Keeping your dog’s nails trimmed is just one of the many things that you need to keep up with when doing your own home grooming. Your pup is very much like a young child that needs your care one hundred percent of the time to make sure they are fit, well-groomed and healthy. This article provides tips on how to trim a dog’s nails, what to watch out for and offer some recommended dog nail trimmers that we have tried.
Why It’s Important To Clip Your Dog's Nails?
Dog nail clipping is important to do with a fair amount of frequency. Not maintaining your dog’s nails can have both short and long term negative effects. Your long-nailed pup can experience pain when walking, get an infection or hurt themselves by catching their nail in their hair, carpet or some other material.
Long term neglect of dog nail clipping maintenance can lead to arthritis or joint problems due to your pup walking differently because they are compensating for pain they may be experiencing. Also, not maintaining their nails can lead to their quick (blood vessels inside the nails) lengthening, thus making it even more difficult to keep their nails short.
Most of the time it may not be obvious that your dog is going through some discomfort due to their nail length. It’s up to you to keep an eye on it and maintain their nails. Your furry friend is counting on you!
Step-By-Step Instructions On Dog Nail Clipping
Before getting into the nail clipping steps, consider cutting your dog’s nails shortly after you have given them a bath. Bathing your pup first can help soften the nails. It may also help to apply baby oil on the nails to make the quick (blood vessels inside the nail) more visible. These two tips can help make the experience better for you and your dog.
Now let’s get started.
- First you will want to be prepared for cutting a dogs nails by having all of the essential items on hand. What you definitely need is a pair of reliable dog nail clippers, cloth or tissues, and cornstarch. It’s also a good idea to have your pup’s favorite treats handy. The cloth/tissues and cornstarch are in case you clip too deep and cut your dog’s quick.
- When you are ready to cut your dog’s nails make sure to keep their body close to yours. This can help comfort them but also helps to keep them still. Hold their paw with your non-dominant hand. There are several ways to do this, but what we have found as the most proven way is to position yourself behind your dog and reach over their back and grab their paw from underneath. Use your index finger under the toe pad and your thumb on top of that same toe. Gently, but with some authority, pinch the toe so that the nail protrudes, making it easier to trim the nail.
- Now you are ready to clip the nail. Before you do, make sure you know how deep you plan to cut the nail. You determine this by first assessing where the nail quick is. Make sure you do not cut up to the quick, otherwise you will make your dog bleed. To protect against cutting the nail too deeply, having a nail clipper that has a safety blade helps. If your clippers have this feature, then make sure that the safety blade is in place so you do not overcut the nail.
- Quickly cut off the top of the nail with a single stroke. For best results, hold the clippers at a slight angle and keep them with the curve of the nail. It’s recommended to clip just a little at a time as an additional protective measure to ensure you do not cut too deeply. If you end up cutting too deep and do cut into their quick, apply pressure to the nail with tissue. You can then put some cornstarch on the bleeding nail and keep applying pressure until the bleeding stops. Continue cutting each nail until all are trimmed. You may need to reward your dog during or after each clipping, depending on how it’s going. Rewarding your dog after a job well done will help reinforce their good behavior and will ultimately make it easier to clip their nails in the future.
The Best Dog Nail Clippers
Fifth on our list is the Godeigo Dog Nail Clippers. These clippers are made of full Martensite stainless steel. The clippers have a small angle between blade and handles, making it easier to see what you’re doing and also helps to prevent cutting your dog’s quick. They do not have a safety blade to help guard against overcutting. They come with a separate nail file for smoothing out the nail edges.
Fourth on our list is the Zen Dog Nail Clipper. These clippers feature a scissors like design. They come with a cushioned, non-slip handle and stainless-steel blades designed to shear the nails with a clean-cut. The downside to these clippers is you need to consider the size of your dog before you buy the clipper that is most appropriate for your needs, as they have varying cutting hole diameters depending on the size of your dog and their nails. They also do not feature a safety nail blade so there is a risk of overcutting.
Third on our list is the GoPets Professional Nail Clipper. They have a large non-slip coated handle, making them easy to grip. They feature 2mm thick stainless steel blades with an angled design that helps to prevent over-cutting, however, they do not have a safety blade so it does not completely prevent this.
The Zen Pet Nail Clipper ranks number two on our list. These clippers have adjustable stainless steel blades that helps to limit the amount of nail being clipped. They utilize an adjustment thumbwheel to change the blade to the size you need. They also have aser-etched markings for consistent measuring each time you cut. The non-slip handle design helps for a secure grip.This model does not have a safety blade, so you will need to be careful not to overcut.
The dog nail clipper that we ranked number one on our list is the Boshel Pet Nail Clipper. These professional grade clippers are made of high quality sharp 3.5mm thick stainless steel blades. They have an ergonomic non-slip handle design, making them easy and comfortable to use. They come with a safety blade to help prevent you from overcutting your dog’s nails. Some additional features are an easy to lock safety switch for when you are not using the clippers. Lastly, they come equipped with a mini nail file with a convenient slot in the handle for storing.
Conclusion
Clipping your dog’s nails can be a challenging task. Most dogs do not like their paws touched, much less having their nails clipped. Knowing what you are doing and having the right set of clippers is key. You want to be gentle but also authoritative with your pup to get the job done. The good news is, if you keep your dog’s nails actively maintained, you will build trust with your dog as well as keep them happy and healthy.
