Dog Toenails

It is important to keep dog toenails clipped to prevent any damage to the paws and pads.

Severely overgrown nails keep your dog from walking properly and can cause damage to the paws and legs.

Depending on your preference and what your dog will tolerate, there are several types of dog toenail trimmers available.

The most popular is the scissors type. It looks like a pair of scissors but with a hole in the middle for the nail to go through.These come in a range of sizes for small up to large dogs.

Another is the guillotine style with just one blade that cuts the nail. This is a slightly heavy duty clipper used on dogs with tough nails.

There is also a power trimmer much like a mini sander. This doesn't cut the nail but files it down to shape and length.

With any cutting type of dog nail clipper, you have to be very careful not to cut the toenail too short. Each nail has a vein running through it called the quick. If you cut too close, then you "bleed" the dog.

This is where a styptic pencil or powder is a must have. Press the pencil onto the bleeding nail and the powder cauterizes it almost immediately. We have all had to use this product at one time or another.

I've found that if you don't have the pencil or powder handy, baking soda works also in a pinch.

If your dog has clear nails, the quick is easy to see and can be avoided easily.

In dogs with black nails, the quick is more difficult to see. If you shine a flashlight behind the nail, you could possibly locate it.

For cutting these nails, locate where the toenail bends downward and clip a little bit further down toward the tip. You should have no trouble avoiding the quick.

Your pet should be familiar with getting his toenails clipped from a very early age. This is where touching him and playing with his feet and nails came in when he was a pup.

When our Sheltie was a puppy, he was so tiny we had to use regular human nail clippers to trim his nails. His little bitty ones wouldn't fit in any dog nail clipper.

If you are just starting to clip your dog's toenails, take it easy at first. Show him the trimmer, pet him and take his paw and cut a very small part, the point, off. Tell him he's a good boy and give a treat.

Keep going til you have the points off and your dog is comfortable with having his toenails cut.

There are some dogs out there who go psychotic whenever their paws are touched or nails are trimmed. You will need professional help with these guys.

Veterinarians will clip dog toenails for a nominal fee. Sometimes the dog needs to be mildly sedated before having this done.

If your pet is one of these, your vet will give you medication to administer to your pet about an hour before his nail trim. This will mellow him out and make the process easy for everybody concerned, especially your dog.