A pedicure for the furry one

I know I said I would be trying the detox foot pads next. For the last three weeks, I have searched just about evry store in town looking for them. I have been to CVS, Walgreens, Target, Meijer, GNC... The list goes on. No one seems to carry them. It looks like I may have to put an order in via the Web. This also makes my skeptisism of the product very high.

Speaking of being a skeptic, I picked a product that I have doubted since the day it appeared on the market in the form of an infomercial. I was standing behind the cash register at PetSmart trying to figure out what my next product would be when staring at me was an entire shelf of PediPaws. At their retail debut, it seemed like they flew off the shelf. Then like most fads, sales slowed and the price came down from $19.99 to $12.99. The product can be purchased at most drugstores for $9.99 now.

I was razzed at first by my co-workers for my purchase but later their curious minds wanted to know if PediPaws actual worked.

Now why such a skeptic? Well, I trained in the grooming salon as a bather, meaning I did a lot of nail trims and grinds-two things I am not a hug fan of doing-two things most dogs despise as well. In the salon, I used a Dremel tool with a file tip to grind down the nails. Why grind when you can clip? Well, the grinding is less painful because there is no squeeze factor. Grinding the nail also pushes the quick back, allowing the nail to eventually be quite short. Finally, no little razor blades scarring your legs and arms when your furry little friend wants to say hello. The downfall of grinding-getting the hair from a long-haired dog tangled around the file or small burn injuries from the squirmy pups. Sometimes those burns end up being on you.

When I got home, I decided I just had to try it out right away. I would know in seconds if this product was going to be a total failure. I flipped through the directions even though I was quite confident I could use this product. There is even a Website that can be accessed that shows a video how-to. The PediPaws is long and slender. The file has a guard with a guide cut into it. To my surprise, it's very quiet, quieter than a Dremel in fact. The PediPaws also has a safety feature that prevents the user from pushing the file down too hard on the pet's nails. It will automatically stop when too much pressure is applied.

PediPaws took a little practice. At first I decided to use it without the guard. I tried to grind my dog's nails, holding the PediPaws like I would a Dremel tool. It didn't work so well and Zoe wasn't enjoying the funky grind. Actually, Zoe hates getting her nails done. I was able to grind one nail before having to give up and wait for my boyfriend to come home and hold her. When I take her to the salon, it usually takes two people to do her nails, so her attitude problem was nothing new.

When the boyfriend got home, he held, ok sort of tackled the 14 pound dog. She is a squirmer! I placed the guard back on the product and proceeded to grind her nails. I kept putting the nail in the larger part of the opening and it did an ok job. By the last paw, I realized all I needed to do was set the nail in the smaller part of the keyhole shaped opening and just roll it to smoothly grind around the nail. It worked great!

I am sure that after a couple weeks, Zoe will get used to having the two of us grind her nails. It's so much easier to just do it at home rather than drag her feisty little self to PetSmart every two weeks. It will also save me a huge amount of money. It's $11 every two weeks to get her nails done and the PediPaws cost just as much. No longer am I the skeptic about this product. I think it's great for pet owners and could be used to safely grind down most pet's nails. (dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, birds)

I am going to have to give the PediPaws an A+.

At the request of a friend, my next product will be DepilSilk. I am hoping to find it in a store if not I will order it and find something else in the meantime.

ShakeWeight Update: I am at the end of my second full week of use. I am doing it every day with the exception of Sunday. I can't see a difference yet, but I feel one. My arms still ache a little every evening which is amazing from a two pound weight. They are starting to feel a little firmer though. I am hoping it's not just wishful thinking. Only time will tell.