Nail Clipping

Trimming your pet’s nails is more than just a way to protect your floors and furniture. It is an important step in keeping your dog or cat healthy and happy. If nails become too long, they can cause pain or infections and may lead to difficulty in walking. You can do the clipping on your own using nail clippers or make routine trips to the groomer or veterinarian for professional help.

There are two styles of nail clippers — a scissors type and a guillotine type. Owners should choose the design that works the best for them.

dog nail clipping

Clipping Tips

Here are a few suggestions to help make clipping your pet's nails a bit easier:

  1. To make the experience more comfortable, familiarize your pet with having his or her paws, nails and paw pads touched several times before clipping.
  2. Enlist the help of another person to hold and control your pet.
  3. Inspect and clean the paws between toes for dirt, debris and injury.
  4. Hold the first toe firmly and place the trimmer in a way that allows you to snip the nail easily. Trim only a small bit of nail at a time, and repeat until just before you near the pink, fleshy area or can see a circle on the cut surface. This circle or fleshy area is the “quick,” which contains nerves and blood vessels — so you need to make certain to stop before clipping this area.
  5. When finished trimming, reward your pet’s good behavior with a treat to encourage future grooming.