October 29, 2009

How do I trim my pet’s toe nails?

Sometimes trimming your pet’s nails can be quite challenging, especially if they are not used to it or just don’t like it. If you keep your dog active on concrete or have a declawed cat then you might not have to worry about trimming toe nails. However, for those of you that need that weekly trimming here are some suggestions to make the task an easy one.
You should begin preparing your dog or cat for nail clipping when he is a baby by handling his feet gently and often. This helps to decrease the chance of him developing a fear of having his feet touched.

When you begin to trim your pet’s toe nails you should always have him on a high area such as a counter top or on your washer/dryer so that he is more restricted. Place a mat under his feet to help prevent him from slipping. If your pet has a lot of fur on his feet it helps to trim it up that way you have better access to the nails.

If your dog has white nails then your job isn’t too bad. Just trim the nail to about a 1/8” away from the quick (the pink area which contains the nerves and blood). However, if your pet’s nails are black it is best to trim the end of the nail which appears hollow up to where the nail starts to become full. Another way to know where to cut is to align the trimmers with the paw pad.

Now, the same rules apply for trimming a cat’s toe nails except that you must gently press on the knuckle of each toe to force the nail from the retracted position.
If you accidentally cut into the quick, just pack the end of the nail with cornstarch or flour. This should stop the bleeding within a few seconds. However, if it continues profusely then contact your local veterinarian.