Tuesday, May 11, 2010

How do i safely cut my dogs nails without injuring her ?

I want to know how to determine how far back is safe to cut her nails without going too far. She's a ridgeback and her nails are pretty deadly. No amount of walking seems to wear them down. When she's jumping up to kiss me , she's almost clawing me open.How do i safely cut my dogs nails without injuring her ?
There is a nail clipper with a sensor on it so you don't cut the quick. Check it out! I'm getting me one of these!


http://www.quickfinderclipper.com/How do i safely cut my dogs nails without injuring her ?
If she just won't cooperate with you, I'd say take her to a groomer.





But if she doesn't mind you doing it: keep styptic powder on hand, have that first! It will stop bleeding if you cut the quick. You can get it at most pet stores. A lot of people use the dog-specific clippers. I don't, I have them and they just do not work as well as regular human clippers. I suppose it depends on the size of your dog...which yours is large, lol, so I'd try the animal clippers first (I have Chi's, so fingernail clippers work fine for them). Try to get in an area where if you hold the nail up to the light/a lamp, you can see through them fairly well (if the nails aren't black). Then you can see the quick, the pink area. Once you nip that, it may be very hard to cut your dogs nails again, so just cut to above that area. Even then she may give a little moan if you get close at all; some are more sensitive about it than others. If your dog has jet black nails and you can't see the pink when held to the light, I'd go to a groomer to avoid a very large, upset dog.
go to the vet and ask the vet tech to teach you to do it properly. it can be tough if the dog has dark nails. it can be painful and lead to infection if you cut the quick.





also, you can get soft claws for dogs now. they are soft plastic caps (in fashion colors) that glue on and last a couple weeks. http://www.softclaws.net/
Most nail clippers you buy have a guard which only allows you to clip a couple of centimeters at a time. As long as you go slow, you shouldn't get to the vessel. If you go a bit too far, dip your dog's nail into flour to help stop the bleeding.
You have three options


1. Do it yourself


2. Take it to a groomer


3. Get someone who you know that is experienced to do it





I personally dont take my dog to the groomer as it costs and I would prefer to take care of my dog myself. You will know not to trim any further than the pink area of the nails. Using a dog nail clipper (available for $2 at $2 shops), trim your dogs nail shortly before the pink area. Be sure NOT to cut at where the pink begins.





NOTE: Don't use scissors! Uncle's dog gets nails cut with scissors and she bleeds.


Good Luck
Here is how you do it... You take them to a groomer.
What you could do is take it to a groomer's or vet's office and have them teach you. When you buy a dog nail clipper it normally tell you how to clip your dogs nails on the back or you could go to a website that could help you.
It would probably be better to take them to a vets/groomer.


But if you don't want to do that, just try and keep your dog calm while your doing it.


You should be able to see a dark area under the nails of your dog - don't cut to close to that area!


because it can cause pain if you end up cutting it.


So cut away from that area leaving a bit of nail (after all you can cut them again).


If your dog weeps or makes any high pitched noises, don't think you've hurt him/her (unless you clearly have), he may just feel a little uncomfortable.





hope this helps! =)
Go to a big pet store and ask for a nail cutter for dogs. There is a special nail cutter. This cutter cuts just the right amount. Don't use a regular sissor as you may cut back too far and the dog could bleed heavily. If you feel aprehensive, take the dog to the vet, and they will do it for you or have the dog groomed, and ask that the nails be cut.
You have to have a dog nail clipper. when you put it around the dogs nail you can go up to the red or pinkish part. you maybe want to cut a little before that because if you cut the red part the dog will bleed. It may be hard for you to have your dog stay so you may want to tie her up to something on a short leash, while your doing it.
It can take a lot of training to get a dog to comfortably allow you to cut her nails and if you accidentally cut into the quick (the bloody part) you'll loose her trust and will have to start training her again. But if you are interested and committed you can do the following over a several week period. The key is lots of treats and patience.





1 - get you dog used to you touching her paws. Find a spot either on a bed or on the couch and sit with your dog and play with her paws. Give lots of treats as encouragement. Do this exercise daily for at least a week.


2 - get your dog used to the nail clippers. Start by playing with your dogs paw with one hand and holding the clippers in the other. Again, use lots of treats and praise. After several days you can start bringing the clippers close to the paw. Start by just touching the clippers to the paw and then nails. You'll need to do this with every paw. Try to establish a position that is comfortable for your dogs and allows you to get to the back paws. Slowly place the clippers on the nails - don't cut yet, but just get you dog used to the clippers being around the nail. Do this over several weeks and use lots of treats!


3- once your dog is comfortable with the clippers near her paws and nails you can try clipping. Follow the instructions on the package you get the clippers in (usually they have instructions). Basic rule - look for the bloody vein that runs through the nail - don't cut that. For you first time it is better to let the nails grow long so that you have more nail to work with. Start with treats and position the clippers as you and the dog have practiced. When you and your dog feel comfortable you and clip the nail. It is likely that both you and your dog will be a little shaken up. Give your dog lots of praise and treats. Put away the clippers and go play. The next day you can try to clip a few more nails. For the first few times just do one paw at once and take breaks to play, give treats, and maybe come back the next day and try it again.





It is really slow moving to train a dog to be comfortable with nail clippers. We had a similar problem with our dog. After careful training we were able to cut his nails. If after a few training sessions if you and your dog are not comfortable then just go to your local groomers or vet. Usually it's between 10 -15 dollars and will save you the hassle of having to do it your self. Good Luck!
You MUST cut your dogs nails, especially if they don't get worn by daily activity. If you let them grow too long, you will have problems. Inside the nail is a soft, blood vessel area called the quick. You should be able to see it through the nail unless they are very dark. It provides blood and nutrients for the hard nail. The quick will get longer as the nail grows. Try not to cut into the quick. The only way to shrink the quick is to trim the nails real close to it. If you accidentally cut into the quick, it will hurt, but it will heal and the quick should recede. It will bleed heavily for a short time, but you can buy powder at the pet store to stop the bleeding and it is an antiseptic as well. Avoid all this by cutting the nails about once a month. Buy a GOOD nail clipper, not some cheapo. Most groomers can recommend a good clipper. Besides clawing you, the nails can become deformed and hurt the animal if they are allowed to grow too long. If you are too scared to do it, take your dog to a groomer and ask to watch so you can do it next time. It will only cost you a few bucks for a nail clip. Good luck.
I would suggest you get a vet to show you how to do this for the first time. It took me ages to pluck up the courage to trim my dogs nails but after being shown how to do it I quickly got the knack..


Just remember to trim them alittle bit at a time and it helps to have someone else holding the dog to stop from any sudden movements. But try not to stress the dog out.





Invest in good dog nail trimmers!! They will make the job soo much easier.
Well, my dog is almost the same except he鈥檚 quite small so he can鈥檛 really hurt me! You can cut in front of the pink part of the nail with special dog nail clippers (as this works for me). The pink part is blood...

No comments:

Post a Comment