So how does your hardwood floor look? If it is anything like ours, there are scratches everywhere. People are always asking us, " How often should I clip my pets nails? My floor is a mess! " Clipping a dogs nails can be done as often as once every 3 or 4  weeks. Clipping them this often you will recede the quick, thus keeping your dogs nails very short. If you walk your dog on a regular basis on concrete sidewalks, trimming nails can be done less often, but still should be done to remove the sharp tip and to trim the "dewclaws" which do not make contact with the ground and can curl up into the pad and cause pain to your pet.

There are basiclly two methods of nail trimming, the most common used over the years has been cutting the nail with a variety of clippers, the thing to be careful of when using this method is to not cut the "Quick" causing bleeding. In the event that bleeding does occur, apply pressure to the nail with a piece of tissue or a pinch of cornflour. The professional way is to use styptic which stops the bleeding almost instantly.

The second and safest method is to use a nail grinder or Dremel tool with the proper grit sanding wheel and grind the nail as short as possible. If grinding is done too much and you hit the quick is will also cause it to bleed, so grind a little at a time, but grind the nails more often. It also helps to clip or grind nails after the bath as the nail becomes more pliable reducing chipping and sharp edges.

In Conclusion.....it is very important to keep your dog's nails trimmed and the paws in good clean condition. Check the bottom your pets paws periodically for any burrs, matts or other objects that may have logged in the bottom of the paw. Walking on long nails is painful and can lead to broken nails, nail infection and huge amounts of bleeding. Unattended nails can also lead to ingrown nails which can break into the pads.

So remember, just a little preventitive action on your part will make for a much happier, healthier pet. We trim nails while you wait!

If you have any comments or question on this or any other article we have written....send them to info@waggersdogdepot.com