Trimming Extremely Overgrown Dog Nails?
Dogs with Overgrown nails are often faced with a lot of troubles, risks, and inconveniences associated with keeping long nails. In fact, if your dog's nails are too long, you are responsible for it and should take the blame.
Extremely Overgrown Dog Nails are dangerous for your pet, it could lead to split nails, severe pains, injuries, and bleeding. To help your dog live a healthy and happy life, his nails should be trimmed regularly.
The good news is, cutting overgrown nails is simple and the procedure can be performed by anyone in the comfort of your home. You don't need to spend cash or obtain a bachelor's degree before you can master the process of Clipping extremely overgrown dog nails.
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Before we proceed further, I would like you to understand the structure of a dog's nail, what makes a nail, and how you can handle it during clipping.
What Makes Up A Dog's Nail?
A dog's claw or nail consists of a central soft cuticle and a hard outer. The hard outer shell is made up of dead cells (Keratin), while the soft cuticle in the center consists of nerve and blood vessels. The cuticle is popularly known as the “quick” of the nail. It is rich in blood supply and If the quick is injured, the nail will start bleeding immediately and the dog will feel pain.
The quick of a dog's nails can be easily identified on light-colored nails, but hard to see on dogs that have black or darker-colored nails. Nail color might be different but the anatomical structure is still the same.
In case you are dealing with dark nails, don't worry I will explain how to trim black claws without hurting your dog later in this post or you can quickly read” How To Trim Black Dog Nails Within 3 Minutes“.
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Important Reasons Why Your Dog's Nails Need Trimming?
As a pet owner, one of the best ways you can show your dog how much you care is by clipping his long nails regularly. It is something very important you have to do if you want your dog to live a healthy life.
When you fail to trim your dog’s nails, they grow faster and very long, which can cause more harm to your dog. Find out more reasons why you shouldn't allow your dog's nails to overgrow.
- Long Nails Are Harmful: Extremely overgrown nails are dangerous to your dog. If your pup's nails are too long, they can cause serious pain and may split leading to bleeding.
- Overgrown nails Can Cause defects in posture and weight distribution.
- Long Nails Can Restrict Movement: Your dog may not be able to walk free and this will be affecting his daily activities (like daily walks and exercises) and when dogs become inactive they tend to be very lazy.
- Dogs May Slip Off Easily: If your dog's nails are not clipped, they may slip off easily causing them to fall or get injured.
- Short or clipped claws keep your Dog healthy, happy and fit to play around.
- Healthy nails make a happy dog and when your pet is happy you are also happy. Right? lol.
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Why Extremely Overgrown Nails Are Dangerous To Your Dog.
- Dogs with too long nails hardly maintain proper hygiene and this will have a negative effect on their overall wellbeing.
- Pups with overgrown nails are at risk of split claws, injuries, and bleeding.
- Untrimmed long nails lead to unhealthy dog posture and body alignment.
- Long nails can cut up with things or objects, restricting movements and causing nail tear.
- Overgrown nails that are not trimmed may lead to nail bed infections or other secondary nail disorders.
Approach To Clipping Extremely Overgrown Dog Nails
The steps to trim down a dog's nails to normal length are simple and can be done without a third party.
The first approach is to prepare and keep everything ready for the procedure. This makes the job simple and easy.
Extremely Overgrown Nails Clipping Preparation
Nothing so special about the preparation rather than assembling the necessary tools you would need to successfully clip your dog’s nails. Everything you would use for this procedure should be well arranged and should be your reach before you begin.
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Dog Nail Cutting Preparation Involves the following:
Getting Ready Your Canine Nail Clippers.
Depending on the type of dog you are about to clip and the size of the nails. You have to choose the right nail clipper that will suit your dog's nails. Get a sharp clipper, clean or sterilize properly and keep set for use.
Choose Shiny Pet Nail Trimmer For Dogs With Small-sized nails: This type of nail trimmer is used for puppies (small dogs). If you own a Pomeranian dog, this clipper is perfect for your dog.
About Shiny Pet Nail Clippers?: The shiny pet nail trimmer is a scissors-like kind of clipper. It is safe and easy to use, especially for smaller paws because it has sharp-angled steel blades to trim nails safely and clean.
For matured dogs, you can go for Safari Nail Clipper, Millers Forge Nail clipper, Epica Nail clipper. Read more about nail trimmers here >> Best Nail Trimming Tools For Your Dog
Get Your First Aid Box In Place
One important thing to keep close is your emergency kits or first-aid box. The kits should at least contain all that is needed to handle emergencies that may occur during the clipping.
Anti-bleeding agents like Styptic powder and others such as Methylated Spirit, Hydrogen Peroxide, Rubber gloves, Gauze, Scissors, Grooming Wipes, soap, Swabs, Bondage, and Towel Or Blanket.
You Can easily Deal With A Bleeding Quick in case you mistakenly cut it.
Keep Your Dog's Favorite Meals.
For you to clip your dog's overgrown nails properly, you must be sure your dog complies with what you are doing to him. The best way to calm a dog during nail clipping is by giving him his favorite meals. 
Balanced Diets Can Strengthen and boost the overall health of the nails.
Take A Position And Begin Clipping Extremely Overgrown Nails
Stay In A Comfortable Position: You have to stay outside, a bright place. Don’t stay in a dark place, you need to sit where you can see the nails clearly before you commence the clipping.
Grab your pet gently & firmly as you sit in a comfortable position. Trimming is easier if you have someone hold your dog for you to clip comfortably.
Make sure your dog is not moving any body part before you trim, then hold his paws firmly this will prevent movement that may lead to sudden bleeding during the process.
First, you must find the quick, examine the nail to know where the quick starts and ends, this will guide you to carefully trim without cutting injuring it.
Trim Your Dog's Extremely Overgrown Nails Using A Clipper: Start cutting your pup's nails with a trimmer, preferably a Safari Nail Clipper. Take a gradual, bit by bit trim bit and be careful of the quick, keep trimming, while you angulate at 45-degrees.
Remember: Cut small portions of the nails bit by bit, don't trim larger parts of the nails at once. Trimming must be done gently and if your dog tries to resist, kindly give him his favorite meals and then continue the procedure.
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Is Your Dog Scared Of Clipping Or Won't Let You Trim?
Most dogs are nervous clipping and if your dog is one of such who wouldn't let you carry on, don’t worry. Here is how to handle such a situation, this few minutes video below will show you how to clip a nervous dog in a few minutes.
WATCH VIDEO
A diligent method of cutting across all the nails can make things work easily. Do not cut the dog’s quick and if this happens, immediately apply styptic powder to the bleeding toenail and if the bleeding wouldn’t stop, Follow How To Instantly Stop Severe Dog Nail Bleeding.
Finished Clipping your Dog's Overgrown Nails?
Begin To File The Claws: The next step after cutting the nails is to start filing to smooth out the rough edges of the claws. For dogs suffering from brittle nails, kindly file instead of clipping to avoid splitting and injuries.
Oh No! I Have Just Cut Through My Dog's Quick
Emergency Kits: If you have just injured your dog's quick, expect that it will bleed immediately. Kindly grab your first aid box and tackle the bleeding immediately.
This is an important reason why you must keep your emergency kits close to you before you engage in nail cutting.
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My Dog's Nails Bleed After Cutting?
Follow these steps to stop the bleeding:
- Apply pressure on the affected toenail.
- Apply Styptic powder on the injury to stop the bleeding.
- If Bleeding persists, tightly wrap the nail after applying styptic powder.
- Follow these Steps To Instantly Stop Nail Bleeding.
- Bleeding Continues? Visit your vet for a solution.