PURRaffection

Archive for the ‘Cat Claws’ Category

Pet nail care is an essential part of your pet’s complete health care. Since nails continuously grow and are not necessarily worn down as they would if they were going for walks, consequently it is up to you to help in keeping them at a more comfortable length. When nails are too long, this affects the manner a dog walks which can cause osteo-arthritis later on in life. Also longer nails could get snagged and torn, or sometimes curl back into the toe pad which enables it to lead to an infection. Trimming nails is not that upsetting if you have the suitable gear and have trained your pet to let you hold the paw.

The nail does have a “quick” which houses the veins and nerves of the nail.The quick is easier to view in white nails. By trimming small amounts at any given time and trimming with the plane of the bottom of the toe pad (horizontally rather than vertically) you are able to avoid cutting the nail to short as to make it bleed.

Here are a few additional guidelines to successfully cut your pet’s nails:

1. Begin when your pet is still a puppy or kitten by gently touching their feet. Start by making a sport of it and looking at the nails, chances are they’ll will let you trim them once they grow older.

2. Pick a pet nail trimmer for the size and age of your pet. I often use the human toe nail trimmer for young pet’s nails since it can easily get to the teeny tips just a little easier plus they are sharper. When the kitten or puppy grows older, I may then change nail trimmers to the scissor action kind of trimmer in lieu of the guillotine trimmer. I find that these stay sharper for a longer time and are also easier to use. The guillotine type some times traps the nails and doesn’t necessarily create a clean cut. Your veterinarian can assist you oh how to purchase an appropriate trimmer.

3. When trimming your dog’s nails, by no means undertake it when your pet is sitting in your lap. Enlist someone to assist you and set them on the countertop or lid of the washer or dryer. You can wrap them with a bath towel to assist holding them better. Cats can also be scruffed by grasping the loose skin behind their heads for better control. If your pet begins to resist, just try holding the paw until he calms. In the event you let go of the paw when your pet starts to protest, you are just re-enforcing the bad habits and will make your next nail trim event even more difficult. (Go back to number 1)

4. Be prepared. Have on hand styptic pencils such as silver nitrate or Kwik stop powder. Be aware that the silver nitrate on the end of the sticks does indeed stain counter tops and your skin if you ever get it on you. For beginners, it is best to stick with the styptic powder.

5. If your pet has light colored nails, you are able to visualize the pink portion of the quick. If your pet has darker nails, trim a little bit at a time. I like to carefully press on the toe and extend the nail out. I then draw an imaginary line level with the bottom of the toe pad and extend it out across the nail. I then trim the nail at this imaginary line so that the nail is now level with the floor when the dog is standing. The nail of the cat is easier to see and it is best to just trim the tips off and stay away from the pink colored quick.

6. You may use an emery board to smooth the sharp edges.

7. Pedi-paws or similar rotor drill sanders are helpful to smooth rough edges and to trim just a small amount of nail. If the nail is very long at all, then it will probably take you quite some time to get it trimmed. You can use the drill to keep the nail shorter or for smoothing the nail after you have used the clippers. Your pet will also need to be taught not to be terrified of the noise, so it’s always best to move slowly as you both learn to work with the drill.

After a little practice and a lot of patience, you will soon be trimming your pet’s nails with full confidence. If all else fails, your veterinarian or groomer are here to help.