Tips to Clip Your Pet’s Long Claws
Pet’s claws can get too long and become an annoyance to you and your pet. My dog’s claws got too long and it would cause her to slide on our hardwood floors, not to mention when she scratched she would tear into the furniture or gave me a serious cut somewhere on my body. To prevent your pet’s claws from causing damage follow these helpful clipping tips.
Just like people, pets need their claws manicured often to prevent becoming too long. Make sure you trim every six to eight weeks. If your pet doesn’t get out often, you may need to trim them more often. Like many other activities you should start trimming your pet’s claws at a young age to get them use to it. Trying to trim an adult pets’ claws can be a challenge and will result in spending extra money for a vet or groomer to do it. Start when they are young by gently massaging and touching their paws often so they will get use to their paws being touched.
Make sure you don’t cut too far into the pink area of the nail that contains the nerves and blood vessels. In fact, don’t think of cutting at all think of trimming or clipping your pet’s claws and use clippers not scissors. For cats, just trim the sharp edge of their claws by pressing gently on the top of their paw. For dogs, since many have dark nails it can be difficult to distinguish where you are actually clipping, so just clip the very end part where the nail starts to curve downward. If your pet doesn’t sit still for a pedicure, like mine, try using a nail file it will take longer but your pet won’t make such a fuss. Plus, the more you touch their claws the more they will get use to it and eventually you may be able to use clippers. Also if your pet is uncomfortable or nervous, don’t try to clip or file all in one day, take it slowly over a few days.
If your pet has injured or torn a nail, make sure you clean the nail to prevent infection. Wash with soap and water and apply some antibacterial ointment. Wrap the paw with a thin gauze and change it everyday. To stop the bleeding you can also dip the paw into some flour and pat the powder. If the bleeding doesn’t stop within 10 or 15 minutes, wrap the paw and take your pet to the vet. If your pet’s claw looks fine but the skin is puffy around the claw, take your pet to the vet that could mean a serious infection. To prevent your pet from scratching up your furniture put up post or remove the odor that is causing them to scratch by using air fresheners or other scents.
