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Nail clipping

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Clipping your pets nails is an essential part of grooming your pet and with a little knowledge it is possible to do this at home.

 

  • What type of clippers should I use?

There are many types of clippers available to buy for dogs and cats choose a size according to how big the animal is. These are the ones we regularly use in practice (see below). We try to avoid using the “guillotine” type as we find dogs seem to resent the crushing action that occurs with this type, and it is more difficult to see exactly what you are cutting.

 

  • How do I cut the nails? 

With dogs there is lots of variation in the pigmentation in dogs’ nails, from completely black, to the whiter type through which it is possible to see the pink colouration associated with the blood vessels and the quick. The quick is the sensative part of the nail that contains the blood vessels and must be AVOIDED.

 

Ideally it is a two person task, and is easier performed on a table at waist height (particually with cats and small dogs). Whilst one person holds the animal still, with their leg outstretched, the other person holds the paw and clips each nail tip. Have a look at the diagram below you will see an area of the claw marked with dotted lines called the ungual process. This is the sensitive part of the nail which has the blood supply (know as “the quick”) and should NOT be cut.

 

If you look at the claw from the side, often the tip of the nail will be much finer, and then it thickens as you look towards the base. The fine tip is the part that needs to be clipped – if in doubt clip less not more.

 

  • What if I cut the quick? 

Dogs generally have a very good blood supply to the quick, and if cut it can bleed profusely. We would suggest applying pressure to the cut surface of the nail with a cotton wool or pad of kitchen roll. You can use a silver nitrate or styptic pen if available. You may need to apply a light bandage to apply pressure to the cut end of the nail and bandage the whole foot, if it is still bleeding after applying pressure. If the nail is bleeding after 10 – 15 minutes, you’ll need to call your vet.

 

  • How often should I cut my pets’ nails?

If your dog walks on concrete or other hard ground regularly this should wear the nails down naturally, and you may not need to clip them at all. Other dogs may need them cutting more frequently if walked on soft ground, every few months. If your cat goes outside, or uses a scratching post you may never need to clip their nails. However nails can grow quickly, and so can be clipped whenever the sharp points have regrown. If in doubt every 3 months should be sufficient.

 

  • Dew claws on dogs.

These may not wear down as quickly as other claws, so clip these following the same instruction as above.

 

  • Back paws VS front paws.

The nails on the back paws often wear down more that the nails on the front paws, and so usually don’t require as much to be clipped off.

 

Don’t forget clipping your pets nails, can be tricky, so if in doubt then take your dog into your vet.

Dog nail clipping

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Dog nail clipping is possible at home  but you need some knowledge of how to do it correctly.

  • What type of clippers should i use ?

dog nail clippers

These are the type that i use most commonly in practice, which have a scissor action. There are larger and smaller ones depending on the size of dog, generally use the small type if your dog is less than 10kg, and the large ones if they are more than 10kg.

I would not recommend the “guillotine” type of clippers as dogs seem to resent the crushing action that occurs with this type, and it is more difficult to see exactly what you are cutting.

  • How do i cut the nails?

There is a lot of variation in the pigmentation in dogs’ nails, from completely black nails, to the whiter type through which it is possible to see the pink colouration associated with the blood vessels and the quick. The quick is the sensitive part of the nail that contains the blood vessels and MUST be avoided.

dog nail

The dotted line shows the level to cut the nail approximately parallel with the bottom of the pad. If in doubt just cut the sharp tips off the ends of the nails to avoid the quick.

  • what if i cut the quick?

Dogs generally have a very good blood supply to the quick, and if cut can bleed profusely. I would suggest applying pressure to the cut surface of the nail with cotton wool or a pad of kitchen roll for 3-5 minutes. You can also use  silver nitrate or a styptic pen if available. You may have to use a light bandage to apply pressure on the cut end of the nail and bandage the whole foot, if it is still bleeding after applying pressure.  If the nail is  bleeding after 10 -15 minutes, you’ll need to call your vet.

  • How often should i cut my dog’s’ nails?

If your dog walks on concrete or other hard ground regularly, this should wear the nails down naturally, and they may never need clipping. Other dogs may need them cutting more frequently if walked only on soft ground, every few months.

  • Can i just clip my dogs dew claws?

Yes you can, as these may not wear down as quickly as the other claws, and may need trimming every 3 months.

  • Do the back paws need trimming as much as the front paws?

No, the nails on the back paws often wear down more than the nails on the front paws, and so usually don’t require as much to be clipped off.

Don’t forget clipping dog’s nails, can be tricky, so if in doubt then take your dog into your vet.

Cat nail clipping

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Cat nail clipping is possible at home, as long as you have a little knowledge.

  • First of all what type of nail clippers should you use ?

nail clipper

These nail clippers are the type that i use most commonly in practice, but there are smaller variations on this design that also work well. The type of clippers that i would avoid are the “guillotine” type.

  • How do i clip the nails ?

This is ideally a two person task, and is easier performed on a table at about waist height.  While one person holds your cat still, you can the hold a paw and clip the tips of each nail.  If you look at the diagram below you will see an area of the claw marked with dotted lines called the ungual process. This is the sensitive part of the nail that contains sensory nerve endings and a blood supply (also called the quick), and should NOT be cut.

anatomy of cat claw

When you look at the claw from the side, often the tip of the nail is much finer, and it then thickens as you move towards the base. This thicker region contains the blood vessel and should be avoided.

So if you can see the fine fip of the nail this is the part to be clipped.

  • How often should i clip my cats nails?

If your cat goes outside,  or uses a scratching post you may never need to clip your cat’s nails. However the nails can  grow quickly just like our own nails , and so can be clipped whenever the sharp points have regrown.  If in doubt clipping every 3 months should be fine.