Adult dogs may be fearful of the clippers and the sound they make, especially if they had a previous bad experience (having the nail trimmed too short or “quicked”). Desensitizing older dogs to nail trimming takes patience. The process cannot be rushed.
Benadryl: This mild antihistamine sedative helps calm your pet when it is nervous about clipping its nails. Melatonin supplements: Help regulate body rhythm and help calm down your dog. Natural sedation methods: Herbs like California poppy, chamomile, rosemary, or valerian are natural relaxants.
CBD also can help your dog feel safe enough to avoid any fear-based aggression during nail trimming. Even the sweetest dog can be scared enough to feel aggression during their first few nail trims. CBD can help you avoid any growling or nipping behavior by allowing your dog to feel safe.
The nail will bleed and your dog will cry; it's just as painful as it is for us when one of our nails breaks into the quick.
At the center of every dog nail is a bundle of nerves and blood vessels called a quick. Cutting this quick, or even applying pressure to the area around it, can cause your dog immense pain. Some breeds, such as Shiba Inus, pugs, shepherds, labs, and bully breeds, seem to have exceptionally sensitive quicks.
Desensitization to Nail Clipping
Keep the nail clippers in your dog's sight and work your way up to petting your dog while holding the clippers and then gently touching the clippers on your dog. This will help them learn that the clippers pose no threat.
Ask for a sedated nail trim.
Unless there is a medical reason not to sedate your dog, your vet should be able to do a sedated trim. Being sedated should make the nail trim process less traumatic for your pup.
The secret to keeping your dog's nail tips short is to give frequent, gradual nail trims or to make sure they get adequate activity on a regular basis. Consider that each time you trim that nail a little bit more every week, the quick should gradually recede farther and farther up into the nail bed.
As long nails hit the ground, it puts force on the foot and leg structure. This force can potentially lead to arthritis and ongoing pain. The growth pattern of a dog's nails forms a curved shape. If left untrimmed, the claws will eventually curve under the dog's paws and dig into the skin, creating pain when they walk.
Clipping and grinding are equally efficient and safe ways to trim your pup's nails. Clippers are cheaper and less noisy, while dremels are louder and more expensive but more precise and efficient.
Long claws are more prone to chipping, tearing, splitting and breaking, which can be very painful and may require veterinary treatment. As well as being prone to damage, when a dog stands or walks on a long-clawed paw it puts pressure on the wrong parts of the foot, causing pain and discomfort.
Trazodone can both sedate a dog and relieve anxiety. This is a good dog sedative for grooming, veterinary visits, thunderstorms/fireworks, and other short-term stressful events. Side effects include low blood pressure, so trazodone may be used cautiously or avoided in patients with certain health conditions.
The cutting blade should be closest to you, not the dog. Be sure not to cut too short, as the nail will bleed. Nails should be cut from underneath at a 45-degree angle.
Groomers use non-slip surfaces. To help dogs stand still and steady, groomers invest in special non-slip padding for appropriate surfaces such as grooming tables or bathtubs. It helps prevent fatigue which makes for a calm dog.
Using your preferred clippers, trim a very small bit of nail at a time. Cut at a slight angle across the tip of the nail, following its natural shape. After each cut, look at the freshly-cut tip of the nail to look for the little black dot that tells you when to stop.
So, if it's possible and practical to trim your dog's nails weekly or at least every other week, you'll likely see better results, have a much less stressed dog, and experience less stress yourself in the process. The quick is the part of a dog's nail that contains blood vessels and nerves.
Most dogs need to have their nails trimmed approximately once monthly. Dogs that are frequently walked on pavement or concrete may be able to go a bit longer between nail trims, because walking on a hard, rough surface can help file the nail.
Dog's nails should extend enough to be seen, but should not go past the paw. If your dog has long hair, you may not be able to easily see the nails. But if the nails extend over the bottom of the paw pad you'll know your dog's nails are too long.
Instead, you'll want to gradually cut your dog's overgrown nails over time — a little bit each week, so that the quick can gradually recede. Once you've developed this routine, you can continue to trim your dog's nails every week or every other week to avoid getting into another overgrown situation.
A dog's nails should be clipped often enough that they remain short enough to not click on the ground when a dog walks. Long nails that touch the ground may cause discomfort for your dog, and potentially cause problems down the road.
Nails soften if soaked in water. Try trimming nails after bathtime or let your dog stand in a few inches of water in the bathtub for about 15 minutes.