Trimming Your Dog's Nails
It's that time again. Your dog's nails have gotten to be excessively long, and they need to be trimmed. For some dog owners, this is a fairly easy and pleasurable experience. For others, this is a burdensome task in which your dog will fight you every step of the way.
Some dogs are very sensitive about their feet and nails. This can manifest itself as a phobia of having their nails trimmed. Some dogs are so terrified of this experience that they will yelp and squeal in pain, before you even trim one nail! This can also be a dangerous situation because a normally nice and docile dog may become so panicked that he may try to bite someone during the nail trimming session. If this sounds like your dog, there are some desensitization techniques that you can try so that in the future your dog will allow you to trim his nails. Another solution is to take your dog to the veterinarian or a groomer in order to have them do the job for you. Many times a dog will be much calmer and accepting of the nail trimming in a foreign environment.
A dog's nail has a blood vessel running down through it, referred to as the quick. On white or light-colored nails, this is very easy to see. It looks like a pink line running down through the nail. On a black nail, the quick can be much harder to see. It is possible to see it if you shine a flashlight behind the nail, however, this requires a dog who will sit nicely for nail trimming. When cutting, be sure to cut beyond the quick so you will not "quick" your dog. If you can't see the quick, try to estimate where you think the quick is. Some dogs have both black and white nails, so you can estimate the length of the quick in the black nails based on looking at the white nails. If you have no idea, only cut very small amounts off of the black nails. This way, the quick will recede and you can cut more in a few days.
Some dogs become sensitive about their nails as a result of past experiences. When the dog is "quicked," the nail can bleed excessively and it can be a very painful experience. If your dog has been "quicked" in the past, he will be even more apprehensive about the nail trimming procedure than ever before. It is a good idea to have some silver nitrate or styptic powder on hand when trimming your dog's nails. If you do "quick" your dog, hold the powder against your dog's nail for about 5 minutes. This will usually stop the bleeding. If the nail is still bleeding profusely after 10 minutes, you may want to call your veterinarian.
If your dog is out of control about having his nails trimmed, you can try some desensitization techniques. Begin by holding your dog's paw in your hand, and repeat this for at least a week of being able to hold his paw comfortably. Then begin touching the toes and nails individually, and separating them out from one another. After about a week of this, begin to tap each nail with the clippers, and leave the clippers out for him to see them and smell them. Then you can try cutting the nails. You should start by just cutting one nail at a time, then you can work up to two, then the whole foot, then two feet, and finally four feet. This technique will require lots of patience and can be very time-consuming, and it may not be successful with every dog.
In some cases, you may want to discuss the possibility of tranquilizing your dog for nail trimming with your veterinarian. However, this may not work with the dogs who are extremely phobic because their excitement can override the effects of the tranquilizers. For some dogs, it may be less stressful for everyone to have your veterinarian or groomer trim the nails. You can try all of these methods until your find the one that works for you. Hopefully, nail trimming can become a pleasurable experience instead of a painful chore!