Dog nail trimming is considered as a necessary evil by dog owners. Most of the dog owners are intimidated by this task simply because they might end up ‘quicking’ their beloved pooch. As per the experts, short nails are the essence of your dog’s health. Long toe nails in dogs can lead to painful feet and even arthritis. Inexperienced dog owners often struggle to trim their dog’s nails without hurting them, the possibility of nicking the quick (blood supply nail) adds to the pressure. Consider these tips to trim your dog’s nails effortlessly.

Dog nail clipper types

There are different variants of dog nail clippers, each of these variant is tailored for different category of dog breeds. The most commonly used type of dog nail trimmers are listed below:

Guillotine trimmer: The guillotine style trimmers are apt for smaller dogs, especially brachycephalic dog breeds. The respective trimmer can be put into play by inserting your dog’s nail into the trimmer’s hole and squeezing the handle.

Miller’s Forge Trimmers: This dog nail trimmer is suitable for medium and small sized dogs. The scissor-type design helps you to bring more force into play and thereby enabling you to cut medium thick dog nails with ease.

Large Dog Trimmers: With similar design to the Miller’s Forge Trimmer, but with a strong build, these trimmers are ideal for trimming extremely thick nails, usually found in large dog breeds.

Getting into the nail trimming process

Most of the dogs do not agree to trimming, therefore, it is critical to create a positive environment and try to make the whole experience fun for him. Prepare some treats and it is also ideal to spend some time with him and pat him prior to starting the trimming process. The trick is to trim one nail at a time, give him some breathing time and get back to the business again, rather than choosing to trim the nails continuously, especially when he seems intimidated.  Start by trimming the sides of the nails and slowly angle back at 45 degrees. A pink vein like structure visible inside the dog’s nails represent ‘quick’, trim around the quick as slowly and carefully as possible. When handling dog’s with black nails, quick will not be visible, under such circumstance, you can cut the nail tip slowly and cutting back gradually towards the ‘quick’. Apply pressure on the trimmer prior to cutting it and if the dog reacts to the pressure, you are too close the ‘quick’.

First aid options

Incase where you accidently nick the ‘quick’, your dog will start bleeding and you can resort to options like styptic powder to stop the blood loss, which might seem unstoppable. Applying a soap bar on the cut is also an ideal option to prevent bleeding.

Once you have successfully trimmed your dog’s nails, remember to appreciate him a lot, you need to play with him and reward him with his favorite treats so that he can associate the whole experience as a memorable one.