Pet care advice on how to cut your dog's nails. Tired of getting scratched when you play with your dog? Read this informative article.
You can save money and cut your dog's toenails by yourself. Why should you take your dog or puppy to the vet and pay an office visit and the cost for cutting the nails, when you can do it yourself?
Purchase a dog toenail clipper at any pet discount store, or ask your veterinarian to sell you one. Have someone help you hold the dog so that he remains still. You don't want him getting cut needlessly because he moves around in your arms. Place your finger in the middle of his paw and press lightly on his paw until the toes become exposed. He will have to open his toes when you do this.
Next, notice the toe nail clipper has a bar that goes across the opening. When you squeeze the toenail clipper, this bar goes down and cuts the nails. Look at his toenail, and notice that part of it is pink and the growth is white or clearer than the rest of his nail. The pink part is called the "Quick" and you don't want to cut this accidentally or he will bleed. If you happen to cut it accidentally, apply pressure to stop the bleeding and call your veterinarian immediately for instructions.
Place the toenail clipper above the quick, and slightly above the white area that needs removing and gently press the toenail clipper closed.
Some dogs have black nails. To tell how to cut these, turn your dog's paw over and look where the nail has a thicker section than the growth area. Use this as a guideline when trying to figure out where to cut the nail. They won't give the appearance of clearer at the top of the nail, so you have to be very careful that you go by the thickness of the nail when the paw is turned over. Any part of the nail that is thick is the "Quick" in this case and should not be cut. This is the part of the nail on the bottom that grows from his paw. The skinnier part of the nail is the new growth, that you can cut without fear of cutting your dog.
If in doubt, just clip the very end of the nail off. This will allow just the point of his nail to be cut and at least will end the discomfort of having him claw you with his nails.
