Pet nail care is an essential part of your pet’s complete health care. Because nails continually grow and are not necessarily worn down as they might if they have been going for walks, then it is up to you to help in keeping them at a more comfortable length. Any time nails are too long, this influences the manner a dog walks which can cause osteo-arthritis later in life. Also longer nails might get snagged and torn, or on occasion curl back into the toe pad and can cause an infection. trimming pet nails is not that upsetting if you have the suitable tools and have properly trained your pet to allow you to hold the paw.
The nail does have a “quick” which houses the veins and nerves of the nail.The quick is easier to find in white nails. By trimming small amounts at any given time and trimming with the plane of the bottom part of the toe pad (horizontally rather than vertically) it is possible to keep from clipping the nail to short as to cause it to bleed.
Here are some other suggestions to successfully cut your pet’s nails:
1. Get started while your pet is still a puppy or kitten by gradually handling their feet. By making a sport of it and looking at the nails, chances are they will allow you to cut them when they get older.
2. Decide on nail trimmers for the size and age of your pet.I often use a human toenail trimmer for young pet’s nails since it can easily get to the teeny tips a little easier and they are generally sharper. As the kitten or puppy grows older, I may then transition nail trimmers to the scissor action type of trimmer in lieu of the guillotine trimmer. I find that these stay sharper for a longer time and are also a lot easier to use. The guillotine type some times traps the nails and doesn’t necessarily make a clean cut. Your veterinarian can assist you purchase a appropriate trimmer.
3. Any time you’re trimming your dog’s nails, by no means undertake it while your pet is sitting in your lap. Enlist someone to assist you and put them on the counter-top or lid of the washer or dryer. You can wrap them with a soft towel to assist holding them better. trimming cat claws can be easier if you scruff the cat by grasping the loose skin just behind the head.. If your pet begins to fight, just try holding the paw until he relaxes. If you release the foot whenever your pet begins to protest, you are just encouraging the bad conduct and will make the next nail trim episode even worse. (Go back to number 1)
4. Be well prepared. Have on hand styptic pencils like silver nitrate or Kwik stop powder. Be aware that the silver nitrate on the end of the sticks does stain counter-tops and your skin in case you get it on you. For beginners, it is best to stick with the styptic powder.
5. If your pet has light colored nails, you are able to visualize the pink component of the quick. If your pet has darker nails, trim just a little at any given time. I like to carefully press on the toe and extend the nail out. I then draw an imaginary line level with the bottom of the toe pad and extend it out across the nail. I then trim the nail at this imaginary line so that the nail is now level with the floor when the dog is standing. The nail of the cat is easier to see and it is best to just trim the tips off and stay away from the pink colored quick.
6. You may use an emery board to smooth the sharp edges.
7. Pedipaws or similar rotor drill sanders are useful to smooth sharp tips and to trim just a small amount of nail. If the nail is very long whatsoever, then it definitely will take you a long time to get it trimmed. You should use the drill to maintain the nail shorter or for smoothing the nail after you have used the clippers. Your pet must also be taught not to be afraid of the noise, so i suggest you proceed slowly as you both figure out how to handle the drill.
After a little practice and a lot of patience, you will soon be trimming your pet’s nails with confidence. If all else fails, your veterinarian or groomer are there to help.
