Nail Trimming

Nail trimming is often times a task that pet owners and pets alike are reluctant to do, however regular nail trimming is a must! Dogs will long nails cause discomfort for the dog as the walk and their nail taps on the floor or ground. Oftentimes the nails curve as they grow and can grow right into your pets toe causing a lot of pain and potentially infection.

For a new puppy I like to trim their nails every couple weeks. Sometimes more often depending on the pup. The more you mess with your pups feet the more comfortable they will get with nail trimming. A trick I have used with all of my dogs is what we call 'clip for a treat'! I have a low calorie treat like Cheerios handy and I clip a nail and give them a treat. To get my dogs used to this I just touch the clipper on their nail and give them a treat and lots of love. I do this over and over, occasionally actually clipping a bit of nail. The more you do this the easier nail trimming will be. Even my most reluctant dog will allow me to clip his nails now.

There are lots of clippers on the market and I have tried so many I should have invested in them. The ones I feel are the best on the market by a landslide are Millers Forge Steel Pet Nail Clipper The link will take you to Amazon but they can be found in many place on line and in stores. They don't look fancy but they are sharp and allow for thin slices when needed.

If you dog is just a wild child and has no interest in allowing you to clip their nails, there is a product called a pet hammock for nail clipping that can be a wonderful tool. Once the dog is suspended in the hammock you can get to their feet with minimal issues from the dog.

One of the main concerns I hear from people are they fear they will clip the nail too short and the dog will bleed. Well...that is a possibility. Especially if the nails are black. There are lots of videos out there on nail trimming and how to achieve it, but clipping too far is a possibility, however its not a crisis. I always keep Styptic Powder on hand for just this reason. It stops the blood and its cheap and easy to use.

If you aren't comfortable with this task, please seek out a professional. Your vet or groomer can do nail clippings for a fee.