Tips for Stress-Free Nail Trims
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We do it to ourselves often enough without any nervousness or fear – but the idea of trimming our pets’ nails immediately sends a lot of us into a mental panic. What if I cut the quick and they bleed out? Will Fluffy let me hold her still long enough? Can I escape without getting my eyes scratched out?
We’ve been there, and we want to encourage you to let go of your fears and read on for our PetsWeekly Nail Trimming Tips.
Do it Yourself. We’ll tackle this one first since it’s the most daunting option for most pet parents. We won’t go over every detail of trimming your pets’ nails since there are plenty of videos and guides for you to peruse online. But, in order to keep you and your pet stress and injury free, our most critical piece of advice in the DIY nail-trimming arena is to get your pets accustomed to the clippers and lying in the position you’ll need them in for more than 10 seconds.
Start as slow as you need to, even if that means just letting the clippers lay on the floor while you give love and treats to your pet. The goal is to make nail-trimming time fun and rewarding for them. If they see it as a good thing, you won’t have to drag anyone out from under the bed the moment you pull the clippers out.
For tips on the actual cutting: Cats – Dogs
Let someone else do it for you. If you’d rather not handle your pets’ nail trims and have the means to do so, take them to your vet or groomer. We called around to four different places, and all but one charges less than $20. The one who charges more said that an office visit is required first. Once a pet has an office visit, they can have their nails trimmed for $30. So when you’re calling around, don’t get discouraged if the first price you hear sounds steep. There are even mobile groomers who will come to you, which is really convenient – but expect to pay more.
Take your dog for a walk. If you have a larger dog, taking them for frequent walks on hard surfaces like concrete can tackle two chores at once. The “filing” action their claws get from the pavement should be enough to keep their nails at a healthy length. Use caution if their nails have already grown too long and clip them before your next walk, even if you have to wait a day or two. Walking a dog with long nails can cause them a lot of problems including undue strain on leg muscles, broken toes, broken nails, and infections.
Nail trims don’t have to be full of stress! Handled correctly, you might have your dog begging for it the same way they beg for a walk. Don’t let time run away with you – try one of our tips soon and let us know how it goes.
