Clipping dogs' claws - Are you brave enough to do it yourself?
Many owners are quite happy when it comes to clipping their dogs' claws, but PLEASE be careful not to cut the quick (or sensitive area with nerve endings and blood vessels). If you do, this results in a dog that is terrified of having his nails touched or even having his feet looked at forever.
wMost active young dogs do not need their nails clipped at all. They wear down quite naturally with all the wonderful walks that we indulge our dogs in in the UK.
wThey may appear long and hurt you when your dog jumps up to greet you or visitors, but rather stop the jumping up by taking a step back when you see it about to happen.
wThe nails that will grow quite long and need to be clipped in young, active dogs are the dewclaws. They are on the inside higher up the paw - almost like rudimentary 'thumbs'. Some breeders have these removed in puppies at a few days old (more in the working dogs) and some dogs even have back dewclaws or even double back dewclaws in Pyrenean Mountain Dogs for example.
wThese back dewclaws (or front ones too) may need to be surgically removed if your dog is extremely active and there is the risk that the claw may be pulled off when they go charging through bushes or undergrowth. It can be combined with a spay or castration so that only one anaesthetic is needed, but then strong painkillers are required.
wThe ones requiring regular nail clipping are the older, inactive and often overweight dogs.
wOwners that clip the nail themselves must be careful to just remove the curve and take off a tiny bit of nail at a time (a bit like we do as vets). If you just cannot do it yourself and your dog has had a bad experience in the past, a sedative such as an ACP tablet or Acepromazine (these are little yellow tablets) can be given (if your pet is not too old and has no health problems). This takes the edge off the fear and ensures that the whole experience is not too unpleasant for you and your dog if it has to be done regularly.
wThe sedative effect of ACP will last about 8 hours from when it takes effect and make sure that your pet does not become too cold or too warm during this time.
wIf you do have a dog who will not allow you or anyone near her feet, remember to always request that her nails are checked and clipped when she comes in for any procedure where she is sedated or anaesthetised. We often get so caught up in doing whatever procedure is needed such as ear flushing or lump removal, that we lose a good opportunity to do something as simple as clipping long claws at the same time if not reminded.
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