Dog Grooming Tip: Safely Clipping Toenails

Your dog’s toenails need to be kept short on a regular basis. This helps prevent them from getting caught on carpets and furniture and ensures that your dog can walk around comfortably. If you’re not used to trimming dog nails, it’s important to know how to do it safely. Otherwise, you could accidentally cut too far, resulting in bleeding. Keep the following nail trimming tips in mind for your dog.

Choosing a Nail Clipper

Before starting, make sure you choose a high-quality nail clipper. You should choose scissors-type clippers instead of guillotine-style ones that put too much pressure on your dog’s nail and toe. Stick to smaller clippers unless you have a large dog with thicker nails.

How to Trim Dog Nails

When trimming your dog’s nails, hold the paw gently and avoid squeezing, since this is painful for dogs. Hold the nail clippers at a 45-degree angle while trimming the nail, and only cut off small amounts instead of making large cuts. This helps you avoid cutting into the quick, which is when bleeding can occur.

When to Stop Trimming

Knowing when to stop trimming depends on the color of your dog’s nails. With white nails, you should stop cutting them when you see pink inside the nail. This pink area means you’re getting close to the quick. For black nails, you should stop trimming when you see a black area in the center, which indicates that you’re near the quick.

How to Treat Bleeding

If you accidentally cut too much and hit the quick in a nail, you can expect some bleeding to occur. Put styptic powder on the surface of your dog’s nail, which helps stop the bleeding and allows a clot to form. Keep in mind that this might make your dog nervous about nail trimming. You might need to work on positive reinforcement to help your dog stay calm.

If you prefer having someone else trim your dog’s nails, contact DoGone Fun. Our professional grooming services include nail trimming, as well as nail coloring and paw care.

This article was previously published at https://www.dogonefunchicago.com/dog-grooming/dog-grooming-tip-safely-clipping-toenails/