Safety Nail Clippers for Dogs

Cutting a dog's nails can be daunting for many pet owners. Fear of hurting one's pet, particularly making the dog bleed is undesirable. Therefore, many dog owners will have their veterinarians perform the task. However, with a little training and a pair of safety nail clippers that you feel comfortable with, you can clip your dog's nails yourself.

  1. Guillotine Clippers

    • There are two basic types of safety nail clippers. The first is guillotine nail clippers, which some veterinarians think are the easiest to use. Guillotine clippers have a stationary ring through which a dog's nail is placed. Once positioned, the owner may squeeze the handle, causing a cutting blade to move up and slice off the nail.

    Scissors Clippers

    • The second type are scissors clippers, which resemble a small pair of garden clippers. With the cutting blades open, the owner carefully centers the nail in the trimmers. When the handles are squeezed together, the blades cut the nail at the point where the blades meet. Scissors clippers are most useful for cutting the dew claw or nails that have grown so long that they are starting to curl.

    Clipping Technique

    • Calm your dog down, relaxing it with gentle strokes. Place the dog on a table or sit on a couch with the dog in your lap. Drape your arms and upper body over the dog to keep it still once you begin clipping. Gently but firmly keep your left forearm over the dog's neck to keep it from lifting its head and to keep it stationary. Hold the dog's paw steady with your left hand and clip with your right. (If you are left-handed you may alter this position.) Locate the quick and cut to within 2 mm of it. The quick is the area where blood vessels and nerves meet with the nail. Cutting the quick will cause a dog's nail to bleed and will cause discomfort to the pet.

    Clipping Black Nails

    • Unlike cats, dogs' nails don't retract into their paws. Their nail color is determined by the color of skin and fur near the paw. While white paws are relatively easy to trim, black nails are not. This is because the quick is hard to see on black nails. A slight change in color can be detected on the bottom side of the dog's nail where the quick occurs. Vets recommend cutting the nail to within 2 mm, but no closer, to the quick. Sometimes, the easiest way to accomplish this is by making several short cuts as opposed to one long one.

    Tips

    • If you cut a dog's nails too short and cause it to bleed, use a styptic pencil filled with silver nitrate to stop the blood flow. Hold the black end of the stick next to the bleeding nail gently until blood flow ceases. Even without treatment, blood should coagulate on its own within five minutes.