Dogs nails

yogidc26

Hi

Just wondering if anyone can give me some tips on cutting my dogs nails it’s the first time I have had to do it. The only problem is that they are black nails so I can see were his nerves start and I’m afraid of hurting him.

dontdoit

go to the vet to get them cut

Rigsby

dontdoit wrote:

go to the vet to get them cut

I agree. That is best left to a professional.

Tabitharose

I agree too - if you don't know what you're doing you could cause alot of pain - I'd never attempt to cut my dog's nails but am very confident cutting my cat's nails

Ruu_Old

Ask the vet to show you how for the future, I'm sure they won't mind.

Schlemm

It's not that hard, just make sure that you have the right sort of clippers...a guillotine type clippers is better than a scissors any day. The nail should be cut to about level with the paw when the dog is standing up straight. The hard part of the nail has no feeling or blood vessels, and this is the part that you can cut, but there is a bit in the nail called the quick which has a blood supply, and you don't want to cut into this. If the nails are translucent, you can see the quick, but if they're dark coloured, you can't see it. Google some pictures of dog's claws if you're unsure.

To begin with, clip little bits off the nail until they're the right length rather than taking a huge bit off. It's important to remember that if the nails have been very long for a long time, then the quick may be longer than normal too, so if this is the case, take him to the vets. Don't forget about the dewclaw either, which is on the inside of the front legs and v. rarely on the hind legs.

alexdenby6

what purpose does that claw serve, its completely free moving and useless i think? is it just a thing left over fro evolution or something complicated like that?

JuJuYNWA

If you walk your dog on hard surfaces such as tarmac then there will be no need to cut the nails as the tough surface will keep them trimmed.

Gillie

JuJuYNWA wrote:

If you walk your dog on hard surfaces such as tarmac then there will be no need to cut the nails as the tough surface will keep them trimmed.

What he said! The Vet told me the same thing. Just factor in a bit of roadwork whenever you can.

Oriel

No need to go to the vet at all. Buy a specific pairs of clippers for the job, the rest is quite simple.

corkimp

the dew claw is for fighting - when they go for other dogs it scratches. some people remove them but to be honest it wouldn't be a good idea in my own opinion.

EdgarAllenPoo

Our dogs hate having their nails cut, the last time we did it ourselves we bribed them with pizza.

We can manage one of ours but the other one nver sits still so we took her to the vet to have it done. The vet had to knock her out but she has epilepsy and had a massivae seizure when she got the injection. PIzza is the way to go.

houndsoflove

Go to a dog grooming parlour to get them cut.:D I'm a dog groomer and i will cut a dogs nails no problem.

Nicola.

Nala

Bring him to the vet, especially if it his his first time getting his nails cut. If you mess it up and hurt him you will have one hell of a job persuading him to let you do it again.

deaddonkey

you only need to trim the dew claws if they start to curl over badly and pose a risk to poking back into him and hurting him

the rest of them don't need doing if your dog ever goes for walks on hard ground.

fits

deaddonkey wrote:

the rest of them don't need doing if your dog ever goes for walks on hard ground.

Depends on the dog tbh. One of mine has uneven wear on his front legs after breaking a leg, so I've recently invested in a clipper.
I wouldnt attempt clipping with anything other than the proper hardware. They're about 7 euro in a vets shop.
Its handy for doing the dew claws as well, which are prone to getting sharp on both of my dogs.

jameshayes

JuJuYNWA wrote:

If you walk your dog on hard surfaces such as tarmac then there will be no need to cut the nails as the tough surface will keep them trimmed.

Depends on the type of dog.. Eg a basset dont really walk on there nails at all, just there pads.