It can be a it confusing to know what to look for when shopping for dog nail trimmers. There’s a wide variety of them out on the market, but if you keep a few basic things in mind the process can be fairly straighforward.

The main thing to remember is that smaller breeds of dog have softer nails and larger breeds have bigger and tougher nails. There are dog nail trimmers made for big dogs. They resemble a pair of pliers, with the two blades being rounded so that they cut in a circular shape to match the shape of a dog’s nail. Medium size models are also available for medium size dogs. These plier-like nail clippers do not require any replacement blades.

“Gullotine” nail clippers are great for smaller dogs. Guillotine clippers do not have two separate blades, but rather one circular opening into which you insert the nail, then when you squeeze the handles, and single blade moves out into the circular area where the nail is and cuts through it. Unlike the plier types for medium and large size dogs, these guillotine dog nail trimmers need to have their blades replaced on a regular basis.

Beyond those two basic types, the main thing is to look for a quality product. A quality nail trimmer will be easy to clean, durable and long-lasting, safe, and comfortable to hold.

Dog owners are well aware of the necessity of trimming their dog’s nails periodically, both for the comfort and ease of the dog, but also to prevent the dog from ripping its own nails and inflicting pain upon itself (or upon humans!). But what happens if you are trimming your dogs nails and you cut too low, causing the dog’s nail to start bleeding? I want to tell you how to stop a dog’s nail from bleeding in such a case.

The best way to stop the dog’s nail from bleeding is to use styptic powder. This is a powder that accelerates blood clotting, helping the blood flow to stop and the healing process to begin. This, however, is something you must plan beforehand but having a supply of styptic powder at home.

Take the dog’s paw and insert the bleeding nail into some styptic powder. Do your best to keep the dog from licking at the nail and styptic powder. When the blood starts to clot and the bleeding slows down, then take a towel or paper towel and apply pressure to the dog’s nail. This pressure should help slow the bleeding even more until the clotting is quite solid.

If you do not have styptic powder, there are some substitutes you can use. One is corn starch. And if you have no corn starch, try flour. These are less than ideal, but they do have some effect in promoting clotting and if you have to use them they will do the trick. Follow the same procedure as when you are using styptic powder.

When a dog’s nail has been cut too low and is bleeding, the dog will likely be in a lot of pain. Be aware of this as you hold its paw and as you apply pressure. Your dog may cry out or even bite out of panic. If you have a muzzle, it will be helpful in this case. If you don’t have a muzzle, please take care not to get bitten.