How to Use Dog Nail Clippers with Guard Safely?

Contents

A dog nails at some point will start growing and that isn’t very good news. As you know, long nails have a direct connection to causing serious health troubles. And the number one on that list is infections. This brings one to consider clipping their dog’s nails regularly or once in a while (it depends basically).

That’s why it’s important to know the right way on how to use dog nail clippers with guard and keep those infections sidetracked.

How to Use Dog Nail Clippers with Guard – Things to Consider& Following Steps.

Depending on your comfort there are two ways to deal with a dog’s grown nails. One, take it to a dog groomer who can trim those nails in no time. Two, do it yourself with basic guidelines. Let’s talk about the second method in detail.

# Things to Do Before the Trimming.

If you have an anxiety problem suffering pet, then it’s going to be a hard journey. You need to calm your pet child before bringing any nail clipper on board. Some dogs may react very severely even with the sight of such clippers. You should try positive reinforcement such as big hugs and treats to assure that the situation is completely under your control and there’s nothing to be stressed about.

You need to arrange for a good amount of lighting before the trimming session. Since you have zero ideas about the whole thing, chances of cuts and accidents are on the higher side. And so, you don’t want to disturb your visual powers by any means.

That’s why it’s important to clip your dog’s nails during daylight or inside a room that has a sufficient amount of light. You may also want to try wearing magnification glasses in case of getting closer trims. Use your other hand to separate your dog’s toes and arrange ample space for using cutter better.

If your dog has a lot of fur going around, bring a clipping scissor. You need to trim back those hairs from the toe area. It’s important to have no eruption for visibility and getting closer access to claws.

# Start by Sharpening Your Clippers.

No matter how good quality the nail clippers are, it’s zero beneficial without proper amount of sharpness. It’s important to use a pretty sharp clipper or at least sharpen before using it. You need to clip the nails by one go. A dull clipper will need more time and it might also demand more pressure while cutting. This is risking to cause pain.

To sharpen the clippers, start by getting its lever out. You need to press both parts of the clipper together. Use a plier or similar type of tool to press both parts evenly. Get the pinout next.

You need to separate the blades afterward. Use a sharpening tool to gently bring the sharpness back into these blades. Once blades are sharp enough, you need to reassemble everything back to its original place. Just go with the opposite order of what you did to take those blades out.

# Make Your Dog Sit or Lay in a Steady Position.

There’s a good chance that your dog will get scared and irritated during the trimming session. As a result, they may start moving roughly. And that is an open invitation to cuts and hurts later on. So, it’s very important to maintain your dog at a still sitting or laid position.

You need to constantly pamper small dogs to keep them calm and stable during this process. For relatively larger dogs, one of your family members needs to help. Some dogs are well trained in sitting still when owners command them to do so.

You can use treats to reward and acknowledge the clipping tool for that. Also, you can try providing small treats after each clipping. This way you make him or her believe that clipping is actually a good thing that gets them to treat. Once the dog is comfortable with clipping and no more shows any irritation, you don’t need to give treats anymore.

# Cutting Only Small Portion.

Most dog owners may already know that dog’s blood vessel also grows along with nails. And so, you need to be extra careful of cutting nails. You just need to get rid of the edge only. Go for tinier portions to cut long nails. Don’t cut big parts at once. Go for a bit by bit cutting.

A metal guard will help you to measure the right depth of cutting nails. Once you witness a tiny dark circle, it means there’s no need to cut any further.

# In Case of Bleeding.

As a beginner, you may unintentionally cause an accident. Let’s hope you won’t but even if it happens, knowing how to take care of the situation later is important. So, let me provide some instructions for overall safety.

You need to compress that area first using a clean cloth. A clean soap bar can be rubbed over the cut if it’s not too big. However, if the cut is relatively major, you need to apply ice wrapped with cloth around it. This should stop the bleeding for the most part.

Next, you need a little bit of styptic powder. Simply dip the area inside this powder. You should keep on taking out and dipping again. Keep on doing so until the bleeding completely stops. You should not wipe the blood. This way you are making way for clotting.

Once the situation is under control, use another clean cloth to wrap the cut area. Let your dog rest for half or one hour. Arrange some lukewarm water to wash the nail after that. Use a regular bandage or cover the area next. This will not let the dog lick that area. For more info…

If you fail to stop the bleeding and it seems to get serious, go to your vet immediately.

Tips.

- If your dog walks outside a lot, then you should clip nails very frequently. However, if your dog is mostly indoors, once in a month clipping should be fine.
- Never use any scissors or other sharp objects to clip your dog’s nail. Dog clippers are specifically designed to avoid any further serious accidents. With regular cutting tools, you won’t be able to tackle the risks. This can also lead to infections.
- When choosing nail clippers, pay the most attention to their blade quality. This part needs to be excellent and anything poor here can cause unpleasant results later on.

Read Also:

Conclusion

And that was my guide on how to use dog nail clippers with a guard. As a complete newbie to this topic, you should pay extra attention to all cautions and warnings related to clipping. It’s best to stick with simple clipping rather than trying anything you are not confident about.

Also, your approach to getting the best dog nail clippers will highly matter how smooth this process goes. Don’t buy anything poor in quality just to save a few bucks. Your Dog Doesn’t Deserve Anything Unsafe in Turn of Saving Little Money.

Over The Counter Medications That Are Safe for Dogs (And how much to give!)