Nail Trimming

Trimming your dog’s nails regularly is an important part of pet ownership. If your pet's nails get too long they can break or become embedded within the foot pad, which is very painful and may result in infection. For these reasons it is important that we regularly check our pet's nails and know how to correctly trim them. Nail clipping can be stressful for both pet and owner. The trick to making nail trimming a good experience for you and your pet is to teach your dog that nail trimming is a fun and positive experience and to take it slow and easy.

If your dog has never had their nails done, spend a few days handling their feet first. Start by:

• Picking up one of your dogs paws and gently touch his/her toes and nails for a few seconds
• Release his/her paw and immediately give something delicious, like a small piece of cooked chicken
• Repeat steps one and two for a couple of minutes

After a day or two of practicing these steps, if your dog seems comfortable with you touching his/her paw and nails get out animal nail clippers and try these steps:

• Pick up your dog’s paw and touch the clippers to one of his nails. (Don’t actually trim the nail yet)
• Immediately feed your dog a treat
• Repeat these steps for several minutes
• Once your dog is happy with you touching his/her feet have a go at clipping a tiny bit off one nail and reward with a treat
• Do this a couple of nails at a time so your dog doesn't get bored then give him/her a break
• Be careful not to clip too much off as if you cut the quick it will bleed and hurt your dog, and you may have to start from square one getting your dog used to you touching his/her feet again
• Reward your dog for good behaviour but don't punish if he/she tries to pull away

Don’t forget to trim your dog’s dewclaws as well. Most dogs just have dewclaws on their front legs, but some dogs have one, and sometimes even two, sets of dewclaws on their hind legs.

If you prefer not to trim your pets nails yourself, we would be more than happy to help. Please give us a call to make an appointment.