| CLIPPING NAILS Marty Smith, DVM Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc. |
Trimming your dog's nails is not just a part of grooming, but is important for your dog's
health as well. It is important to remember that untrimmed nails can cause a variety of
problems including broken nails that are painful and bleed profusely. In some cases, nails
will actually curl and grow back into the dog's feet.
A good indication that dogs' nails are too long is a telltale 'click-click-click' when walking
on uncarpeted areas.
How many of us put off trimming our dog's nails until the
inevitable veterinary check-up comes around and the
veterinarian must do it? If you are like many dog owners,
you may be hesitant to trim your dog's nails because you
are afraid of cutting the quick of the nail, which may cause
pain or bleeding. Once you learn how to do it, clipping your
dog's nails is almost as easy as clipping your own.
When you are trimming your dog's nails, you are only
cutting away the excess. Recognizing what is excess and where the nerves and blood vessels
begin is what you need to know to make nail trimming a painless process for both you and
your dog.
To trim your dog's nails:
Some valuable tips:
health as well. It is important to remember that untrimmed nails can cause a variety of
problems including broken nails that are painful and bleed profusely. In some cases, nails
will actually curl and grow back into the dog's feet.
A good indication that dogs' nails are too long is a telltale 'click-click-click' when walking
on uncarpeted areas.
How many of us put off trimming our dog's nails until the
inevitable veterinary check-up comes around and the
veterinarian must do it? If you are like many dog owners,
you may be hesitant to trim your dog's nails because you
are afraid of cutting the quick of the nail, which may cause
pain or bleeding. Once you learn how to do it, clipping your
dog's nails is almost as easy as clipping your own.
When you are trimming your dog's nails, you are only
cutting away the excess. Recognizing what is excess and where the nerves and blood vessels
begin is what you need to know to make nail trimming a painless process for both you and
your dog.
To trim your dog's nails:
- Assemble what you will need - a high quality pair of trimmers and some styptic
powder, Kwik-Stop, CutStop Styptic Pads or other product to stop bleeding if you
nick the quick.
- You may want to sit on the floor with your dog, hold your dog in your lap, or have
someone hold your dog on a table. Hold your dog's paw firmly and push on his pads to
extend the nail. Locate where the quick ends. With clear or light nails, it is easy to see
the pink color where the quick ends.
- Using a nail trimmer for dogs, cut the nail below the quick on a 45-degree angle, with
the cutting end of the nail clipper toward the end of the nail. You will be cutting off
the finer point. In dogs, especially those with dark nails, make several small nips with
the clippers instead of one larger one. Trim very thin slices off the end of the nail
until you see a black dot appear towards the center of the nail when you look at it
head on. This is the start of the quick that you want to avoid. The good news is that,
the more diligent you are about trimming, the more the quick will regress into the nail,
allowing you to cut shorter each time.
- In some cases, if the nails are brittle, the cut may tend to splinter the nail. In these
cases, file the nail in a sweeping motion starting from the back of the nail and
following the curve to the tip. Several strokes will remove any burrs and leave the
nail smooth.
- If your dog will tolerate it, do all four feet this way. If he will not, take a break. And
do not forget the dewclaws. On most breeds, if they have not been removed, dewclaws
are 1-4" above the feet on the inner side of the legs. If not trimmed, dewclaws can
grow so long they curl up and grow into the soft tissue, like a painful ingrown toe nail.
- If you accidentally cut the quick, wipe off the blood and apply Kwik-Stop or styptic
powder to stop the bleeding. It is not serious and will heal in a very short time.
Some valuable tips:
- Remember, it is better to trim a small amount on a regular basis than to try and
remove large portions. Try to trim your dog's nails weekly, even if long walks keep
them naturally short. The 'quick,' a blood vessel that runs down the middle of your
dog's nail, grows as the nail grows, so if you wait a long time between cuttings, the
quick will be closer to the end of the nail. This means more likelihood of bleeding
during trimming.
- Trim nails so that when the dog steps down, nails do not touch the floor.
- Invest in a good pair of nail trimmers in an appropriate size for your dog. They can
last a lifetime.
- Make trimming time fun and not a struggle. Trimming your dog's nails does not have to
be a chore or unpleasant. If your dog is not used to having his nails trimmed, start
slowly, and gradually work up to simply holding his toes firmly for 15-30 seconds. Do
not let him mouth or bite at you. It can take daily handling for a week or more to get
some dogs used to this. When your dog tolerates having his feet held, clip just one nail,
and if he is good, praise him and give him a tiny treat. Wait, and then at another time,
do another nail. Continue until all nails have been trimmed. Slowly, you will be able to
cut several nails in one sitting, and finally all the nails in one session.
| This site was created by and is maintained by Belinda Winters for BFH Bassets. If you have any questions or comments email belindawinters@bfhbassets.com |
