How To Trim A Dog's Nails

How To Trim A Dog's Nails
By Jason Beachy

As a dog owner you will eventually need to decide how you're going to keep his nails clipped. Neglecting to clip a dog's nails can result in broken nails, ingrown nails and nail bed infections. Trying to walk with ingrown or long nails is very painful and causes a pronounced limp. If you have never clipped a dog's nails and are unsure of how to do it, take your dog into the vet or groomer and watch them do it.

If you can, start when your pet is a puppy. At this stage you can probably clip their nails by yourself. However if you have a full grown dog that isn't used to getting his nails clipped you may need some extra help.

When to trim the nails:

You should have the nails trimmed every three to four weeks. However you may find it easier to only clip a little off at a time and do it every week. If you hear clicking nails it's time to clip them, they need to just touch the floor but not click. Some dogs wear their nails down naturally, taking your dog over concrete on walks will help wear his nails down naturally as well.

The tools:

Nail trimmers. Either a guillotine type trimmer or scissors type. Or you can use a Dremel tool - more on that later.

Styptic pen. If you cut too much of the nail off you'll clip the blood vessel inside the nail and cause it too bleed. The styptic pen is applied to the nail for a few minutes to stop the bleeding. You can find these at Walmart or your vet's office. Some handy household items you can use as substitutes are flour, baking soda or cornstarch.

Nail file. Use this to smooth the nails after clipping them.

For a large dog, have him lie down either on his side or on his stomach. If he's unruly and moves a lot having him lie on his stomach will let you lean over him and hold him down as you clip the nails. Take the paw and hold it firmly in your hands, you'll need to be able to hold the toe you're clipping as well. Clip the nails from the bottom up at almost a 90 degree angle. If the nail is white you can see the pink quick, or blood vessel inside the nail. Take only one or two small clips off if the nail is black. Regularly clipping off small amounts will move the quick back.

If you look at the edge of the nail you'll see the top part is black and the bottom part is whitish. As you get closer to the quick the top part will start becoming whitish gray. When you see this it's time to stop and start filing the nails. Don't forget to trim the dew claws. This nail grows from the side of the foot on the inside.

Using a dremel or electric filing tool:

The Dremel tool is a quick way to file and smooth a dog's nails. People who use this tool are quick to point out that it does not crack or pinch the nail like clippers are prone to. Once you are comfortable using a tool like the Dremel to trim nails you'll find that is a quick and easy way to get nicely trimmed nails.

The learning curve may be a bit steeper and some dogs do not like the noise. Others however react more to clippers so you'll just need to see what your dog is more comfortable with. Remember that long hair can get caught in the Dremel rotator get yanked out quite painfully. The head, legs and tail should be restrained if the dog is nervous and wants to move around.

When using the dremel or an electronic file it should be swiped over the nail to trim them. Never apply pressure with the dremel, let the friction of the band grind the nail down. The grinding causes the nail to get hot very quickly, so only touch the nail for about 3 seconds at a time. After you have made one swipe on each nail on one foot, go to another foot or wait until the nail is no longer hot. There are several other websites with more in depth instructions on how to use a dremel tool, if you're serious about using it, it would be well worth your time to look for more detailed instructions.

For more tips and instructions on how to care for your dog and other pet related information please visit my author profile. You can also go to my personal website for my Japanese chins at http://www.ultimatechinpuppies.com