hold her down.  That was how they got the one toenail clipped.  "She will have to be sedated to have her toenails clipped."


 Yikes!  Sedation is not cheap.  However, she needed to have her teeth cleaned. They cut her toenails while she was unconscious for the teeth cleaning.

That was a year ago.

Those pesky toenails have continued growing since then.  So recently I started a campaign to get her to allow this procedure.  She has always been willing to have you handle her toes as long as your hand was empty.  One day I was filing my fingernails and quickly ran the file against one toe.  She looked at me, startled.  Was she startled that I did it, or startled that it didn't hurt? 

The next day, the same procedure, but for slightly longer.  Then I waited until she was standing in the kitchen and asked her for her paw.  Another quick swipe of the file.  She bounced around the family room, quite pleased with herself.  At that point, I put Peanut up on the counter and trimmed her toenails.  When I put her down, I asked Angel for her paw.  When she gave it to me, I quickly snipped one toenail.  Again she was thrilled.

But I couldn't get her to give me her paw again.  For the past week, I have been running the file against her toenails whenever she lays her head in my lap.  But until today, she wouldn't allow me near her with the clippers.

Two down.  Eight to go.