9. How to File a Dog’s Nails

Safety Notes: 

• Electric Dremel’s (for nail trims) will not stop rotating if they become entangled with the pet’s hair. This can cause injury to the pet. Corded Dremel’s are more powerful and may not be used on pets with longer hair for this reason. If the pet looks like it may bite, use a muzzle to prevent the pet from being injured by the Dremel.
• Certain styles of Dremel (these usually have a light on the end) have a numbered speed setting. Be careful with the setting on this type of tool. Don’t increase the speed on the dial over 15. If it is set over 15 and you tangle the pet’s hair in the head of the tool, it will not automatically shut down and may cause injury to the pet’s skin. If it is set under 15, it will automatically shut down before grinding skin.  

Important Ideas to Keep in Mind:  The more comfortable your pet is, the less they will resist while filing. Consider keeping the pet’s foot as low as you can. If you pull the leg to the side and/or up too high, it is uncomfortable for the pet. They will try to pull their leg away from you. In a worst-case scenario, this can cause injury to the pet.

Assess your pet before beginning. Do you need someone to hold the pet or is the pet secured enough? Is the pet so excited that they may need to stay on the floor while having their nails filed? Would it help to have someone hold the pet in a corner of the room? Holding a pet in a corner helps to prevent them from backing up, in some cases. Is the pet known for trying to roll or is this a possibility? Rolling is very dangerous and difficult to work through. Often, when a pet tries to roll while you are filing the nails, the groom tech should stop the procedure and consider referring the pet to a vet for nail filing.

Consider what is going on in the area where you will be filing the nails. Is there a lot of noise? Are there a lot of other dogs moving around in the area? Are the groomers next to you working with difficult pets? Do you have enough room to safely move around and secure your pet on the table? If there is a lot of activity, you need to consider the effect of Trigger Stacking? Trigger Stacking means that several small stimuli that a dog feels, that may not ordinally cause a rection, but happen at the same time or back-to-back. All this stimulation causes a reaction in the pet that might seem excessive or unexpected if the handler is only considering the immediate stimulus and not all the others that have occurred. For instance, a pet barking nearby, maintenance working in the area, another dog on a nearby table being squirmy, having just struggled with your pet for brushing, turning on the Dremel, and finally picking up the foot on your dog, might cause a reaction. To the handler, it seems the pet just reacted to picking up the foot. If this happens, look around and see if any of the triggers can be reduced or eliminated before trying again.  

Special Note:  If the pet’s nails are very long, you may need to clip and then file. If you choose to Dremel only on a pet with very long nails, the pet may have to stand there a long time while you work to get each nail short enough. If you decide you need to clip the nails first, see the separate nail clipping procedure.

Finally, we are ready to begin.

1. Properly secure your pet and have any helpers ready that you may need. 
2. Prepare to pick up one of the pet’s rear feet (front feet can cause more of a reaction with the pet). Touch the pet at the hip first. Run your hand down the leg to the foot before picking it up. This warns the pet that you will be handling the leg, and it decreases the chance of the pet reacting if the foot is pulled from underneath with no advance warning.
3. Check how your pet balances and stands with the foot lifted. Do you need to put your knee under the pet’s belly to support them? If this puts you off balance because the pet is squirming, do you need someone to hold the pet? A helper can put a hand or arm under the pet’s belly.
4. Lift the foot so that their leg is aligned with the body and do not turn the joint to the side and up high. Incorrect posture can cause injury to the pet’s leg.
5. Look at the pet’s foot and see if any hair is around the area of the nails. If so, ensure that all hair is pulled back and away from the nail. The Dremel is rotating and can catch any hair that touches the shaft. If this happens, the Dremel can become entangled and injure the pet. Some pets will also bite at the Dremel. If the pet’s head meets the Dremel, the hair around the head can become entangled. This can also cause injury. For this reason, ensure that your pet is properly secured before beginning.
6. Isolate one nail that you wish to start with and hold that nail or paw pad between your fingers. This will provide stability so that when you press the Dremel to the nail, you will be able to apply pressure and file.
7. Touch the Dremel with a sanding bit attached to the first nail that you are holding. Hold the Dremel against the nail for no more than three seconds. The Dremel and the nail can become hot if you hold it in one place for too long. Do not bounce the Dremel against the nail. Keep the Dremel moving around the surface of the nail while rounding the edges to prevent the pet from feeling the heat. Stop the Dremel if you need to and take a break. You can always go back and Dremel the nails again if they are not short enough.  
8. Each nail has an internal blood supply. If you cut or Dremel into this area, it will bleed and be painful for the pet. It is also sensitive just before you get to this area. This is like our own nails; they are sensitive when you break one very short. Determining where the quick is located can be easy on light colored nails. You can usually see the red blood supply if you look at the nail from the side. Dogs with dark colored nails are more difficult to determine when to stop. If you are looking at the end of the nail, it has a white coloring if you are far from the quick.  When the cut or dremelled end becomes dark in color, you are getting close and should stop. Also look at the natural arch of the nail. It is usually best to stop near the peak of the curve of the nail.  
9. When you are done with each nail, roll the Dremel from the bottom of the tip of the nail to the top. When the pet has their foot on the ground, this finish makes the nail look visibly shorter.
10. If the nail bleeds, get some Quick Stop powder and hold it to the quick at the end of the nail to help the blood clot. Hold pressure and powder on the cut end until bleeding stops. This may take several minutes, especially if the pet’s blood pressure is high due to stress (do not use Quick Stop on skin). This is a common error with groomers. It is only to be used on nails. Get medical attention if pressure with a clean cloth does not stop bleeding of the skin.
11. Finish all nails on the rear foot. Feel them to see if there are any sharp edges that you missed.  The owner is expecting the nails to feel smooth.
12. Check if the pet has dew claws, which are a 5^th claw higher up on the inside of the leg. Some pets even have two dew claws. Sometimes dew claws are just attached by skin only and move freely. Be especially careful when trimming or dremelling these nails, but they do need to be well trimmed as they are the most likely nails to catch and tear while the pet is playing.
13. Move to the other side of the pet and begin on the nails of the next foot. You need to physically move around the pet and not pull the leg under and through the other. Twisting of the leg can cause injury. Remember to keep the pet’s leg in line with the body.
14. Move to a front leg. Before beginning, ensure that the pet is secured from biting at the Dremel and is calm while you lift the leg.  
15. Touch the pet at the shoulder first.  Run your hand down the leg to the foot before picking it up.  This warns the pet that you will be handling the leg, and it decreases the chance of the pet reacting if the foot is pulled from underneath with no advance warning.
16. You may trim the paw with the foot remaining upright or you may fold the paw so that the pad is facing upward. Either method works and depends on the preference of the groomer. Just ensure that the pet is comfortable with whichever way you choose.
17. Front feet are more likely to have attached dew claws. Gently trim there, but trim well.  If the nail is difficult to reach with a Dremel, then trim these with clippers instead (see nail clipping instructions).
18. Once the nails have all been trimmed, the fur between the paw pads needs to be clipped off. Clipping the fur between the paw pads helps keep the pet clean while playing outside and provides them better traction when walking on slick indoor floors.  
19. A #10 blade is usually used to trim the hair between the toes. Higher numbered blades give a shorter trim, but the use of these blades is for experienced groomers only. Inspect your clippers for any broken teeth on the blade. If any teeth are missing from the metal blade, the pet’s pad can be cut.
20. Pick up each foot following the above procedure. Begin by gently running the clipper over the flat surface of the paw pad while holding the toes closed. Do not trim the hair on the top of the foot. Once the hair has been removed from the bottom of the foot, gently separate the toes by using one finger and pulling back on one of the outside toenails. This “opens up” the paw pad. Scoop down into the pad and up the other side to trim between the toes with the clipper. Next, use one finger to pull back on the other outside toenail of this foot. Repeat the scooping movement with the clipper (if the pet is squirmy, consider skipping scooping out the pads to prevent injury). Also consider skipping this step if the hair is very short. If there are matts between the toes and you are not sure how to proceed, get the help of someone more experienced. Some pets have red, irritated feet from licking caused by allergies. Skip scooping the hair out of the paw pads if this is the case.  
21. If you cannot get the mats out of a paw pad, get a stylist or someone more experienced to help. Make sure you check the pads well. If mats are left in the paw pad, it will cause irritation.  
22. If you have had to remove large mats from the paw pad, notify the owner at pick up because the pet may have a little irritation to the area after the groom. A little corn starch can be added to soothe the skin.
23. Move around to the other side of the dog and continue until all four feet are completed.
24. Give your pet a pat for being a good dog. If the pet is allowed to have treats, you can use one to reward them. Sometimes using treats while trimming helps, but often it makes the procedure more difficult due to the pet squirming to get the treats. If this is the case, but you want to reward the pet, use a treat when you are all done.
25. If your pet is not getting a bath next, give them a spray of Sadie & Willow Cologne Spray if the owner’s instructions allow for this and decorate them with a bow or bandana.
26. Celebrate with your pet!  You are both done!