Dogs! We love them and they love us. But one thing dogs don’t love is trimming their claws. That is why we have vet Dr. Valerie Patton asked for some of her best tips to make trimming your dog’s nails easy and painless.
She says, even before the dog manicure, get your puppy used to touching their feet and playing with them. That way, if you suddenly bring tools towards their paws, they won’t be alerted.
Then she says to go a little at a time. Cut a little, give a treat, and repeat. If your dog is very energetic, try to only do one claw a day. You can also get help and have a friend hold your dog steady while you do the trimming, which is a lot easier.
To avoid bleeding, pay attention to where the nail is (for a light-colored claw, this is the pink area you can see in the nail that corresponds to a person’s nail bed). They want to avoid getting trapped too quickly as this can cause bleeding. If your dog has dark nails, you won’t be able to see the quick one. So take only tiny amounts at a time.
Lastly, make sure to replace the nail clippers regularly as you want them to be sharp rather than just squeezing the nail together. And get Kwik Stop or cornstarch on hand in case you’re cutting into speed.
G / O Media can receive a commission
