This seems to be something that most owners are very nervous about. It's really not that hard.
The best way to avoid having to trim the nails much at all is to take your dog for regular walks on concrete surfaces (i.e. - daily walks around the neighborhood on sidewalks). Short of that you are probably going to have to trim nails.
- Technique 1 - Use a Dremmel (or other high-speed rotary tool) with the sanding drum on it. Use this to grind the nail back. The heat generated is useful to help drive the quick back. It's also nice because you have a softer surface as opposed to the sharp surface created by the clippers. Many dogs will respond to the heat of the Dremmel and start pulling back when you get close to the quick. YOU CAN STILL MAKE THEM BLEED. It's just a bit harder.
- Technique 2 - Using either form of nail clipper, trim the nail just past the end of the quick.
In either case, keep some Quick Stop powder (or styptic). A pinch of powder on the bleeding end of the nail helps stop it quickly. If you don't have any Quick Stop, an easy home remedy is to use a pinch of flour or corn starch with gentle pressure on the end of the nail. That'll help it clot.
Cats are easy to see where to cut. Take the narrow, sharp, pointy part off. Try not to use human nail clippers. Cat nails are laminar and they will shatter with human clippers. They do better with little nail clippers.
Cool fact: Because the nail is laminar, cat's "sharpen" their claws by pulling successive layers of nail off the end, leaving the harder, sharper point below. Anyone with a cat has found these bits of nail that look like a cast of the end of the nail laying around. When you trim the nail, it has to grow out before it gets pointy enough for them to catch on anything.
Please, please, please, please, please - pretty please - start trimming your dog or cat's nails when they are little bitty babies. Foot/nail phobias are very common in dogs and cats. You have to start young or they may become so nervous about it that they become phobic. I can't tell you how many patients I have that require a wrestling match that potentially includes poop, pee, booty juice (anal sacs), slobber, and teeth. 99% of those patients could have been avoided if we had only started when they were 8 weeks old. It's just like with our own kids - you have to get them used to having their teeth brushed and their nails done when they're little. If you both get used to it when they are babies life is SO MUCH EASIER.
If you're still not comfortable cutting nails - take them to the groomer or your veterinarian starting when they are very young and get them used to it.
AMH
1 comments:
You forgot technique 3: befriend a tech or doctor and ask them over for coffee/a beer. Oh and while your here...
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