Is Nail Trimming Time A Battle?
Does the idea of trimming your dog's nails send chills up your spine? After all, Giving poochie a bath - no problem. You might even be ok sticking a tooth brush in Lassie's mouth. But trimming doggie's nails is never going to happen! Actually, giving your dog's nails a clipping is not
nearly as difficult or freighting as it seems. Nail trimming in dogs can be done very easily if you
know how. It's always a good idea to watch someone
else first (vet, groomer or friend) who is experienced
in nail trimming. Some dogs never need to have their nails trimmed. Many
will naturally wear the nails down or the dried ends of
the nails will simply flake away without you even
knowing. But some breeds, especially Basset Hounds and
Dachshunds will likely need your help in keeping the
toe nails reasonably short. There will be times when you accidentally cut a nail
too short. It just happens sometimes, even with
experienced groomers. The nail will bleed if you cut
it too short, so just be prepared for that. Get a good nail trimmer. Ask your vet or the clerk in
the pet store which kind they recommend. Place the
main part of the trimmer in the palm of your hand and
the moveable part so that it is controlled by your
fingers. You want to be able to see the small cutting
blade that slides when you squeeze the handle. Make sure you're not cutting from the top downward; but
rather from underneath. Slide the opening over the end
of the nail while staying in the whitish part of the
nail. The pink area of the nail is the live part and
has blood vessels throughout. Hopefully you'll be able
to see where the pink part starts. If your pooch has dark nails you won't be able to see
any pink to know where the live part of the nail
starts. Just do a little bit at a time with the dark
nails. Check the end of the nail. The dead area
usually is whitish and as you cut deeper into the end
of the nail you will begin to see a dark area. That
dark area is where the live part starts. When you are ready to cut, make a smooth, quick squeeze
on the handle while holding the trimmer steady. Don't
try to "pop" the end of the nail off; it will fall away
on its own. You can file the edges or just let the dog
wear the nail smooth. Taking your dog for a walk on
the sidewalk or street can help them file down. Remember that at some point you will cut too short.
When this happens, place a tiny piece of tissue paper
tightly against the end of the nail and hold it for a
few minutes. Better yet, have some cornstarch or flour
available and put a small amount against the bleeding
end of the nail, hold it there with your finger. This
works right away. Or you can do nothing and the
bleeding should stop in about five minutes. If it
continues to bleed much more than that, give your vet a
call. Always remember, you can do this. Play with your
canine's feet first to get them used to the idea. If
you do it once a week, it won't seem like such a tragic
event. If you can only do one paw a day, that's ok
too. Relax and enjoy your dog! Suzy Kanninno, webmistress for
http://www.wdogtraining.com, is a dog trainer and
groomer and operates http://www.wdogtraining.com,
the premier dog training site on the internet. Check
back for additional articles by Suzy.
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