Jacob Rowe, Yesterday 8:57 AM
As all veterinarians agree, trimming your dog's nails is an important task ensuring your pet's health and well-being.
However, this seemingly simple and trivial procedure remains a major source of pain and frustration for millions of dogs and their owners around the world.
Veterinarian Dr. Robert Peterson has offered some advice on how to trim your dog's nails safely and effectively.
"Working as a vet for over 20 years, I can say that cutting dog nails can be one of the most painful experiences for both the pet and its owner.
Even to this day, most dog owners believe that there's not much you can do to make the process easier for either party and you just have to get over it," says the expert.
"In my practice as a vet I’ve tried many nail trimmers (both manual and electronic) and I can say that LuckyTail is the only grinder I’ve used since discovering it."
"But times have changed," Dr. Peterson says. "While most people are still using the old and outdated tools for cutting their dog's nails, there is one novel device that makes the process 10 times easier and less painful for everyone involved."
According to him, using an electric nail grinder is the best and the only way to go. "It has revolutionized the way I and thousands of other dog owners trim their pets' nails.
However, he says that this new trend has not made its way into the mainstream just yet," says Dr. Peterson.
He says that in order to understand why nail trimming has become such a dreaded experience for so many dog owners, it's important to have a look at the way most people tend to do it.
Therefore, Peterson has provided an overview of the top 3 most commonly used tools for trimming your dog's nails outlining their pros and cons.
According to Dr. Peterson, the nail grinder will yeld the best results for 99% of all dog owners.
He points out that the biggest difference between a grinder and other nail trimming tools is that it uses an abrasive wheel to grind down your dog's nails instead of filing them. "This not only makes for shorter and smoother nails but also reduces any jagged edges," says the veterinarian.
He says that the high speed of the spinning disc produces just the right amount of friction which results in shiny polished nails without the risk of cutting into the quick.
"It's also a much faster process," he added. For a medium-sized dog, using a nail grinder on all of their nails can take around 10 minutes or less depending on the size and breed of your dog.
Another great thing about using a nail grinder is that it's a lot less likely to cause any bleeding than if you were to use traditional nail clippers.
"Currently, most professionals are using nail grinders, so if you bring your pup for a nail clipping at your vet's office, they'll probably use a grinder instead of clippers to keep their nails short.
I myself have been using one for quite a while now. Given that using a grinder does not require any skill, investing in a nail grinder is a great way to save money in the long run and keep your pet's nails in top shape!"
The veterinarian points out that electric nail grinders for dogs have only been available to the general public for only a couple of years now. "They used to be exclusively used by veterinarians, groomers, and dog trainers," he says. "But more and more people are finding out how much easier they make the job of clipping their dog's nails."
In terms of the cons of using a nail grinder, Dr. Peterson says that some of the most common problems with grinders is that the cheaper grinders come with a lot of vibration and use batteries, which have to be replaced every month or two.
"That said, if you can get your hands on a low-vibration grinder with a rechargeable battery you can avoid these problems," pointed out the veterinarian. "Also, some models offer interchangeable grinding heads, which is great because it allows for safe and easy switching from one level of coarseness to another according to your dog's nails' condition."
"Overall, using an electric nail grinder is by far the best way to keep your dog's nails healthy and looking good, but you want to make sure you get a model that is low-vibration and has a rechargeable battery," says Dr. Peterson.
Dr. Robert Peterson Recommends: LuckyTail Nail Grinder
When asked for a recommendation in terms of specific nail grinder brands or models, Dr. Peterson does not hesitate. According to him, the best electric nail grinder on the market is the LuckyTail Nail Grinder.
The LuckyTail Nail Grinder rushed into the market in 2020 and INSTANTLY started making giant waves on social media and in the news. Currently, it’s one of the leading dog nail trimmer companies with over 300,000 happy customers worldwide.
The LuckyTail Nail Grinder is one of the first USB-charged low-vibration pet nail grinders. It was professionally designed by a team of veterinarians, dog trainers, and pet parents who were frustrated with the current options on the market.
"In my practice as a vet I’ve tried many nail trimmers (both manual and electronic) and I can say that LuckyTail is the only grinder I’ve used since discovering it," says the veterinarian. "It has a whisper-quiet motor that's ultra-light on your pet’s nails and virtually does not vibrate. It also feels well made and looks quite stylish and it is rechargeable through a USB cable, which is a big plus."
"It comes at a great price and is by far my favorite nail grinder.
Also, using LuckyTail means never having to worry about putting down money again because these things surely last long enough.
I’ve had my current one for over a year and it’s still going strong," he says. "LuckyTail has certainly changed the way I groom my client's pets and I hope that it will do the same for millions of other pet parents, too."
Another tool for trimming your dog's nails is the nail file. This can be used either by itself or in conjunction with clippers.
The way it works is you simply place your dog's paw on the ground and hold it in place with one hand while using your other hand to run the nail file across any sharp points or edges of each individual nail.
According to the veterinarian, there are several types of nail files that you can purchase, but the most important thing is to make sure that it is a high-quality file. "You don't want to use a file that's going to fray and create more problems than you're trying to solve," he cautions.
Peterson suggests that this is a much safer option for dogs who are not used to having their nails cut, as it does not require you to be so precise. "The risk of injury when using a nail file is very low as it grinds the nail very slowly.
It's usually the dog owners who have accidentally hit their dog's quick with nail clippers who make the transition into using the nail file," says Dr. Peterson.
According to Peterson, though this is a much safer option than using nail clippers, the biggest downside to using a nail file on your dog's nails is that it takes a lot longer to get the job done.
For a medium-sized dog, trimming all of their nails with a nail file could take up to 30-50 minutes. Meanwhile, you could achieve the very same results - if not better - by using a quality nail grinder.
"In the modern world, that's a lot of time and certainly not everybody is willing to make that kind of sacrifice," says Peterson. "If you have a lot of spare time, go for it."
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Clippers are by far the most common tool used to cut dog nails and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
There are two main types of clippers - guillotine style and scissors style. Guillotine-style clippers have a small hole in the middle where you put the nail and then squeeze the handles together to cut it off.
Scissors-style clippers work like regular scissors: you place the nail in between the blades and snip it off. Both styles have their pros and cons, but the working principle behind them is completely identical.
According to Dr. Peterson, the major advantage of using nail clippers is that they are very affordable and can be bought at most pet stores. "Wherever you go, you are likely to find a pair of clippers that will fit the size of your dog's nails.
However, since that is the case, the market is flooded with low-quality clippers that result in a terrible cut," says Dr. Peterson.
When asked about the cons of using this tool, the veterinarian says that clippers are very unforgiving of any mistakes or inaccuracies made when cutting nails.
Meanwhile, it is very difficult to cause your pet damage if your using a nail file or a nail grinder.
"The main issue with using nail clippers on your dog is that it's very easy to hit the quick - the pink part of the nail where blood vessels and nerve endings pass through.
If you hit it, your dog will yelp in pain and bleed all over the place! In addition, if you cut the nails too short, they can become ingrown and infected," he warns.
Therefore, according to Dr. Peterson, it requires a lot of skill and experience in order to avoid the quick," says Peterson. "If you're not confident in your ability to clip your dog's nails properly, or have shaky hands, it's best to stay away from the clippers," cautions Dr. Peterson.
In conclusion, if you're looking for an easy and safe way to trim your dog's nails, then getting an electric nail grinder is the best option available.
Not only is it easy to use, but it also saves a lot of time and eliminates the risk of hitting the quick.
According to the expert, it is definitely a tool worth considering if you want to keep your dog's nails nicely trimmed and healthy.
We are five friends and independent dog lovers who are veterinarians, breeders and enthusiasts of pawed buddies. We want to help people to make fact-based decisions before buying gadgets and other things for their dogs.
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