One of the many tasks you have as a dog owner is to groom them. You have to wash them, brush them, feed them, walk them, and most importantly, trim their nails. All of these things keep up your dog’s appearance, health, and hygiene. A dog’s nails need to be cut just the way our nails need to.
Things are different between a human and a dog when it comes to nail care. When a person’s nails go untrimmed, they grow long and may get in the way of their day-to-day activities; but they don’t usually cause any serious health issues right away. It is different for dogs; when their nails get too long, the nails will start to curl under and grow into their paw. It is a very unpleasant experience for the dog.
In order to avoid this painful condition, you can help by cutting and filing your dog’s nails occasionally. If you have never cut a dog’s nails before, do your research on the anatomy of a dog’s nails beforehand. It doesn’t take much to understand the way their nails are, and it won’t take long to learn.
If you are aware of the best position to cut on a dog’s nail, you will have more confidence going into it. The more confidence you have, the more comfortable your dog will feel.It doesn’t have to be a hard or stressful process.
The only reason why it may be difficult is if your dog isn’t being still enough for you to get a good grip on their nail to trim it. Take your time and don’t force them into an uncomfortable position. Use treats if you have to, as a reward for their good behavior. Treats will help your dog look forward to nail clipping time.
Anatomy of Dog Nails
The nails on a dog are more complicated than that on a human. Dog nails have a sensitive center in their nails that has nerve ending and blood vessels; it is called the quick. That is why if you cut them too short, their nails start to bleed because you have hit the quick. It’s important to pay attention to how short you’re cutting their nails so that bleeding doesn’t happen.
If your dog’s nails are somewhat transparent, you can visibly see the outline of the quick and how far the nail goes passed it. You should only trim the section of nail that doesn’t contain the quick. It is harder if your dog has black nails because you can’t see where to cut them.
If you ever have trouble cutting your dog’s nails at home, you always have the option of taking them to a groomer. Groomers have a lot more experience with trimming nails. Although, clipping them at home is cheaper. When you use the clippers yourself rather than letting a groomer take care of it, your dog will also stay more relaxed during the process.
Types of Dog Nail Clippers
There are two main types of dog nail clippers, manual clippers, and electric nail grinders. A grinder might sound intimidating, but either type can be dangerous if you don’t know how to properly use them. With experience and practice, you will get better at it, and nail clipping will become easier. Either type you use will work fine.
Handheld manual clippers act similarly to scissors; they have two handles that you squeeze, which that closes the round blade around your dog’s nail. Some cheaper clippers or dull clippers can cause your dog pain because of the amount of pressure it puts on their nails. Before you use a pair of dog nail clippers, check the blade to make sure it is sharp. Replace them if they are not. It’s never a good idea to try sharpening them yourself.
A dog nail grinder uses a small grinder wheel on the top of a handheld tool. Most nail grinders have a guard on them that protects your dog from the grinder going too far onto their nail. There are also several different types of grinder tips that come with some nail grinders that are interchangeable.
Top Dog Nail Clippers – Manual Clippers
Bissell Cat and Dog Nail Clippers
Little did you know; Bissell makes pet nail clippers in addition to vacuums. Their clippers are the best-rated dog nail clippers online. They are reliable and not too expensive. You can use them for a cat or a dog, big or small breeds. The stainless steel blade on top has a metal safety guard that helps prevent cutting the dog’s nail too deep.
They are easy and comfortable to hold because of the naturally shaped handles. They are durable, so you won’t need to buy a replacement often unless your dog tears through them quickly.
They also come with helpful instructions that you should read through before using them for the first time; this will teach you how to properly trim your dog’s nails and how to use the safety guard the correct way.
Safari Professional Nail Trimmer for Dogs
These Safari nail trimmers for dogs are stainless steel with handles that have extra grip for easy holding. Clipping a dog’s nails is a tricky business and can become dangerous if the blade is dull or if your hand slips in the middle of a grooming session.
If your hand were to slip when you are halfway through cutting through your dog’s nail, you could accidentally rip the nail or cut you or your pet. In order to keep this from happening, use these nail trimmers.
Li’l Pals Dog Nail Trimmer
Little dogs need comfortable nail trimming sessions too! Since their nails are so much smaller than the nails on a larger dog, large clippers will do more harm than good. This Li’l Pals nail trimmer is designed to cut the nails on smaller dog breeds. They are about the same price as normal-sized dog nail clippers.
These clippers are stainless steel. They do not have a safety guard on them so you must be careful while you are trimming your dog’s nails. The grip on the two handles is vinyl for comfortable holding while cutting.
Boshel Dog Nail Clippers
Boshel is another brand of dog nail clippers that provides a great tool for dog nail maintenance. These clippers have a metal safety guard behind the clipper blades that keeps you from cutting your dog’s nails too far. The handles are non-slip, and at the end of one of them, there is a small nail file that comes out.
Nail files are useful for shaping your dog’s nails. Clippers usually leave a rough edge on a dog’s nail and need to be smoothed out. If the edge of the nail is left with a blunt edge, it can start to split down the middle from your dog running around outside on concrete or pavement. Splitting will lead to painful cracks in their nails that are hard to fix.
Top Dog Nail Clippers – Nail Grinders
Dog nail grinders work faster and more efficiently than dog nail clippers. You should not use one unless you know what you are doing or are a professional. The brilliant aspect of nail grinders is that when it gets worn down, you don’t have to replace the entire thing, you only have to replace the head.
Most dog nail grinders come with a few replacements automatically, so in the end, you are saving quite a bit of money compared to buying manual nail clippers.
Dremel 7300-PT Dog and Cat Nail Grinder Kit
This nail grinder for dogs is the best brand you should use. It is safe and easy to use. It is also a lot faster than regular dog nail clippers. The Dremel grinder provides a painless nail trimming for your dog. Rather than clipping a large piece off of your dog’s nail leaving a blunt edge on their paw, the grinder grinds down around the edge until the nail is short enough. If you keep up with grooming often and never let it get too out of hand, you will only have to do quick touchups with the grinder, thus avoiding a painful nail clipping.
The Dremel Nail Grinder has two speeds, so you have two options for nail trimming. The faster setting allows you to cut down a dog’s nails quickly and the slower setting can be used to smooth the nail off after.
Wahl Premium Pet Nail Filer
The Wahl Premium Pet Nail Filer is a nail grinder that comes with six sanding bands, an instruction booklet, and a storage case. The speeds on it go in forward or reverse motion, at 7,500 or 10,000 RPM.
Extra sanding bands for a dog nail grinder are always nice to have since they wear down over time. You don’t want to have to buy a whole new dog nail grinder every couple of months. Dog nail grinders are fairly cheap, not cheaper than manual clippers, but they are cheaper in the long run.
FURminator Nail Grinder for Dogs
FURminator is known by most pet owners for their creation of great dog brushes. One of their other high-quality products is the FURminator Nail Grinder. This nail grinder is a lot more high-tech than other brands of dog nail grinders. For instance, it is lightweight, it has an LED light for better seeing while trimming your dog’s nails, and there is a safety guard that goes all the way around the grinding wheel on the top of the grinder.
The safety guard is the highlight of this product because it is a plastic piece that wraps around the whole tip of the grinder, not just one side how some nail clippers are. The guard allows only a set amount of space for grinding down the nail and allows you to reach nails that are very close to other nails without getting the grinder caught in your dog’s hair.
Taking Care of Your Dog
If you start to notice your dog’s nails growing long to the point that they are curling underneath their paws, that’s a serious sign that grooming needs to be in order. If you don’t trim them soon after noticing them curling, the nails might start to grow into the pads of their paws and cause serious damage. This condition will prevent them from walking and running normally; and if your dog isn’t getting a proper amount of exercise, their overall health will be affected.
Not only will a dog’s nails gradually begin to grow into the bottom of their paws, but it will also put awkward pressure on some of their toe joints. So, it not only damages their nails but the physical bones in their feet as well. They will become more susceptible to foot and ankle injuries because they won’t be able to walk correctly. It also has a direct effect on their posture since they have to shift weight off of the foot that has the overgrown toenails.
Best Overall – Dog Nail Clippers
Buy a set of dog nail clippers (or nail grinder) that is stainless steel and durable. If you decide to buy nail clippers that you use manual on dog nails, you should find ones that have handles that are comfortable to hold and won’t slip out of your hand easily. The last thing you want to happen is an injury to your dog’s little foot.
The best overall dog nail clippers are the Bissell Nail Clippers. They are affordable and durable. It doesn’t get much better than those, and you won’t have to replace them for a long time. If you decide to buy both manual nail clippers and a nail grinder, get the FURminator Nail Grinder for Dogs.
Information for both is shown earlier in this article, and you can click the online links below the product picture of each to see the exact specifications and customer reviews. Follow the information given here, plus recommendations from your friends, groomer, and veterinarian to help you make your final decision.
