Dog Nail Trimmers - Guide To Buying and Using It On Your Canine

Dog nail trimmers come in a variety of types. The most common dog nail trimmer is the guillotine trimmer. The top of the dog's nail is inserted into the opening of this metal tool above the cutting blade. When the handle is squeezed together, the cutting mechanism is activated.

Other dog nail trimmer types are the scissors type and the safety nail trimmer, which is equipped with a safety stop near the cutting blade to limit the amount of nail trimmed.

Nails seem to grow at different rates in different dogs. In any case, one rule holds true: the nails must be kept short for the feet to remain healthy. Long nails interfere with the dog's gait, making walking awkward or painful. They can also break easily. This usually happens at the base of the nail, where blood vessels and nerves are located.

Another problem affects dogs whose overgrown nails curl toward the foot, eventually piercing the sensitive pads and causing deep pad infections. Dewclaws most frequently become overgrown, presumably because owners commonly overlook them.

Dogs are often reluctant to have their nails clipped; therefore, starting the process at a very young age is a good idea. Initially, get your dog accustomed to you simply holding and stroking their paws. Then progress to applying light pressure on their paws and nails - lightly pinching their nails between your finger and thumb. Reward them for allowing this.

Using the guillotine trimmer cut the nail from underneath, not from the top downward. 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. To cut the nail, be decisive and 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. On dogs with dark nails where you can't see any pink to know where the live part of the nail starts, you can check the end of the nail. The dead area is usually whitish and as you cut deeper into the end of the nail you will begin to see a dark area. This dark area is where the live part starts.

Be sure to talk to your dog in a soothing voice all the time and reward him with his favorite treat and playtime. He will gradually grow accustomed to this unpleasant procedure and learn to at least put up with it.

Next article: Dog Coat Clippers - Guide To Buying and Using It On Your Canine

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