How to cut a dog’s nails?
Why cut your nails?
Too long claws can lead to serious injury: for example, a dog can accidentally pull out a claw, catching it on a sofa. Too long claws interfere with movement, bend and harden. As a result, the dog develops an incorrect posture, and the paw can be deformed.
Where to start?
The dog’s claw has not only a hard outer shell, but also an inner soft layer, which contains a lot of blood vessels. The inner layer grows along with the shell, so when trimming the vessels can be damaged.
If the nails are trimmed regularly, the inner sensitive layer is shortened and the risk of damaging it is reduced. In any case, in order to learn how to properly carry out this procedure, you need to visit a veterinarian or a groomer several times and observe his actions. And in order for the animal to calmly endure this process, it is better to accustom the puppy to it as early as possible.
How often to cut?
Check your pet’s paws regularly. In dogs of small decorative breeds, the claws grow very quickly: their weight is small, and there are practically no active walks, so there is practically no natural grinding. Small breed dogs need to have their nails trimmed once every one to two weeks. The rest of the dogs – on average once a month or less, depending on the activity. In any case, carefully monitor your pet: if the gait has changed, he began to click on the floor and gnaw his claws – it’s time to carry out the procedure.
Particular attention should be paid to dogs with long hair: because of it, you may not notice that it’s time to trim the claws. Do not forget to trim the hair between the animal’s toes and near the claws.
What to cut?
You can take care of the claws with the help of special tongs, which are also called nail cutters. They come in different sizes, and depending on the breed of the dog, you can always find a convenient tool. It is better to use steel tongs: they do not bend, do not break, do not get blunt – which means that the procedure will not be unpleasant.
You can also use a whetstone that resembles a nail file. They can not only shorten the claws, but also process burrs and sharp edges of the claws after cutting.
Always keep hydrogen peroxide and a bleeding agent (such as potassium permanganate powder) on hand in case you damage a blood vessel. To prevent this from happening, watch your pet carefully: timely hygiene will save both the owner and the dog from unnecessary problems.
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12 2017 June
Updated: December 26, 2017
