How to Make Clipping Your Pets Nails Easier on You and Your Pet

Clipping your pet's nails can be a challenging task, and most cats and dogs will fight you tooth and nail to keep their nails from being trimmed. Many of them do not like having their feet handled, or even worse have had a bad experience. So how can you make trimming your pets' nails a simple, easy, and pain free experience for the both of you?

Starting young is the easiest way to desensitize your pet to getting their nails clipped. The younger they are the more likely they are willing to be accepting of the handling of their paws. Regardless of their age, desensitizing their feet can be a fairly easy process. Simply handle their paws as you are playing or sitting with them so they can become used to the sensation, and reward them for not reacting or reacting badly when you are touching their feet. But making a positive association with the touching of their feet, they will make less of a fuss when you pull out the clippers. This is because by desensitizing and handling their paws, touching their feet becomes a normal part of their routine.

Once your cat or dog is used to having their feet handled, it is time to get out the clippers. At first, let them see the clippers and handle their feet - but do not use the clippers just yet. Again you want to make a positive association between the clippers and handling of their feet. Eventually move the clippers closer, and then hold them in hand, rewarding them for each step forward they take. This may take a few sessions of work or can take weeks, depending on their age and any previous associations they may have had with nail clippers.

Finally you will reach the point where you are able to hold your cat or dog next to you or on your lap and trim their nails. Make sure when this point is reached, do not cut the quick, which is a blood vessel that runs into the nail. If the quick is cut, not only will it bleed but it is extremely painful for your pet. And once this happens they will never forget the experience. Often, that one negative experience may cause them to run from the clippers when they are supposed to get their nails cut again. When you are done trimming their nails, make sure to praise them and reward them for their good behavior. This way they will see the nail clippers and nail trimming as a positive experience.

Some cats and dogs are more forgiving about getting their nails cut than others. For example, my dog hates having her feet touched and had her quick cut accidentally both by myself and the groomer. Eventually she was so phobic she would run at the sight of the clippers. Positive reinforcement didn't even work, and eventually it took two people (and a lot of work) to trim her nails.

If this is your cat or dog, what do you do? There are pet nail files (Pedicure, and Peticure) that you can use to make nail trimming a positive experience. These products work for several reasons. Some pets do not like the pressure the nail clippers put on the quick and others have had bad experiences. These products do not put pressure on the nail, and file not cut the nail. The other reason they work is because they do not look like nail clippers. Your cat or dog will not have a positive or negative association with the product until it is made. Once I invested in a nail file product, nail trimming sessions became a breeze.

The biggest tool you will need in this process is patience. No matter which method you use, it will take time - especially if you pet has had bad experiences or is an adult. Take your time, use positive reinforcement, and nail trimmings will become a breeze.