Your
dog's nails can grow into his pad which can deform a puppy's growth and
make walking painful for an adult dog. Even if your dog walks on concrete
sidewalks each day, it won't be enough to completely keep his nails trimmed.
Learn to do it yourself or pay $10 or so to have a groomer or vet tech
do it.
2.
How often depends on your dog
The
easy way to tell if your dog needs his nails trimmed is to have him standing
and then look at him in a side view. Do his nails at most merely touch
the floor? You don't want a click, click, click sound as he walks on a
hard floor. I prefer to keep my dog's nails right above the floor. Most
dogs need trimming every two to four weeks depending on how short you
want the nails.
3.
There is no easy or quick way to trim his nails (except to pay someone
else to do it)
If
your dog has white nails, put them under a direct light or flash light
and see if you can see the pinkish shadow under the nail which is where
the quick starts. If your dog has black nails, use a direct light but
look underneath his nail, not on top. In all cases, have Kwik-Stop
Styptic Powder on hand in case of bleeding.
If
you clip your dog's quick once, he will forgive you. Do it a second time
and he'll learn to fear the clippers. Try to clip him a third time and
you may have a fight to the death.
4.
Don't forget the dew claws (if he still has them)
Many
dog breeds have these nails or digits on the inside of the front legs
and occasionally on the hind legs. They don't touch the ground so they'll
never be ground down naturally. You must trim these or they will grow
inward toward your little dog's legs.
I think
the guillotine type are easier to use than the scissors, but it's
a matter of personal preference.
The
guillotine clippers have a stationary ring through which the nail
is placed. You squeeze the handles and the cutting blade moves up
to slice off a bit of nail.
TIP:
The cutting blade should be facing you, NOT the dog. The screws
on the handle of the clipper should be facing the dog.
You
want to cut the nail at a 45-degree angle so you cut top to bottom
or bottom to top.
Do
not hold the clipper parallel to the nail as the cutting action
may splinter or crush the nail.
The
granddaddy of the brands and the one I use isDremel
7300-PT 4.8-Volt. I find this much easier to use than either type of manual clipper.
My dog has black nails so avoiding the quick is difficult. With
the Dremel, I grind slowly and in tiny increments. I haven't clipped
him too closely since I started using it.
I like
the Dremel better than other brands because of it's sturdy and because
it's a cordless battery operated model that is quieter than the
electric plug in ones. (Mom and Dad use it on their on their toe
nails!)
The
downside is that you will need to recharge it and replace the batteries
on occasion. If you prefer the electric plug in type, a good model
is the Oster
Pet Nail Grinder.
I do
not recommend the PediPaws
Pet Nail Trimmer
The commercials hooked me, but I found it to be under powered and
threw mine away.
There's
also a smaller grinder called PetZoom
Nail Groom Dog Nail File which should work OK on smallest
Toy breeds e.g., Chihuahua, Yorkie). It doesn't have as much power
as the Dremel and won't be suitable for larger dogs.
With
any grinder, there will dust from the nails, and you will need to
familiarize your dog with the sound of these before your start.
Regardless
of type of clipper you use, you may find that your dog's nail(s)
have jagged edges or you just need to file one that caught on something.
First, try your own emery board. That should work for a puppy. If
the nails on your dog are too strong for a human board, try a metal
nail file made for dogs such as JW
Pet Company Nail File for Dogs
Look
in the kit of any professional groomer and you'll probably find
this product. If you're going to trim your dog's nails, you should
have this on hand. Dip your clippers in it before you start cutting.
If
you accidentally cut into his quick, pour a little powder in the
lid of the container and put your dog's paw in the powder. That
will stop the bleeding almost immediately.
Once
bleeding stops, a dab of Orajel
(the product to stop tooth aches) will help stop the
hurt.