Pet Topics

Pet nail care is a vital part of your pet’s complete health care. Because nails continually grow and are not necessarily worn down as they would if they were going for walks, then it is up to you to help in keeping them at a more comfortable length. When nails are too long, it impacts the way a dog walks which can trigger arthritis later on in life. Also longer nails can get ensnared not to mention ripped, or on occasion curl back into the toe pad and may also result in an infection. trimming pet nails is not that upsetting if you have the suitable tools and have properly trained your dog to let you hold the paw.

The nail has a “quick” that houses the veins and nerves of the nail.The quick is easier to see in white nails. By trimming small amounts at any given time and trimming with the plane of the bottom part of the toe pad (horizontally rather than vertically) you are able to keep from clipping the nail to short as to cause it to bleed.

Here are some additional strategies to effectively trim your pet’s nails:

1. Begin when your pet is still a puppy or kitten by carefully handling their paws. Start by making a sport of it and examining the nails, then they will allow you to trim them once they get older.

2. Select a nail trimmers for the size and age of your pet.I sometimes use a human toe nail trimmer for young pet’s nails since it can easily get to the tiny points a bit easier and they are generally sharper. As the kitten or puppy grows older, I will then swap nail trimmers to the scissor action style of trimmer rather then the guillotine trimmer. I find that these stay sharper longer and are a lot easier to use. The guillotine kind some times traps the nails and doesn’t necessarily produce a clean cut. Your veterinarian will help you select a suitable trimmer.

3. When trimming your dog’s nails, by no means undertake it when your pet is sitting in your lap. Have somebody assist you and place them on the counter or top of the washer or dryer. You can wrap them with a soft towel to help holding them even better. trimming cat claws can be easier if you scruff the cat by grasping the loose skin just behind the head.. If your pet starts to resist, just try holding the paw until he calms. In the event you release the paw whenever your pet starts to protest, you are just re-enforcing the poor behavior and will make the subsequent nail trim episode even worse. (Go back to number 1)

4. Be prepared. Have on hand styptic pencils such as silver nitrate or Kwik stop powder. Be aware that the silver nitrate on the end of the sticks may stain counters and your skin should you get it on you. For beginners, it is best to stick with the styptic powder.

5. If your pet has light colored nails, you can see the pink part of the quick. If your pet has darker nails, trim only a little at any given time. I like to carefully press on the toe and extend the nail out. I then draw an imaginary line level with the bottom of the toe pad and extend it out across the nail. I then trim the nail at this imaginary line so that the nail is now level with the floor when the dog is standing. The nail of the cat is easier to see and it is best to just trim the tips off and stay away from the pink colored quick.

6. You can use an emery board to smooth the sharp edges.

7. Pedipaws or similar rotor drill sanders are helpful to smooth sharp ends and to trim just a small amount of nail. If the nail is very long at all, then it definitely will take you a long time to get it trimmed. You can use the drill to keep the nail shorter or for smoothing the nail after you have used the clippers. Your pet will also need to be taught not to be scared of the motor, so it’s always best to go gradually while you both figure out how to control the drill.

After a little practice and a lot of patience, you may soon be trimming your pet’s nails with confidence. If all else fails, your veterinarian or groomer are here to help.