Grooming

How To Cut Dog Nails

Nails serve important functions in the dog including protection, the ability to walk properly, defense and grasping abilities. Although dogs do not use their claws for climbing trees, they are still important for grasping and locomotion. There is essentially little difference between the nails of animals and of humans.

It is essential that dogs keep their nails trimmed so they may walk and run without difficulty. Trimming a dogs nails can be difficult for pet owners if their dog is not used to having their feet touched.  The best time to begin handling a dogs paws are when he is a puppy. At first, do not try to trim the nails, simply begin by gently touching and examining the feet while praising in a low, soft, soothing manner. Hold the paws and lightly place your fingers between their toes, while slightly spreading them apart. This is a good handling exercise to use on dogs that will need their feet clean shaved, such as a poodle.  Make it a positive experience by rewarding with a treat for good behavior.

After your dog gets used to and will tolerate their feet being touched, try trimming one nail and gradually build to trimming them all over a period of two weeks. Aim to trim one nail per day. When a dog is young, their nails grow more quickly, then reach a steady growth as they get older. Most dogs will require a nail trim every 6 weeks.

If nails are trimmed back on a regular basis when the dog is young, the quick will be kept short. However, if the nails are let go, the quick will slowly grow down to the length of the nail and even if a small amount of nail is trimmed, bleeding may occur.

Dog NailsPets with white nails are much easier to trim than those with black nails because the blood supply (known as the “quick “) to the nail is visible as a dark, pink area. Just like trimming human nails, only the white portion of the dogs nail should be trimmed. For dogs with black nails, if you turn the paw backwards, with the pads facing toward you, you will expose the bottom of the nail. You can use this a guideline for how much to trim.
Quick 1

If you look at the bottom of the nail, you will see a dark, black spot, that is the quick, Trim a little bit of the nail at a time until a speck of black is showing. When you see that speck, you’ll know to stop trimming. You may also go by the curve or bend in the nail. Never trim above the curvature, always trim slightly below.

 

Nail Cliippers

There are several different types of nail clippers available on the market. Rostfrei clippers work best for larger breeds of dogs.  My favorite brand is Millers Forge Doggeyman. They are plier-style clippers that have strong, stainless steel blades, comfort grip handles and a safety lock. They have enough power to cut through the thick nails of larger breeds. Guillotine clippers work best on smaller breeds. These are not my favorite type of clippers but would work well for the novice. They have a safety guard which prevents you from cutting the nail too deeply. For toy breeds, cat or white clippers work best. They are similar in design to small scissors. They come in both an angled or straight version and some have a finger rest.
Dog dremelIf you are leery of cutting your dogs quick, another nail trimming option would be a nail grinder or dremel. Grinders shorten nails quickly and easily. They come in various speeds, some have cords and others are cord free and come equipped with battery chargers. There is one on the market called Pedipaws, made specifically for dogs. Save your money…it is a piece of junk. Order a dremel from a pet supply outlet specifically designed for pets or even your local Lowes or Home Depot dremel would work better than Pedipaws. It is much more difficult to hit the quick when using a grinder.
QuickIf you trim the nails and do cut the quick, do not panic, although it probably is painful to the dog, they will survive. If bleeding occurs, you can hold a piece of cotton with direct pressure on the bleeding portion of the nail for five minutes. They also have styptic powders available to purchase at most pet stores. These styptic powders come in powder, gel and pad form. Most of them contain Benzocaine which alleviates pain. For deeper cuts that are more difficult to stop the bleeding, they sell Liquid Super Sealers. This amazing liquid dries on contact to form a thin, flexible waterproof type bandage. It also provides an effective barrier against dirt and bacteria.

Nails require routine maintenance. Start your dog on a regular nail trimming routine as early as 10 weeks of age.