Dog Ownership: Clipping Nails

Nail clipping.  This is a topic that most people despise.  *I* despise it.  For me it ranks right up there with clipping a baby's nails.  I cringe and get squeamish just thinking about it.  Really.  The worst thing for me is when I clip them back too far and hit the quick.  The dog yelps and pulls back, I freak... its just not pretty. 

Well, first off, let me just say that if you're in that 2% of owners who dont *mind* doing nails - good for you.  You're ahead of the game.  You keep your dog's nails clipped back and shaped and do it on a regular basis.  You're in the group of people I simultaneously am proud of and despise. 

For the rest of us who don't do the deed as often as we should and hate to do it when we do, here are some helpful tips:

1.  Do it more frequently and in small increments.  The dog's quick will shrink back as you clip the nail back, so eventually, you will have nice, short nails and not worry about the quick.

2.  Do it after a hard play session.  Let them calm down first, of course.  But doing it when your dog is tired means (generally) they'll be more relaxed and less resistant to your efforts.  I'm blessed, really, Ranger never puts up a fight no matter when I do it.  He's the model dog when it comes to letting me clip his nails.  Then again, I've been playing with his feet, paw pads, nails, etc since he was 10 weeks old.  it makes a huge difference.  Getting your dog comfortable with you touching him anywhere will be a huge help not only in nails and teeth, but also when the vet does checkups! 

3.  If your dog is one of the many who is particularly skittish of the clippers, let them sniff the clippers first.  Letting them sniff, lick, and generally figure out what these things are is a good positive introduction.  Then get ready with tons of patience as you sit and patiently do one or two nails at a time.  It may take a few days at first to do all the nails and you may feel like you're just on a never-ending rotation of nails by the time you're done, but trust me, you'll have a much more confident dog for it!

4.  Make sure to have the "quick stop" on hand!  If your dog's nails are white or opaque, you can probably see the quick (the thin red/brown line that runs in/through the nail.  You want to stop just before you get to that point leaving a little nail beyond it.  If you are one of us unfortunate souls who has a dog with jet black nails, you'll likely need the quick stop (or cornstarch or baby powder) until you get used to your dog's nails and how to find the quick.  -- The general rule of thumb is to look at the clipped tip of the nail as you clip it back, doing it in small little snips, until you see a black spot appearing in the white center of the nail.  That's the start of the quick and THAT is what you want to avoid cutting!   If you do happen to nick the quick and you see blood, dont panic.  Just coat the bleeding end of the nail in the antiseptic powder and it should coagulate quickly.  Yes, it is painful for the dog when you nick their quicks - kind of like when you cut your own nails too short or rip a nail back beyond the nail bed - not pleasant.  But, your quick, calm reaction will help reassure your dog that life will not end.  Remember, you're the pack leader.  If you don't panic, you're sending them the signal that they don't need to either.

An alternative to the nail clipper is using a dremel to file down the nail.  This is a great maintenance thing for when you have the nails clipped back, but I find it tends to take a LONG time to grind down nails that are already way too long!  There are quite a few dog-specific dremel tools out there (think PediPaws) but truthfully, getting an actual dremel is probably comperable in price when you factor in the batteries you'll be buying for the PediPaws and the length of time it takes to get the job done.  The dremel I have is the 7.2 volt  rechargeable cordless.   I find it more than meets my needs (when I'm good about keeping the nails trimmed back and just have to do maintenace filing!)   Dremel does now make a 'pet' version of their tool, but it uses 4 AA batteries.  I dont even *want* to know how many batteries I'd go through!

With both the dremel and the clippers you'll want to remember to have the antiseptic powder handy, just in case.  Remember, its easy for a dog's nails to get too long and for their paws/pads to become inflamed and irritated, or, worse yet, to ooze.  If you see any of these signs, please take your dog to your vet as soon as possible!

If you're still squeamish about doing your dog's nails, call your vet's office and ask if they clip nails.  Most vet's will do it free or for a nominal fee (in this neck of the woods its something like $5).  You may just find it well worth the $5 to reduce the stress on you and your dog!   If you go at a relatively slow time, many vets and techs are more than happy to demonstrate the proper techniquest for you so you can see it first hand and even help coach you through doing a nail or two yourself. 


Jessica and Ranger
Lunar K9s Service Dogs Team #2