Are you having Problem Clipping your Dog’s Nails?

And he runs for his dear life the minute he sees the nail clipper in your hand.

If this scenario describes your current situation with your dog, then you aren’t alone.

One of the most challenging aspects of dog grooming is clipping dog’s nails.

I’ve countless occasions where my friends and neighbors and their friends/relatives would drop by unannounced with their dogs, asking me to clip their dogs’ nails. Though I don’t mind doing it, but this can’t go on forever. It’s a responsibility that dog owners have to abide.

Here are some informative tips on clipping dog’s nails.

Inside the nail, there is a vein (also known as nail bed) and for that reason, special care must be taken when trimming them. Any dog that does not have his nails properly trimmed is likely not able to walk well. It can hurt his paw and prolong neglect will result his inability to walk properly. Dogs with larger nails are more capable of doing damage to furniture, clothing or rugs as their nails will get caught on these and will ripe them.

If the nail is cut too short, it may begin to bleed. The best way to learn where to cut your dog’s nails is to have your vet or groomer show you at the next appointment. In many cases, the vet will handle this care procedure if you ask them to. Even if they do not, they will show you how to properly do so.

To cut them, you will want to use the guillotine type of dog nail trimmer that cut rather than the pliers type that crush. Crushing a nail can cause a great deal of pain to your dog’s nail bed inside. Also larger dogs will have thicker nails which are just too difficult to cut any other way.

Tips: Make sure the clippers are sharp and can be kept clean and sanitized between uses. I found this nail clipper to be the best and easier for small to medium sized dogs.

The best time to trim your dog’s nails is right after his bath time (once he’s toweled dry), as the nails tend to be much softer making it easier to clip. This is especially so for big dogs.

Dogs with clear or white nails, it’s easy to locate the narrow end of the vein (nail bed). However dog with black nails (especially dogs with darker coat), are less visible but one thing for sure is that they have longer nail bed than white nails. So do make some allowances for this.

To start, cut small amounts of the nail off until you see a dark circle in the center of the nail (roughly 45 degree angle off paw base). This is where the vein is or where the nail bed ends. Do not cut any further. If you do, you can cause your dog to bleed copiously that can be extremely painful for him. If by accident you do cut the nails too far in and they begin to bleed, use styptic powder to help stop it from bleeding.

If your dog have dew claws (on the inner side of the leg) that hasn’t had been removed during puppy stage, check if the nail needed to be trimmed.

After cutting the nails, use a coarse paper or pet nail file to help grind down the actual nail to make sure there are no rough edges on it.

How often you need to clip your dog’s nails is really up to your dog. Dogs that walk on cement, for example, those that go for walks, the cement will actually help to trim them down. Those dogs that have no exposure to these types of flooring will need more attention. Again, it depends on how much your dog’s nails grow. Some will need you to trim them weekly, while others are just monthly.

An easy way to know if it’s time for clipping your dog’s nail is when you hear clicking sounds his claws made against marble or parquet flooring. By this time, he is seriously due for nail clipping session.

Bite Tips: Dogs are less likely to struggle if they are customized to nail clipping at puppy stage. However, DO NOT attempt to do this if you’re neither confident nor have any prior experience. Bad encounters can traumatize the puppy into his adulthood making it impossible to trim his nails without having to strap him down with muzzle collar and leash.