Ensuring that your dog’s nail does not get overgrown is a task that every dog owner must pay a good deal of attention to. Doing this will help you keep your dog in a healthy state and also ensure that it stays happy. Now, you might be of the idea that dogs in the wild never had anyone groom them and trim their nails. However, you must note that the lifestyle of dogs in the wild is different from that of domestic dogs.
While you might think trimming your dog’s nails majorly serves cosmetic purposes the fact is it does more than just help your dog look good. It can go a long way in preventing your dog from being injured. The longer your dog’s nails are, the more likely it is to get injured. So, if you can keep its nails from getting overgrown, you can help prevent injuries.
As a dog’s nails grow very long, they touch the floor while the dog walks and this puts its nail beds under pressure before the paw pads. This situation can cause the dog a great deal of discomfort. That’s not all. As nails get overgrown, they find their way into the tissues around and this could cause pain and infections.
To prevent your dog from dealing with the pain associated with overgrown nails, you can take advantage of the existence of a nail clipper. If you are opting to groom your dog’s nails with a nail clipper, there is a lot you need to know about nail clippers. Read on to find out more about a nail clipper and how you can get the best out of it when grooming your dog.
Selecting a Nail Clipper
To get the best nail clipper, the following should be considered;
Look out for a Safety Guard
When new to using a dog nail clipper, you might make a couple of mistakes occasional. So, if you are certain you do not have a great deal of experience with dog nail clippers, you might want to settle for one that comes with a safety guard.
When looking to get a dog nail clipper with a safety guard, you will most likely end up with one that has a quarter-inch guard. This will go a long way in ensuring you do not clip off your dog’s nails excessively.
Consider Sharpness
You do not want to put too much effort into using a nail clipper. So, you should go for one that is sharp and will not struggle to trim your dog’s nails. If the blades are not as sharp as they really should be, they could fail in cutting the nails but might simply succeed in splitting them. Furthermore, it could leave a sharp or rough edge, still without doing justice to the nail.
Size is Important
Since pets are of different sizes, you might not get value for your money if you buy a nail clipper of the wrong size. If your dog is large and has thick nails, small clippers will definitely not work so well. Also, large clippers will not do justice to the nails of smaller dogs.
Style is Important
Dog nail clippers come in various styles and you will need to consider this when shopping for one. The various styles will be comfortable for various people. So, you might need to consider how comfortable you are with a particular nail clipper style before purchasing it.
Is It Okay to Trim your Dog’s Nails with Human Nail Clippers?
You might be excused to make use of a nail clipper designed for humans to clip your dog’s nails very rarely if you think you have to do so and you do not have a dog nail clipper around. This might not be so difficult if you are dealing with a puppy or a small dog. While you might see a bit of success when you use a human nail clipper to clip a dog’s nails, it is vital that you do not get used to this.
The pressure exerted by a human nail clipper differs from that exerted by a dog nail clipper. Due to this, the likelihood of splitting your dog’s nail is higher and this is something you definitely might want to avoid.
Can Dog nail Clippers be Sharpened?
The perfection of a cut is greatly dependent on how sharp the dog nail clipper you are using is. In addition to helping you have very clean cuts, you will not be dealing with a lot of discomfort when you make use of a sharp dog nail clipper. This is in addition to the fact that the entire process can be made much faster.
If you have had a dog nail clipper for a while and it seems they are not as efficient as they used to be, then, you can tell that they need to be sharpened.
Sharpening a dog nail clipper is not a difficult thing to do. You simply need to get the right tools and the process will become easy. When sharpening a dog nail clipper, you will need a ceramic rod, a diamond tapered rod, or a grinding stone.
Once you have the right tools, to get started, dismantle the clipper and follow the curve’s angle in sharpening the edge of the blade. When you are done sharpening the clipper, before reassembling it, you will have to ensure that the spring is oiled.
Can Dogs and Cats use the Same nail Clippers?
It is okay to use the nail clipper for your cat in clipping your dog’s nails if they have similar sizes. Generally, a clipper that can be used in trimming a cat’s nails might come in handy in trimming a puppy’s nails or the nails of a small dog. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about a large dog. Large dogs have thick nails. This means a dog nail clipper that was designed for cats will not be able to get the job done with them.
Types of Tools for Clipping a Dog’s Nails
To clip a dog’s nails effectively, it is vital that you know the various types of dog nail clippers.
When looking to buy a dog nail clipper, you can either buy a guillotine clipper or a scissors-type clipper. The guillotine clipper comes with a round hole that creates a space for the dog’s nails to fit in. It has a blade that crosses this hole and this blade comes in handy in helping it produce a rapid cut.
If you are not using the guillotine dog clipper, then, you will be making use of the scissors-type clipper. This type of dog nail clipper is ideal for dogs with dense and strong nails. If you must get the best out of it, you will need to have very steady hands. That’s not all, y should also look out for the nails quick when using this type of dog nail clipper.
Tips for Clipping Your Dog’s Nails
When looking to get the best out of the use of a dog nail clipper for your dog. There are a number of tips that can help you get the job done properly. Some of these tips are;
- Ensure there is a treat for your dog after each session. Furthermore, you might want to make it a point of duty to praise your dog after each session.
- Ensure your dog goes through a session of exercise. This will make it content and tired.
- To ensure you do not struggle, you might need to trim your dog’s nails frequently. Doing so every two weeks will help you get good results. Furthermore, while cutting your dog’s nails, you will need to separate its toes with your fingers.
