Tips and Tricks to Trim Your Pets' Nails

Although trimming your pets’ nails seems daunting, there are some tips or tricks you can try that will not only help you with trimming your pets' nails, but it also saves you money.

Not all pet owners can afford to go to the vet or groomer every couple of weeks to get their pet nails trimmed. Pet Assure suggests every three to four weeks. Learning how to trim your pets' nails and working with your pet by trimming their nails will also create a better bond between owner and pet. These few tips or tricks will help to try to get your dog or cat to cooperate with you and allow them to get comfortable with you touching and trimming their nails.

First, before you trim your pets' nails, show them the clippers, let them sniff the clippers, rub them on all four of their paws, and rub the clippers on their neck. This will show your pet that the clippers may seem scary, but they won't hurt them.

Also, when you aren’t trying to trim your pets' nails, work with your pet by touching and playing with their paws and nails, this will get your pet used to their nails and paws being touched. Veterinarian Lynn Buzhardt suggests keeping the clippers out and handling them every so often, so your pet sees them and you with them more often. She also suggests the paw handling noted above, as well as clicking the nail clipper so your pet gets used to the sound.

If those couple of tips or tricks don’t seem to be helping you with your pet, there are still a couple more things to try that hopefully brings you success. When getting ready to trim their nails, give your pet a toy as some sort of distraction that keeps them busy, and they won't be as worried about what you are doing.

Lastly, if the last tips or tricks did not work for you and your pet then you might need to practice and work with them more, remember to have patience. But you can try peanut butter and saran wrap for your dog and some tuna in a bowl for your cat, some sort of treat. Put the saran wrap around your leg with a scoop of peanut butter and keep the animal busy eating while you trim his nails. For cats, put a bowl of tuna front of him as a distraction.

Mainly, work on trying to find a distraction that works best for you and your pet and keep working with your pet by getting them used to their feet touched. It will be beneficial in the long run. And trim nails as often as possible, make it a routine. Preventive Vet recommends not waiting too long. The less length, the less time on task and the more “normal” it will become for you and your pet.

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