How to Trim a Dog’s Nails

When you think about dog grooming ,you probably consider bathing him,brushing
his coat, even cleaning those floppy ears, but it’s a good idea to give dogs
a pedicure every few weeks as well. If you’ve never trimmed a dog’s nails, ask
for some help from a more experienced person, and keep these instructions
nearby.


1: Stay Sharp
A few different tools are available to help you
trim a dog’s nails, including those that
resemble miniature pliers and those with
replaceable sliding “guillotine” blades.
Use whichever model makes you and
the animal most comfortable, but be
sure to replace the blade frequently
to make the job easier and prevent
the dog from feeling any
discomfort.






                                                                                                                                          
 2: Pull Their Legs                        
 Dogs are often pretty cooperative
when it comes to having their
nails trimmed, and those who
were handled often as puppies
are even more likely to
comply. Still, you may need
to work a little to keep the
animal still. If you’re working alone, have
the dog sit or lie down on the floor or
examining table, then trim the nails,
one paw at a time.






3: Pull Their Legs,
Part II
If you’re grooming a larger dog
or if the animal is apprehensive,
have someone sit him down
and hold out his paw, then get
to work with the clippers. Have
your helper scratch behind the
dog’s ears to reassure the animal
and help move things along a
little more quickly.



4: Take the Edge Off
Remember that you should only
remove the very end of the dog’s
nails. You may be tempted to trim
off all of the excess, but that would
be a mistake. In dogs, the quick—the
nerve endings and blood vessels inside
the nail—continue to grow as the nail
grows. That means long nails must be
trimmed bit by bit, over weeks or months, until
the quick gradually recedes. Because it’s so difficult to see the quick in dogs with
dark nails, you’ll need to look at the nail straight on (see diagram below)and keep trimming
until you see a small dark circle. If you
accidentally clip too far and the nail begins
to bleed, apply pressure to the tip of the nail
or dip the nail in a bit of styptic powder,
then make sure the animal is kept inactive
for a short time.

5: Thank Them Very Much
Give the dog a treat or a pat on the tummy to thank him for his
cooperation, and things should go at least as well the next time
around.







1 commentaires :

  1. I should show this blog to my mom. She has not been taking very good care of her dog lately and the poor thing doesn't look very good. I know that she doesn't mean to, she just doesn't quite know how to take care of dogs.

    Northwest Animal Hospital & Pet Care Center

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