I used to be so scared to cut my dogs nails! I always relied on the groomer because I was terrified of hitting the quick- especially on my dogs dark nails.
With time, practice, and learning what to look for, I’ve gained the confidence to safely trim my dogs nails at home. Yes-even when they aren’t see-through!
In this blog post I’ll tell you:
- How I cut my dogs nails confidently
- What to avoid so you don’t hit the quick
- Tips to prevent bleeding and stress
The tools I use for this are a dog nail clippers and a Dremel.
First I hold my dog at a good angle so I can see their paw clearly. Then I hold them tight so they won’t squirm away.
I bend their paw so that I can see the bottom of their nails. Then I cut very thin pieces of their nails.
You want to cut very thin pieces of their nails so that you don’t hit their quick. If you cut their quick it will bleed a lot and hurt them a lot. You can tell where the start of their quick is if you trim thin layers off of each nail. Once you see a little circle in the middle of their nail, you stop. That is the tip of their quick. It’s fine to cut until you see the tip of their quick, just don’t cut past it.
After I get done cutting my dogs nails, I use the dremel to file the nail down to make it rounded and smooth.
And that’s it! So easy right?!
I hope this little blog gives you the confidence to cut your dogs nails at home too! I also have a YouTube video on this same subject if you would like to see it.