As pet owners we have a special and serious responsibility to care for out animal friends. Whether we own dogs, cats, rabbits or other clawed pet, proper grooming techniques can keep our furry friends happy and healthy. As with any aspect of pet grooming, there are right ways and wrong ways to perform the important task of trimming an animals claws. Using the proper trimming tools and keeping your pet calm during the procedure can reduce the amount of anxiety felt by both the animal and the owner.

Doing the Trimming Yourself

Many pet owners perform claw trimming on their pets. Do-it-yourself claw trimming can be a breeze or a real struggle. Some animals simply will not cooperate and need special attention. Still other pets sit calmly and some even enjoy the attention. Just like housebreaking and other training most pets go through, teaching a pet to allow their claws to be trimmed is vitally important.

Trimming should start when the animal is young and can learn to become comfortable with the process. Building the bond of trust with our pets is vital to successful training and claw trimming is no different. A trusting pet is far more likely to allow their claws to be trimmed. Forcing the animal to be trimmed can break down that bond and may effect the animals overall response to other training.

Using the Right Tools

A sharp tool is better than a dull one, whether you are working with wood, cutting vegetables, or trimming your pets claws. Sharp trimmers will make the task easier for several reasons. Dull trimmers have a tendency to create too much pressure on the claw, crushing rather than cutting through the claw. Crushing or applying too much pressure to the claw will certainly add to your pets discomfort.

A sharp trimmer will cut through the claw cleanly and with far less effort. A clean cut is less likely to fracture the claw and controlling the cut is easier with a sharp trimmer.

Where to Cut

When trimming your pets claws, it is always better to go too long than too short. Cutting the claw too short may result in cutting into the quick. The quick is the soft, blood-filled tissue present inside the claw. Look at your own fingernails and you can see the point at which your nail attaches to the finger. If you have ever cut the quick of your own fingernail you have a sense of what cutting your pets quick can feel like.

The difficulty comes in knowing exactly where to cut. Some claws can appear almost transparent and the quick can be seen as red or pink. Avoid cutting too close to the quick as the pressure may be uncomfortable to your pet. Other claws may be black in color making the task of seeing the quick almost impossible. If the quick is not visible, try to cut the least amount of claw material.

Cutting Too Close

If you accidentally cut the quick, the wound will most certainly bleed. The important thing is not to panic. The process of bleeding will help flush contaminants from the wound and can be stopped. Styptic powder or cream will help the blood to clot. These preparations are available at most pet supply stores. Simply apply the styptic according to the product directions, keeping your pet calm. After the bleeding stops, keep your pet confined to allow time for the cut to fully clot.

If your pet absolutely refuses to let you trim its claws, then the job should be performed by a veterinary professional. In order to get the job done without stressing the animal, it may be necessary to use a mild sedative.

Professional Trimming

Regardless of the animal, some owners opt to have a professional groomer or veterinarian perform the job. Though this may seem like the ideal solution, the pet owner still has a responsibility to ensure that the trimming is done without stressing the animal. Just as we would ask questions of any professional about how a job would be done, it is fair to ask the groomer of vet about how they trim.