This is not true. If you don't trim your dog's nails, they will grow too long and could curl under and cause pain or infection. Dr. Robert Peterson, a veterinarian, says: "Regular nail trimming is essential for the health of your dog's feet."
If the nails are too long, they can cause pain when your dog walks and affect their posture. When that happens, the dog's body tries to adjust by putting more weight on the front feet, which can lead to irreversible joint and muscle conditions.
"Being a vet for over 20 years, I've seen dogs who never had their nails trimmed and only a very small percentage of these have had healthy feet and joints. The rest have all had problems like knuckling over of their front legs, arthritis, and pain when walking," says Dr. Peterson.
While conventional nail clippers are fine for some dogs, they can be difficult to use on others and may cause the nails to splinter and bleed. Therefore, nail grinders are the best option.
They have a small spinning disk that sands away the nail bit by bit. It stimulates the natural experience of walking and running on hard concrete. "It's far less likely to cause pain or bleeding, and it's also way more efficient," Dr. Peterson says.
"In my practice as a vet I’ve tested dozens of nail trimmers and I can say that the LuckyTail Nail Grinder is the only grinder I’ve used since discovering it," he says. "It has a whisper-quiet motor that's ultra-light on your pet’s nails and virtually does not vibrate, which is a big plus."
That's mostly untrue. Many pet owners choose to trim their dog's nails at home and don't have any significant problems. "That said, in my practice, I've dealt with some dogs who are absolutely terrified out of their mind of having their nails trimmed, and these dogs may require a professional groomer," he says.
Such dogs have deep-rooted trauma associated with nail trims and may require multiple sessions with a professional to get over their fear. "These instances are quite rare, though," says the veterinarian.
"With a little practice, you can become an expert at trimming your dog's nails. You just need to know the right techniques and have the proper tools," says Dr. Peterson. Again, the veterinarian recommends the LuckyTail Nail Grinder as a great tool for that.
"If you would've asked me if you need a professional to do the trimming for you a few years ago, I would've said yes. But now, since you can easily get your hands on a LuckyTail Nail Grinder, I would say that you can achieve the same results at home," says Dr. Peterson.
Dr. Peterson has something to say about more conventional trimming methods too. "If for some reason you prefer clipping over grinding, get proper, high-quality Professional Nail Clippers with a non-slip grip and a safety guard."
That's mostly false. Some pet parents may think that because their dog's nails are black, they're better off leaving the nails to grow.
While this may be true to some extent, Dr. Peterson says that it's not a big deal. "I have trimmed plenty of black nails in my career and have never had a problem," he says.
What people should avoid, according to Dr. Peterson, is using nail clippers on dark nails.
"When you're clipping black nails, there's no room for error. Any tiny miscalculation could result in clipping the quick, which is very painful for your dog."
While cutting black nails with nail clippers is definitely riskier than trimming lighter-colored nails, Dr. Peterson says that grinding them is much safer. "A nail grinder like LuckyTail is a great option for people who are nervous about cutting their dog's black nails.
The grinder has a built-in LED light that makes it easy to see the quick, and it's very difficult to clip too short."
Another thing that makes grinding nails safer is that it's a slower process, so you're less likely to cause pain if you do accidentally nick the quick.
False. While it's true that you need to be careful when using a nail grinder, the risks are actually very low.
"The biggest risk is that you might grind too much and cause your dog discomfort," says Dr. Peterson. "But as long as you're careful and go slowly, there's no reason you can't use a grinder."
Grinding the nail gives the owner a lot of control over the process, so if the dog shows any signs of discomfort, you can stop immediately, pause, and begin again.
"You can't really do that with clippers because it takes one wrong move to nick the quick," says Dr. Peterson.
"The LuckyTail Nail Grinder comes at a great price and is by far my favorite nail trimmer. Also, getting one 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 two years and it’s still going strong," he says.
Clippers are by far the most common tool used to cut dog nails. "The main issue with low-quality nail clippers on your dog is that it's very easy to hit the quick.
If you're not confident in your ability to clip your dog's nails properly, it's best to stay away from the clippers." That said, there are some great Professional Nail Clippers out there.
Another tool for trimming your dog's nails is the nail file. "The risk of injury when using a nail file is very low but it can take several hours to get the job done," says Peterson. Finally, there's the nail grinder. "It takes around 10 minutes or less depending on the size and breed of your dog.
Also, it's about 10 times less likely to cause any bleeding than if you were to use traditional nail clippers."
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."
Wrong! Your dog's nail care at home can be done in a number of ways, but using a Dremel is not one of them. "Dremels are way too powerful for dogs' nails and can cause serious injury," says Dr. Peterson.
If you're going to use a grinder on your dog's nails, make sure that it has been designed to suit the size, shape, and harness of dog nails.
Dremel devices, unlike dedicated nail grinders like LuckyTail, produce too much heat and friction to be used safely on dogs' nails. "I've had an instance where an owner decided to use a Dremel on his dog's nails and it burned the quick, causing significant pain and bleeding," says Dr. Peterson.
"The dog was never the same after that incident. These things are very serious."
A nail grinder like LuckyTail is a much safer and more effective option than a regular Dremel for two main reasons. The speed of the grinder is adjustable, so you can go slowly at first until your dog gets used to the sound and sensation.
The grinder has a protective guard that helps prevent you from going too deep and hitting the quick. "Some dog nails are extremely thick and tough and grinding them can take a while," says Dr. Peterson. "To make it faster, some brands like LuckyTail offer Extra Hard Grinding Heads that make the process much faster."
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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