I keep seeing the commercial for that Peticure appliance, which supposedly “shaves” the nails/claws(?) of dogs and cats, without cutting into the quick and hurting them – does this appliance really work, and more importantly, is it actually safe for a pet owner to use on their dog or cat? To be honest, I’d be really wary of trying to clip dog nails myself and would probably go to the vet for that, but if the pedicure thing is safe to use and actually works, I think I’d go ahead and get it.
So … anyone have any practical experience with them? I’d be really interested in opinions of vet techs or vets…I’d so be afraid of hurting a pet. I guess I should add that I do not currently have a pet, but if I do get one, this is something I’d like to know about.
It’s basically a dremel with a thing covering it that, according to my groomer aunt, would make it impossible to actually see what you’re doing. I’ve dremeled some nails and it’s not really hard, but it does take longer than clipping, which could be an issue with an uncooperative dog.
If you learn what you’re doing clipping is not that hard, really. I wouldn’t say don’t buy it, but I’d be more inclined to head to the hardware store for a better-built tool for the job if I wanted to avoid the clippers.
Somehow a power tool that makes noise combined with an animal that may be nervous about their toes just does not sound like a fun evening to me.
Ah, another semi-scam thing! Thanks for the info, whiterabbit and ASAKMOTSD. Naturally, the dogs and cats in the commercial are all very docile when the peticure is being used on them, while yelping and squirming when regular clippers are being used.
I must confess, I can’t watch even the drawing of the nail quick being nicked - it makes me cringe! That’s why I’d be so scared to try clipping nails myself. Thanks again. 
Dremelling doesn’t mean you can’t knick. I take my dog into the vet to be dremmelled (claws are a lot smoother) - it takes four vet techs to hold him down and dremmell him while he favorite vet talks to him. And last time they got him too close and he was bleeding all over my carpet.
Petsmart charged me $10 to clip with a clippers - it takes two people about ten minutes. The vet charges me $30 to dremmel - its a bigger deal. But I have a dog with bad hips who fights anyone touching his paws - I’d rather have four vet techs hold him down than two Petsmart groomers.
If they’re just in for a nail job, my aunt charges more for dremelling; the usual routine is to clip and then to dremel 'em smooth. (I don’t remember her exact rates at the moment, but it’s something like $5 to clip and $10 for both.) Occasional customers only want one or the other done, which is no problem.
I had a cat whose claws I could trim if I caught him in the right mood, but I still had to move quick. I don’t think I could have dremelled him. I do like that they have cats in the ad solely because it’s far better than declawing, though, and if I couldn’t have trimmed that cat’s claws I might have considered declawing him (yes, yes, I know all the arguments, it’d have been a last resort).
And yes, you can quick them no matter how you do it. Black nails are a particular challenge, but there are ways to tell where the quick is even on those if you learn. I don’t buy the ad’s argument that clipping always hurts them; some dogs fight, but some just stand there saying, “Whatever,” and the only time they’d react would be if you did hit the quick.
I dremel my dog’s nails (with a regular old dremel tool), and they are fine with it, but it really depends on the dog if they’ll put it up with it. I could see a dog that just hates having his feet handled not wanting to hold still for it. It takes longer to dremel than it does to clip, and you have to be mindful that the drum gets hot from friction, so you can’t just press down until the nail is short enough. You have to press down for a second, release for a second, etc. That’s part of why it takes longer.
My dogs tend to be more tolerant of the dremel than regular nail clippers - I had one pooch who would yelp just seeing the vet pick up the clippers! I’ve never quicked a dog with the dremel - that’d be a lot harder than doing it with clippers - but for some dogs I can see the clippers being preferable if you know someone who is good with them and fast. I’m not, so I use the dremel and let the vet use the clippers (they always clip nails when pups are in for shots or when they are asleep for tooth cleaning and such).
Please share so my dog doesn’t have to sport “coke nails” anymore. 
I’d have no use for something like that since my dog is relatively cooperative for clipping as long as you’re shoving cookies in his face (it’s a two-person, two-cookie job – one wielding the clippers, the other wielding the cookies). After clipping, I’ve started doing a quick filing down of the sharp edges; it doesn’t take long and the nail file doesn’t make him as nervous as the clippers do. You only have to quick a dog once to make him fear the clippers. I would guess the same would apply to a power tool.
I’m afraid I don’t really know! I do know that my aunt can take a glance at a nail and know where to trim. But I didn’t get anything like that good before I ended up working at a totally non-critter job. I can ask, if you want.