Grooming Tools at Bigwag (plus tips on clipping nails!)

Hey Everyone!

I know that we're all trying to save money where we can and one place to save a few dollars is to trim your dog's toenails yourself.  The last time I went to the vet, it cost me $7 to have Hannah's nails trimmed.  With a little knowledge, you can safely do this at home and save that money!  Bigwag recently started carrying some basic grooming tools, such as brushes, nail clippers and even Fur Busters, which can help reduce the amount of hair around your house!

Our new grooming tools!  There's even a kit with seven pieces to get you started.

So come by, check out the new tools and here are some tips on trimming your dog's nails, contributed by Linda Kosecki of Camp Bow Wow!

Nail Clipping Steps

contributed by Linda Kosecki, Camp Bow Wow

Now that the weather will be turning colder, dogs may not be outside as often to wear down their nails naturally. If you hear their nails click when they walk on a hard surface, it is time for a nail trim.

Below you will find basic nail clipping steps for dogs. Pet owners should check their dog's nail every 3 to 4 weeks.

1. Place your left arm around the dog's middle body and hold it against your chest. Talk softly and kindly to ease the dog's anxiety about the clipping procedure.

2. In your left hand hold the dog's foot with your thumb on top of the toe, and two or more fingers below along the pad of the foot.

3. Insert the nail into the clipper, and clip below the quick (the pink in white nails) at a 45 degree angle. Be sure to also clip dew claws. On dog's with black nails, make several small clips instead of clipping "a chunk off." You will usually be able to see dark spot in the center of the nail when looking at it head on. This is the quick which you want to avoid cutting.

4. If you cut the quick you must stop the bleeding. In most cases, a coagulant product (nail styptic powder) is sufficient. Apply the powder to the tip of the quick where it was cut, and hold with moderate pressure. The bleeding often stops very quickly. Wipe away excess powder and re-check the "seal" often. Remember, it is possible that the powder seal may be washed or scratched off until the "seal" has had adequate time to dry. If you leave too much excess powder it hardens into a "cap" on the nail tip that can be broken off and entirely remove the seal. Therefore, be sure to remove excess powder only.

5. If desired, file each nail so that the tip is soft and without rough broken edges. Filing nails that bled may remove the coagulant styptic powder "seal" and resume bleeding. Do not file the seal away. Brittle nails will require more filing to remove burrs.

6. If a dew claw has grown into a circular loop, you can cut into the mid-section of the nail with scissor-type cutter before the quick. Afterwards, use the regular nail clippers to finish cutting but again avoiding the quick.

For a demo, check out this You Tube video

For more information on Camp Bow Wow, visit their website!