Cutting your pet’s nails can be daunting if you’ve never done it before. With practice, a little know-how, and preparation, you’ll be trimming their nails as swiftly and easily as your own. First you will need to make sure you have the right equipment for the job, make sure your pet can and will sit nice and still so you can make sure you’re in the right place, and then you can start trimming! This article will give you some advice on the trimming, as well as what to do if something goes a little wrong.
What do I need to trim my pet’s nails?
There are many different types of nail clippers for pets, although you’ll be spoiled for choice, the main thing to look out for is an appropriately sized nail clipper for your pet. Undoubtedly, using a larger pair of nail clippers for your kitten will not only seem disproportionate, but it will make things difficult and a bit dangerous! For small pets (a cat, rabbit, or small dog) a fine pair of clippers is the most appropriate choice and will make it easier (and safer!) to trim your pet’s nails to a good length. Following the same logic, fine clippers would be unsuitable for a larger pet (e.g. large dogs) who would need a larger, stronger pair of clippers.
If your pet is really nail clipper averse, or if when you trim their nails, they end up sharp and scratchy, then you can use a nail file (manual or mechanical) to help shorten and smooth the nails. The advantages of this include avoiding loud noises when clipping and reducing the likelihood of you catching the ‘quick’ (the soft tissue portion of the nail that contains blood vessels and nerves). Nail files do take a bit of practice to and use, and it may take some time for your pet to get used to them being used.
How short should I cut my pet’s nails?
Animal’s nails are similar to ours; they have an attachment with a blood and nerve supply called a ‘quick’, and this is the structure that you want to try and avoid when trimming their nails. If the quick is cut, it will cause pain and bleeding. Depending on the colour of your pet’s nails, you may be able to see the quick, which makes trimming much easier and safer as the area to avoid will be more visible. If your pet has dark nails this doesn’t mean you can’t safely cut their nails too. The length of the quick can vary between animals, some will have very long quicks (their nails need to be kept longer to avoid cutting it) and some animals will have very short quicks (making safe nail clipping easy). When you cut your pet’s nails it is important to remember how long their quicks are and if you need to keep the nail slightly longer, or if it is okay to go shorter. As a rough rule of thumb, when clipping dew claws, I just remove the tips and stop them from curling around. With other nails, I cut the end, so they are roughly level with the bottom of the pad. You can use the nail file to neaten up your clip afterwards and get the nails slightly shorter if you are concerned about catching the quick with the clippers.
What happens if I cut the quick?
Your pet might let out a little yelp and may hold their paw up, and the quick may begin to bleed slightly, however if you have only just caught the quick then applying some pressure with a cotton pad or a clean piece of kitchen towel for a few minutes should stop the bleeding. If the bleeding does not stop when trying this, then you can try and apply some plain flour to the area as this can sometimes help speed up blood clotting. If you are really struggling to get the bleeding to stop then a trip to your local veterinarian may be necessary, however bleeding of this level rarely happens.
Can I reduce the amount I need to cut my pet’s nails?
Depending on your pet, it may be possible to encourage them to perform behaviours which naturally wears down their nails, removing the need for you to give them a trim as often. In dogs, walking them on hard surfaces will often wear down their nails to a point where you don’t need to trim them, however dogs with mobility issues or who are older and less energetic may not wear them down quite enough, so may still need a trim. Be mindful of walking your dogs on hard surfaces in the summer, for instance pavements in the midday sun might be more harmful to paw pads than good. With cats, you can encourage them to use scratching posts and toys to help wear down their nails, although sometimes you still need to take the sharp tips off if they are still too long. Similarly with dogs, older cats need much more frequent nail trimming as they don’t wear them down anywhere near as much as a younger cat, and this can be important to stop the nails from curling around and digging into their pads. With rabbits and other small pets, you may not need to trim their nails at all, especially if they spend some of their time outdoors where they are running around and digging, however it is a good idea to keep an eye on their nail length as well.
What if I’m worried about clipping my pet’s nails?
If you are concerned about clipping your pet’s nails then you don’t need to do them at home, most pet groomers and veterinary practices offer nail clipping as a service. If you are interested in clipping your own animal’s nails but would like someone to show you how to do it, then asking when you take your pet for a trip to your local veterinary practice or groomer is often helpful.
