Couple Quoted $500 for Dog's Sedated Nail Trim, Come up With Hilarious Plan

Newsweek

2 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
When a couple were quoted a hefty $500 by their veterinarian for a sedated pet nail trim, they decided to take matters—and clippers—into their own hands, one paw at a time.
The dog's owner, known as @lilkittyrose on TikTok, shared a short video to the platform on May 5, jokingly implying that the pair will be trimming their pets' nails themselves, one nail at a time.
An overlaid text on the clip added more context: "Our vet quoted us $500 for a sedated nail trim…1 nail per nap it is," while the caption read: "My poor baby."
Viewers on TikTok were able to see a man carefully trimming the dog's claw while they snoozed soundly beneath a blanket on the couch.
Since it was posted, the 15-second clip has been viewed over 4.1 million times and has racked up more than 534,000 likes, with plenty of TikTok users chiming in with laughter, sympathy, and similar stories.
"CVT [certified veterinary technician] here! If you can do this, DO IT! This is one of the best ways to reduce stress [and] anxiety for nail trims," one viewer said. "One toe at a time, don't force it, don't rush.
"Over time you may be able to do more than one toe, before you know it you'll be trimming a whole paw! Definitely a treat after too, keep up the fantastic parenting guys."
"$30 hanging harness from Amazon, trust," another added.
"I have to feed my Rottweiler a baby carrot per nail so he's too busy snacking to get mad," a third viewer said.
"Buy a second pair of clippers and you each do one so you can get two at a time," another added.
"$500 is way too expensive, ask at another place," another said.
The video's runaway popularity highlights a growing sentiment among American pet owners: veterinary care is becoming prohibitively expensive.
The price of urban veterinarian services rose by 7.6 percent between 2023 and 2024, with states like Maine and Georgia seeing the sharpest increase in veterinary costs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Findings from Florida-based pet insurance company Spot Pet found that Maine saw a 21 percent rise in veterinary costs between 2023 and 2024, while Georgia followed closely with a 20 percent rise.
Newsweek reached out to @lilkittyrose for more information via TikTok.
A stock image of a pet owner trimming their dog's paws at home.
A stock image of a pet owner trimming their dog's paws at home.
Getty Images
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [e-mail] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.