One of the most challenging aspects of dog grooming is taking care of the pet’s nails. Inside the nail, there is a vein and for that reason, special care must be taken when trimming them. An animal that does not have his nails properly trimmed is likely to not be able to walk well. It can hurt his paw and later his walking abilities. Dogs with larger nails are also more capable of doing damage to furniture, clothing or rugs as their nails will get caught on these and will rip them.
If the nail is cut too short, the nail may begin to bleed. The best way to learn where to cut your pets nails is to have your vet show you at the next appointment. In many cases, the vet will handle this care procedure if you ask them to. Even if they do not, they will show you how to properly do it.
To cut them, you will want to use nail clippers that are designed for dogs. Larger dogs will have thicker nails which are just too difficult to cut any other way. These can be purchased from your local pet supply store or found on the web. Make sure that they are sharp and that they are kept clean and sanitized between uses.
To start, cut small amounts of the nail off until you see a dark circle in the center of the nail. This is where the vein is. Do not cut any further. If you do, you can cause the animal to bleed which will also be painful for them. If you do cut the animal’s nails too far and they begin to bleed, use styptic powder to help stop it from bleeding. This too can be purchased through any pet supply store.
After cutting the nails, use a coarse paper to help grind down the actual nail to make sure there are no rough edges on it.
How often you need to cut your pet’s nails is really up to your dog. For dogs that walk on cement, for example, the cement will actually help to trim them down. Those animals that get no exposure to these types of flooring will need more attention. Again, it depends on how much your pet’s nails grow. Some will need you to trim them weekly, while others are just monthly.