All About Grooming: Trimming Your Pet’s Nails
This week we will discuss everything you need to know about trimming your pet’s nails. We’ve all been there; the torn curtains, ripped couches, unstuffed pillows, scraped surfaces, and the list goes on… Even if you got your cat a scratch post, they still have nails, don’t they? This week we will discuss everything you need to know about trimming your pet’s nails.
Around a quarter of cat owners in the US declaw their pets. Dogs can be declawed as well. Although this procedure might take some of the burden off of one side of the scale, it’ll definitely tip the other side. Declawing means inflamed paws, painful walking, limping, behavioral problems, and a lot more! So, declawing isn’t the optimal choice for your pets unless instructed by your vet in rare and terminal cases.
If your pet has nails, this automatically means that they need regular trimming. Below, we’ll focus on why your pets try to avoid getting their nails trimmed and give you a horrible time doing so.
Three reasons your pet hates getting their nails trimmed:
- They’ve been cut too close to their paws before so they’ve associated it with great pain.
- Their breed naturally hurts when their feet are pulled. This is mostly true for short-legged dogs such as Basset Hound or Dachshund.
- Cat paws need to be pinched for claws to come out and this can be agonizing for them. Again, they associate it with pain.
In short, you need to associate nail clipping with joy and take it easy; it’s a process that eventually gets you there. Don’t forget to consult your vet or groomer if your pet is exceptionally difficult.