Essentials of Maintenance Grooming - Part 5: Feet and Nails

Keeping Your Companion on a Sound Footing: Caring for Feet and Nails

Trimming excess hair from feet is a good starting exercise when training your dog to have its feet handled and leading up to nail trimming. Using straight scissors, trim the edges of the feet. Hair also grows between the pads and will need to be trimmed or removed using scissors or clippers. If using scissors, cut the hair flush with the bottom of the pads. Do not use scissors to remove mats from between the pads as you can easily cut the skin. A small, battery powered “finisher”-type clipper is ideal for removing the hair between the pads with minimum discomfort. Use a gentle “scooping” motion from various directions to get under mats and get the hair out. This should be done more often for dogs who lick their feet often.

Toenail trimming seems to be the job most dreaded by people and dogs alike. However, it is very important that it be done regularly. Often I hear people say they are afraid of hurting the dog by cutting the “quick” (the blood vessel and nerve ending in the nail), so the job doesn’t get done. My response is that long toenails hurt a lot worse when they break off. Also, like wearing shoes that don’t fit, long toenails can break down the foot and cause chronic pain, arthritis and premature lameness. I think it is clear which is more hurtful.

If you can’t or won’t do the nails yourself, then you must take the time and spend the money to have your vet or groomer cut them in between regular groomings. Every two weeks is reasonable for most dogs to prevent long term problems.

Make sure you have the proper tools on hand: a heavy duty pliers-type nail trimmer, some styptic powder or liquid and a gauze pad or cotton ball. When first starting to train your dog to have nails cut, less is more. If the process really upsets your dog then just do one foot, or even one nail, per session and give plenty of special treats. Gradually you will be able to work up to doing them all in one session. Also, be conservative about how much you cut. Since you will be doing this at least bi-weekly, there will be plenty of chances for you to get nails shorter, if necessary.

Make a commitment to yourself and your dog not to give up after just a few sessions. If you persist for at least two months you will find that you and the dog get more comfortable each time. If the dog acts completely out of control, tries to growl or bite, then you have bigger issues than just the nails and you should see a professional trainer. It is not normal in a good canine-human relationship to be unable to handle feet or trim nails.

Restraint is the key to successfully trimming nails. The dog should be anchored securely on a leash or grooming noose that is only slack enough to allow minimal movement. There should not be enough slack for the dog to reach back behind it, or down to its feet. When you pick up each foot, reach over the dog so that you can squeeze the dog between your arm and body if necessary. Calmly and patiently, hold the dog’s foot until he stops trying to pull it away from you. If the dog starts squirming, squeeze it to your body with your arm. Avoid verbal corrections or scolding unless hysteria creeps in. You must be clear and firm that having a hissy fit is not allowed and you won’t tolerate it. It may take several practice sessions just to get the dog to let you hold his feet without fighting and that’s normal. Don’t be concerned if the dog starts panting hard or appears stressed; this reaction will diminish if you stick with it over several months. In the early stages it can be useful to have a helper to stroke the dog and give it lots and lots of treats. If the dog refuses the treats, make sure your sessions are short and keep offering them.

If the nails have not been cut for a while, the end of the nail will probably be thinner than the base and have a somewhat hooked end. If you look carefully you will be able to see the place where the thinning starts; cut just beyond that point. Nails that are cut more frequently still have a semi-circular appearance from underneath at the end. Just cut the tip of the semicircle off. From underneath, the nail toward the base appears solid, even fleshy. As you look toward the tip, the nail gets a more hollow appearance. It is safe to cut away the hollow looking part of the nail.

When you cut, don’t be tentative. When you cut the nail you will either hit the quick or you won’t; cutting slowly won’t help and will pinch the nail and quick and that does hurt. Remember not to let go of the foot until the dog stops struggling.

Sometimes you will ‘quick’ the nail; the dog may move unexpectedly or you may misjudge. This is not the end of the world. Before you start, have some styptic powder or liquid ready and waiting on a gauze pad. If you see blood, press the styptic agent in the gauze pad against the cut end of the toenail and hold it in place for at least one minute. I use cutting too short as an excuse to give the dog a super-jackpot of treats. Even if you decide to quit for the day after quicking the nail, it is important to at least pick up and hold the foot again before you lift the dog off the table. It’s best to proceed and finish the foot you were working on.

A dremel tool or grinder can be used to smooth the nails after trimming, so they don’t snag your clothes, skin or home furnishings. With practice, the grinder can be used to file the nail right back to the quick, allowing you to be more conservative about how much of the nail you actually cut off.. The grinder is also a useful alternative for dogs that get really hysterical about the nail trimmer. It takes a long time to grind down as much as a trimmer can cut but it may be just what your dog needs to get used to having feet handled.