#194 Clip, Don't Slip.

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Dog nail trimming strikes fear in the hearts of many pet parents, but it doesn't have to be a dreaded task. We break down this essential grooming ritual into simple, actionable steps that will transform your approach to nail care forever.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Trimming your dog's nails doesn't have to be a game
of chance.
Today we're talking about howto trim safely, avoid the quick
and figure out when your dog isdue for a trim, even if they've
got all black nails First.
If you've never trimmed nailsbefore or you're not really

(00:24):
confident in your technique,talk to your vet or your groomer
.
See if they'll show you exactlyhow it's done.
You want to be 100% readybefore you pick up your dog's
paw.
If you grab a paw and thenspend three minutes trying to
figure things out, you're justgoing to stress your dog out and

(00:44):
set yourself up with everythingyou need before you start.
That includes clippers or agrinder, septic powder or corn
starch in case you hit the quick, and a towel under your dog to
protect furniture or rugs fromnail dust or possible bleeding.
Now you may be wondering howwill I know when it's time for a

(01:08):
trim?
And one of the easiest checksis to look at your dog's feet
while he's standing If his nailstouch the floor, or you hear
that telltale clicking when hewalks on hard surfaces.
They're too long For some dogs.
Nails should be just above thefloor when standing.

(01:29):
And another sign if you can seethe nail start to curve or hook
, it's definitely time for atrim, and one of the biggest
challenges with nail trims isdetermining how much to cut off.
If your dog has a clear or lightcolored nail, you can see the

(01:50):
quick.
It's that pink area inside thenail.
Always trim a little bit aheadof that pink section, but don't
cut in to that pink section.
Take small slices instead ofone big cut so you could stop

(02:10):
before you get too close.
And with black nails you can'tsee the quick from the outside,
so you need to go slow.
Trim just the tip first, andafter each tiny trim look at the
cut surface.
At first it's probably going tobe chalky, white or gray, but
as you get closer to the quickyou'll see a small dark dot in
the center and that's your signto stop.

(02:35):
It's better to trim a littleeach week than try for that
perfect length in one go, and besure to use sharp clippers or a
fresh grinder so you're notcrushing the nail.
Hold the paw steady but don'tsqueeze it.
Squeezing can make your dogpull away and just take a little
off and then check your workand then take a little more off

(02:58):
if it's still safe.
And with grinders touch thenail in short bursts instead of
holding it there to avoid heatbuildup.
And if you do nick the quick,you'll know it instantly.
It will start bleeding rightaway, and sometimes quite a lot.
But stay calm.

(03:19):
Apply septic powder orcornstarch to stop the bleeding
and then give your dog a breakso you can both reset and keep
in mind.
Short, regular trims make thenails easier to manage and it'll
keep your dog comfortable ontheir feet.
So prepare first, take yourtime with each nail and remember

(03:44):
slow and steady beats fast andrisky.
But there's also no shame ifyou prefer to let your vet or
groomer be responsible for nailtrims.
After all, they do have moreexperience than we do.
But regardless of how it getsdone, it has to be done because
nail care will have a directimpact on your dog's quality of

(04:07):
life.