Dog clipping is an important procedure. Many owners of tetrapods prefer to contact a specialist so as not to conduct this delicate process on their own. If the owner decided to take care of the dog at home, then you must first study the theory. After that, it is worth going to the veterinarian to visually see how this procedure goes. A one-time practice, which will be monitored by the doctor, will be quite enough to continue to confidently do it yourself. Below we’ll talk in more detail about a dog’s nail clipping at home.
Anatomical features of the claws
As a rule, there are three types of claws in dogs:
- Feline - slightly bent with a curved end.
- Hare - long, straight, often quite sharp.
- Bent - in the form of an arc.
Feline and bent are most often found in service breeds. Rabbits are peculiar to a group of terriers and decorative dogs. Claws are considered a full part of the paw and perform certain functions. They affect balance, posture and good grip when running or walking.
If you do not cut the claws of the dog, then you can get a number of unpleasant consequences. For active and many walking animals, they will be minimal. For decorative pets, the absence of this procedure will bring such troubles:
- Problems with the musculoskeletal system.
- Painful sensations when walking.
- Clubfoot.
- Joint deformation.
- Loss of balance while running.
- Due to some structural features of the paws, the lack of clipping in dogs can lead to soft tissue injuries.
- Minor inconvenience, for example, a clatter on the floor, which is especially unpleasant at night.
How to choose a tool
For independent dog care, you need to purchase a special tool - a claw cutter. It must be correctly selected and of high quality:
- At the time of purchase, you need to ask what material the nippers for clipping dogs are made of. It is best if it is brass, but steel will do. The harder the metal, the longer the blades do not blunt. The claws themselves must be cast and riveted.
- The second important parameter is the shape of the handles and the coating of the blades. The metal part must be treated with chrome, which prevents the formation of rust. Some manufacturers do not process metal.
- Handles should be rubberized and fit comfortably in your hand. Smooth plastic handles with a slight diaper rash of the palms move out and slide. This causes inconvenience, and can also lead to injury to the dog.
- Dog clippers must be sized for the animal. As a rule, accessories for small, medium and large breeds are presented in pet stores. There are universal claws, which are suitable not only for dogs of any size, but also for cats.
Tool types
With a huge assortment of different types of clipping tools, there are only two main types of claws:
- Pruning shears. They have two handles and two blades, one bent into a hook and the other straight.
- Dog claws guillotine shears . This device has a claw hole and a lever handle.
Additionally, it is recommended to purchase a nail file. It should be hard-coated, and also fit the size of the dog and the stiffness of the claws.
Mention should also be made of electric claws. They are a device with a rod for the nozzle. It is a grinding stone. Using this tool, you can cut the claws of an animal to the desired shape and length without resorting to a haircut. There are several drawbacks to the electric claw point: high cost, heating the claw itself during grinding and noise. Not all animals react calmly to it.
Haircut rules
Each claw of the animal has a cavity that is filled with nerve endings and blood vessels. One wrong move can lead to very painful sensations in the dog and unwillingness to cut its claws in the future.
If the dog's claws are black, then it is quite difficult to make out the cavity. On light, brown or beige claws, you can notice a darkened place from the base and almost to the tip. This is the pulp that cannot be damaged during the procedure.
Before starting a haircut, place your paw on the floor. During the process, the line of scissor blades should be 1-1.5 mm below the pulp and positioned at an angle of 45 °. You can not cut the claws immediately to the desired length. This will lead to personal injury.
Black claws are cut at 0.5 millimeters in one step. As soon as the cut becomes lighter or pink, it is necessary to stop, otherwise the next step will damage the nerve endings.
Another guideline can serve as a cavity on the side of the claw (it is not always there). In another way, her name is blood flow. As a rule, the pulp is located at a distance of 0.5-1 millimeter from this cavity
Preparation and Hygiene
Before starting the procedure, you must perform the following steps:
- Sterilize the instrument, even if it is only from the packaging (treat the blades with boiling water, an antiseptic or alcohol).
- Trim long hair between fingers.
- Treat antiseptic paws.
- Inspect the animal for injuries on the limbs.
- Injured claws are recommended not to trim, but to file.
- Treat your hands with an antiseptic.
- If the animal is very nervous, it is worth putting on a muzzle and a short leash (for fixation).
- The procedure should not be carried out when the pet is tired or out of sorts.
Step-by-step instruction
Where to start dog claw grooming at home? First you need to pet your pet and play with him a little to make sure he is in a good mood. Before starting the process of cutting, you need to have a positive and confident attitude. The dog must feel that he is safe.
Next, proceed to the procedure:
- Start the haircut with the front paws. If the pet responds to commands, you should tell him "Give a paw" and give him good praise for his performance. Claws of the hind limbs are not recommended to be cut off immediately after the forelimbs. A few hours should be taken.
- Next, examine the fingers and remove excess hair. After that, the pet is again praised for its excellent endurance.
- Before shearing, the dog is allowed to sniff the claws, then put the blade 1.5 millimeters below the pulp, at an angle of 45 degrees and cut off. You can adjust as long as you like, but you should cut confidently and quickly. After that, you need to praise the dog again, feed something tasty and take a short break.
- Each slice is processed with a nail file. Performing this action helps to blunt the sharp edge of the claw.
- With hind legs, things are more complicated. During the procedure, the dog should lie on its side. In the future, when the haircut will not cause the pet excitement, the claws of the hind limbs can be processed in a standing position.
If the dog began to break out and get nervous, the procedure should be stopped. Even a single claw cut during the first time is considered a result that must be supported by positive emotions, not fear.
First aid for injuries
Most dogs experience stress while cutting their nails. Experts recommend the use of sedatives before the procedure. As a rule, they are made from medicinal herbs and reduce nervous excitability.
It is necessary to prepare napkins with a hemostatic effect and special powder in advance. If the claw is cut too deep, many vessels will be damaged. In injuries after clipping dogs, blood flows very strongly. This can cause panic for both the dog and the owner. You should be aware that in this case it is impossible to handle damage with brilliant green, iodine, alcohol, peroxide, vodka and other similar means. Always at hand should be a special powder. If it’s not there, the usual food meal will do. Any drugs containing alcohol, as well as solutions for cauterization increase pain.
Claw Blast
When slowly squeezing the claw, the dog can pull the paw hard. In this case, the claw may be damaged. This is another difficult injury. The fixed claw remains in the nippers, and the soft tissues and skin are torn. In this case, you must be prepared for the dog to whine and try to run away.
At this point, you should calm the dog and do everything to distract him. The injured leg should be intercepted with a bandage and tightened well. In this case, the limb itself is desirable to raise high. Something cold should be applied to the sore paw, for example, ice or any product from the freezer, having previously wrapped it in a cloth. Cold can help alleviate pain, as well as stop blood from clipping a dog’s nails.
After that, you should examine the wound and, if there are open gaps, fill them with Novocain or Lidocain injection solutions. In case of serious damage, it is best to consult a veterinarian. With a slight injury, the paw is treated with an ointment for healing with analgesic properties and bandaged. A bandage should be applied only after the cessation of bleeding. In addition, a separate small piece of the bandage, folded several times, should be applied to the wound.
If during the clipping of the dog’s nails even a small damage has occurred, it is necessary to stop the process and leave the animal alone. Repeat the process after a week.
How often to carry out the procedure
The frequency of clipping in dogs depends on the breed. The owner should control the length of the claws of the pet. To do this, periodically inspect the paws of the dog. Small breeds need a haircut more often than large ones (about once every two weeks).
Representatives of large breeds need a pedicure once a month. In large dogs, the nails grow slowly. But still, do not forget to inspect the pet's paws. If during the movement the dog clicks, often bites its claws, then it is time to take up a claw cutter.