Dog and Puppy Health

Dog Nail Care

Dog nail care is just as important as any other aspects of dog grooming. You may be thinking, why bother dog nail care in the first place? Because not doing dog nail care can deform your dog's feet, permanently affecting its stance. There is also a high chance that a long nail can snag on something and break off entirely. Your dog will eventually recover from such an injury, but it will suffer unnecessary pain. If your dog's nails grow too long, which is often the case if it does not walk or run enough on rough ground, they will have to be clipped.

Dog nail care tips

There are a few things for a dog owner to take note of for proper dog nail care. Here are some of the dog nail care responsibilities that you as a dog owner should know and perform accordingly.

• For dog nail care, what you want to trim off is the hook part of the nail that turns downward.


• If you trim any higher, you may cut into the quick, the vein that runs through most of the nail. It will bleed rather profusely when severed. The quick is visible to the naked eye on most light-colored dogs. With dogs whose nails are black, you can a flashlight to assist you.


• Accidents do happen occasionally, and it is very likely that you may clip one of the nails too high some day. Do not panic, as it is not a major incident. Apply styptic powder to the wound and the bleeding will stop. However, please get the powder ready beforehand.


• If you feel a little squeamish about clipping your dog's nails yourself, consider filing them down instead. Shorten them at least to the extent that they do not touch the floor when your dog is walking. Of course, you can also choose to let a groomer or even a veterinarian do the job for you.

Types of dog nail care product

Here are some of the dog nail care products that you will need if you intend to take care of your dog's nails by yourself.

1. Dog nail clipper
2. Guillotine type dog nail trimmer
3. Dog nail file
4. Styptic powder
5. Styptic gel