The art of the pug nail trim is one of the things that veterinary technician classes cannot prepare you for in a clinical setting. Those adorable little squish-faced dogs with piggy tails may fool the inexperienced vet staff. Do not be deceived by this dog’s cute-as-a-button appearance; once you so much as think about touching this dog’s paw, a demon shall appear to rival the best scenes from the exorcist. Remember that 1984 cult classic Gremlins? It is something to that extent. I implore you to gather all your strength before taking on this battle.
First, it is near impossible to hold a pug. For such a short-legged animal, it can perform maneuvers that would make the best of airplane pilots blush. Also, it may be hard to a young technician, but avoid the eyes at all costs, for during a nail trim, those adorable loving eyes become the size of saucers that can penetrate the best technician’s very soul. And do not even get me started on the sounds this fuzzball can produce during a nail trim, imagine a tornado siren and a kazoo having babies, this is the war cry of the pug my friend.
Stay the course, dear technician, for there is yet hope! While you may feel the sudden urge to reach for the holy water in this situation, often peanut butter and sitting in a lap will suffice to placate the pug. Given time, you will learn the art of the pug nail trim and become a master at implementing your skills.
My final words of advice are to ensure that you have a plethora of sticky hair rollers at your disposal; I find that two to three rolls should suffice.
