Nail Trimming Technique

It doesn't seem like there would be much to say about cutting dog toe nails but as much as customers seem to shy away from it, and young groomers are timid about it,  there must be some technique to it. It's true you need to understand about the quick of the nail. That is what everyone is worried about. By looking at the picture above, you can see how the quick grows in relation to the nail. And if the nails are not trimmed on a regular basis the quick will continue to grow out almost to the end of the nail.

The best way to avoid trimming too close to the quick is to look for any white or very light colored nails on your pet first. It is easy to see the blood line (quick) on a white nail and can be seen on a light colored nail. Start with these nails first cutting at an angle as the picture shows and it will give you an idea of how much you can take off the other nails. However, you cannot ususlly take as much off the back nails. These are usually worn down more. On the back nails, just take a fraction at a time. Check what the tip of the nail looks like as you go. When you start seeing a circular appearance in the center of the nail, you are getting close to the quick and need to stop. Have Kwik Stop or similar styptic powder handy in case you do clip the quick. Just put the powder right on the end of the nail and it stops bleeding quickly. If you do not have styptic powder, corn starch works also.

When you are using toe nail clippers of any style, plyer or guillotine, use quick, firm squeezing motion for cutting. This assures a good clean cut. If you are slow in your motion you will crush and split the nail more than cut and this may cause pain for the pet and leave a more jagged cut.

 There are many styles of dog nail clippers. To be fast and most effective with your nail clipping you need to find the one that is comfortable in your hand and easy for you to use. I find these orange Miller Forge Heavy Duty nail clippers to be very easy to use and easy to hold. These nail clippers come in two sizes for large dogs and smaller ones. You can click on the picture below to order the large size which can be used on just about any size dog.

CLICK on the picture at the left or the blue link above now to order these Heavy Duty Nail Clippers

For tips on how to handle the pet during clipping, CLICK HERE to read the newsletter about being "the boss" so you can get the job done.

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