Nail Clipping for Dogs
Nail clipping is a pretty simple thing that people can do at home, but so many people do it wrong or find it very stressful for themselves and their dog. By following a few basic steps, you can make the whole process a lot easier, faster and less stressful.
- Play with your dog’s feet regularly. This should start when they are puppies and carry on through life. It is quite normal for dogs to stress about you holding their paws, so by doing it early and often it becomes something they no longer stress about
- Use a small penlight. If you shine the light through the nail you can see where the quick finishes. You can then cut a few millimeters down from that and you know you won’t hurt the dog
- If the nails are black and you can’t see the quick by using the torch, clip them level with the bottom of the pads. The quick normally finishes just above this point. Occasionally we will see quicks that extend past that point, so be a bit careful if using this method
- Use sharp, good quality nail clippers. Blunt or poor quality clippers can squeeze or twist the nail quite severely which will be painful
- Use plenty of rewards. Each time your dog lets you clip its nails, make sure it gets a treat. With dogs that are very nervous, I will often give a treat after every nail until they learn to relax a bit
- The nails on the front paws grow much quicker than the nails on the back, so you will find you need to clip the back claws less frequently and clip smaller amounts off
- Walking your dog daily will reduce the need for nail clipping
If you have problems clipping your dog’s nails, please call our clinic and make an appointment for one of our fully qualified nurses to clip the nails for you.