Hi Mark,
Thanks for the question.
It’s best to try and address the problem through behavioural modification first before taking the drug route. You could contact a behaviourist and work with them on addressing this problem. It could take a lot of time, money and patience but it would certainly be the healthier way to cut the nails of a difficult dog. In many cases, the fear could be too great for it to ever work.
Every veterinarian will have their favourite sedatives and anti-anxiety medications. It’s important to realize that not only do you want to sedate them we also need to consider reducing their anxiety. So I now recommend a combination of a sedative and an anti-anxiety medication.
For a sedative, I have always used a medication called Acepromazine. Others will use drugs such as gabapentin, morphine (these are painkillers but they have a sedative effect), or ketamine. The Acepromazine is good dog sedative for grooming because it can be given in tablet form prior to travelling to your veterinarian. I always recommend adding an anti-anxiety supplement or medication.
If you have a discussion with your veterinarian about these options, I’m sure they can guide you properly.
Be sure to watch our video about how to safely trim a dog nails that that covers everything you need to know about this topic.
Best of luck.
Dr. Clayton Greenway