How to trim a Chihuahua's claws at home: what the haircut looks like in the video, how to do it correctly and at what age

Overgrown Chihuahua claws not only cause discomfort to the pet, but can also tear upholstery, clothing, or scratch the floor covering.

And the loud clicking of claws at night, when the dog goes to drink water and then returns to the room, can make few of the owners happy.

In order to avoid this, it is necessary to carefully care for the Mexican dog's claws and shorten them in time.

But how can this be done correctly without causing pain or frightening the pet?

Do I need to trim my nails and at what age?

Due to their small weight, the claws of representatives of the Chihuahua breed wear down very poorly, even if you walk with your pet on the asphalt for a long time. Therefore, almost all Chihuahua owners sooner or later have to think about shortening their pet’s claws.

Why do they need to be trimmed?:

Overgrown nails tend to curl inward and can eventually grow into the pads of the paws, causing extreme pain to your pet. And in the most severe cases, claws that have grown into the pads even become the reason that the dog cannot walk on its own.
Overgrown nails may become cracked. Often because of this, when a Chihuahua clings to something with such a claw, it breaks at the crack, which also causes pain to the dog. And if the claw breaks at the base, this can cause severe bleeding or even suppuration.
If the claws are not shortened in time, the animal will not be able to place its paw straight: the toes will begin to turn out, causing the joints and ligaments to become deformed.
Long claws cause a shift in the center of gravity: the Chihuahua may not maintain balance and fall, resulting in serious injury.
If your pet's nails are overgrown, he can get seriously injured by them or injure his owner. And if we are talking about suckling puppies, then scratch the mother with them.
Having caught its long claws on the upholstery of furniture or the owner's clothing, a playful Chihuahua can tear them or, at a minimum, make puffs in the fabric.

CAREFULLY!

Ungroomed overgrown claws are a serious fault and are severely penalized at shows.

Based on this, it should be recognized that shortening the claws is a very important procedure for caring for a Chihuahua. The first time Chihuahua puppies get their hair cut is at the breeder's house when the babies start scratching the bitch with it while feeding.

Nail trimming is a mandatory procedure

Some owners believe that it is not so important to trim their dog's nails. She can wear them off gradually herself, for example, when she walks and plays. This is a serious misconception! Chihuahuas need to have their nails trimmed at least once a month.

When the claws are trimmed on time, the owner no longer has to worry about his pet in this regard. If you neglect this procedure, there is a high probability of various problems arising. Let's say the claws begin to break off, causing the dog to suffer from pain. Sometimes bleeding even occurs, which further provokes infection with all sorts of contagious diseases. In general, haircuts should not be neglected.

Basic Concepts

Claws play a big role in the life of a dog, especially one so small and defenseless. A Chihuahua will not be able to sharpen its nails correctly on its own. But the functioning of the paws, the entire musculoskeletal system, depends directly on the claws and their condition. Experts give different recommendations. As per their requirements, puppies need to have their nails trimmed once a week or every two weeks. For an adult dog, trimming once every month is enough.

Remember this important point! You must clearly understand how to trim the nails of a Chihuahua puppy. The fact is that dog nails are significantly different from human nails. They may be painful and may bleed. The whole point is in the difference in structure. Each dog's claw contains a so-called pulp, which is highly sensitive. It has two parts:

blood vessel;
nerve endings.

It is imperative to trim your nails with extreme caution so as not to damage the pulp! If allowed to get injured, the Chihuahua will not only suffer from pain. Serious bleeding may even begin.

Good to know: What to feed a Chihuahua: a healthy diet for a puppy

Risk factors

As you can see, cutting a haircut is not so simple. But here you also need to remember about the risk factors that become relevant if you neglect this procedure. Let's list the most important points.

Long claws will be a serious hindrance for a small dog. They greatly interfere with walking. Because of this, sometimes gait disturbances even develop and failures in coordination of movements begin. And some Chihuahuas even suffer from lameness.
When nails are left untrimmed for too long, the blood vessel located inside the nail also begins to grow. It becomes too long and grows along with the stratum corneum. Then it is extremely difficult to correct such a violation, because if you simply trim the claw, bleeding may begin. And here it can even come to surgical intervention. The operation is performed and anesthesia is given. All this is dangerous and extremely unpleasant for the animal.
Neglected claws are a danger to the joints and the entire musculoskeletal system of the animal as a whole. Joints sometimes begin to bend. As a result, the likelihood of all kinds of damage and dislocations increases, both to the fingers themselves and to the paws in general.
In some cases, overgrown doggie nails grow directly into the skin on the toes. Because of this, the animal gets sick and suffers from pain.
When a dog tries to get rid of a boring long nail on its own, this can lead to breaking and cracking of the nail.
If a claw breaks off while walking, dust and dirt get into the resulting wound. And here the risk of developing infectious diseases increases sharply.

How often should the procedure be performed?

The average period after which a Chihuahua's nails need to be trimmed is 2 weeks for puppies and 1 month for adult dogs, but it is also necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the pet.

When deciding whether it's time to trim the claws or not, you need to remember that the edge of the claw should be in the same plane as the pad of the paw when the Chihuahua is standing on a flat surface.

Another criterion that it’s time to shorten your dog’s claws is their characteristic knocking sound on the floor while running or walking.

Trimming process step by step

prepare the nail clipper, disinfect it with alcohol or cologne;
provide a calm environment in the room so that the dog does not feel anxious;
sit comfortably on the sofa, floor, mattress, or chair, legs slightly apart;
place the Chihuahua on its back, head to knees;
fix the dog in this position by moving its legs;
take the paw with one hand and lightly press on the pad so that the toes move apart and the claws extend as far as possible;
with the other hand, cut off the claw to a distance safe for the pulp;
repeat the steps with each toe on the paw;
if necessary, take a break, treat the “sufferer” with a treat, and praise;
after the break, continue trimming the remaining paws;
at the end, treat him with a treat and praise him;
repeat every 2 weeks.

What tools are required?

To trim your pet's claws, you need to prepare a special device for shortening them, called a nail clipper.

Nail clippers can look like wire cutters: two blades attached to two handles connected to each other.

There are also guillotine-type nail clippers, which are most preferable for small breed dogs.

You will also need a nail file, which can be purchased at a pet store along with nail clippers . It will be needed in order to eliminate possible irregularities remaining on the cut of the claw.

In addition to the tools, you will also need a treat or toy to distract your pet and to reward him after the procedure is completed.

Well, just in case, you also need to keep a hemostatic pencil on hand, or something that can replace it: for example, hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate powder.

Under no circumstances should ordinary scissors be used to shorten a Chihuahua’s claws: they will compress the claw and can split it..

Additional recommendations

It is necessary to remember that it is better to cut the claws systematically and little by little, rather than shortening them as much as possible at one time.

Try to do the procedure every seven days, even if they are sharpened naturally during walks in the fresh air.

The sensitive area of the nail, the so-called pulp, increases in parallel with the growth of the nail, so when the claws are trimmed infrequently, it can reach the end of the claw.

This increases the likelihood of bleeding during pruning.

It is also worth mentioning that dewclaws on the hind legs are undesirable. They are usually removed surgically at 3-5 days of age.

Otherwise, they can bend and grow into soft tissue, thereby causing terrible pain and discomfort to the dog.

To trim your Chihuahua’s claws without consequences, you need to carry out the process in a calm environment..

You should not express your dissatisfaction with your pet’s nervous behavior and the boringness of such an activity. There is no need to rush for the first time.

The main thing is to be consistent, patient and calm. Do not allow your pet to bite yourself. It will take him some time to get used to the unpleasant procedure.

For good behavior, a Chihuahua should be praised and fed with treats.

Basic Rules

To ensure that nail trimming does not turn into a battle with a pet who does not want to sit still and panics at the sight of a nail cutter, you need to accustom your puppy to this procedure from a very early age, and preferably at home.

It is very important not to do anything that could frighten the baby or cause him pain.

Chihuahuas should not associate nail trimming with discomfort or, especially, pain..

However, the same applies to dogs of all ages: if during this procedure you even once rudely shout at an adult dog or cause him pain, then next time he will not so easily agree to trim his nails.

Before you move on to trimming your long-haired Chihuahua's nails, you'll need to trim the hair between the toe pads.

And, of course, the paws must be clean.

At the same time, you need to check: are there any cracks, wounds or splinters on the paw pads ? If there are any, then all lesions on the skin are treated with an antiseptic, and thorns or burrs are removed.

Where is the best place to trim nails? Many Chihuahua owners prefer to do this by sitting or laying the dog on their lap. But in this case, you should remember that you need to hold your pet tightly enough so that, if it suddenly twitches, it does not fall to the floor and get injured.

This is probably why other Chihuahua owners trim their dogs' nails on the floor.

IMPORTANT!

It is not recommended to place the Chihuahua on a table or other high surface during this procedure, from which the dog could easily fall or jump off on purpose.

If the dog is very nimble and restless, then you can wrap it in a towel or other dense fabric, leaving only its paw and nose outside..

In some cases, it may also be advisable to call on a family member to help hold the dog in place.

If you are not sure that you can handle nail trimming yourself, you can contact a professional groomer. This especially makes sense if you have a long-haired Chihuahua - these dogs require a haircut from time to time.

How to file and grind a dog's nails? What to do about an ingrown claw in a dog?

Activities for the care of dog claws consist not only of trimming, but also filing, grinding, and trimming the hair around the nail. A nail file is used for this procedure. If the dog is large, you can use a block of sandpaper to sharpen the nails. Some inventors use an acrylic file to file a dog's nails. For such pets, grinders are produced - electric grinding machines. If a dog's nail is ingrown, it should be removed immediately without damage or bleeding. Ingrown claws lead to injury to the dog and the development of purulent inflammation.

How to cut your hair correctly?

Having prepared everything you need and taking the Chihuahua on your lap or sitting it on the sofa, you need to lay it down or sit it down so that both it and the owner are comfortable.

Then, lightly squeezing the pad of your fingers, you need to set the cutting part of the nail clipper approximately 2 mm from the level of the pulp, so that they are on the non-living part of the claw.

You need to cut confidently and quickly, and the cut itself should be made at an angle of 45 degrees . In this case, you cannot unfold the nail clipper or move it.

It is easier to trim light-colored claws, since the living part is clearly visible in them. But dark claws will have to be trimmed in several stages, cutting off 2 mm and carefully examining the cut after each trimming.

If a dark dot appears on it, then it’s time to stop and move on to another claw.

You can also illuminate dark claws with a flashlight: in this case, the pulp can be seen.

After cutting, the claws need to be trimmed with a file to smooth their edges and remove roughness.

If the pulp was damaged when trimming the claw, then you need to stop the bleeding by sprinkling potassium permanganate on the wound or using another pre-prepared hemostatic agent.

After this, the procedure must be stopped immediately, and the dog, if it is frightened, must be calmed down.

During nail trimming, the owner and assistants must be calm and act decisively and boldly, but in no case rudely.

You cannot shout at the Chihuahua or otherwise scare it. It is best if one of the assistants talks to the pet and distracts it during the procedure.

Well, after all the claws have been trimmed to the required length, you definitely need to reward the dog for its patience with a treat or game.

How to trim the nails of a French bulldog, dachshund, or poodle?

The French Bulldog's nails are hard. They are light in color, so the living part of the claw is clearly visible and has a pink color. Veterinarians recommend trimming the tip of the nail. Pruning should be done every ten days. If the claws are jagged, they can be easily filed. Puppies have their nails trimmed three weeks after birth.
The most important procedure in caring for a dachshund is trimming its nails. This ensures the prevention of infectious diseases. When you hear your dachshund start tapping his claws on the floor, it’s time for a haircut. A dachshund's first nail trimming should take place at an early age. During summer walks, the dachshund wears down its nails, but in winter this is impossible, so nail trimming should be done every two weeks.
The poodle has very sensitive nails. They should be trimmed regularly. The cut should be no more than 2 mm.

Which nail clipper to choose?

Pet stores offer a wide range of nail clippers for dogs of all sizes. Some work on the principle of a guillotine, others on the principle of scissors equipped with sickle-shaped blades.

«What to choose? And why can’t you cut your hair with regular scissors?

" - you ask.

The thing is that the human nail is thin and flat, while the Chihuahua's claw is oblong and thick. Ordinary scissors will squeeze the claw with the blades, causing pain, discomfort, and separation of the nail plate.

Specialized nail clippers are made taking into account the structure and density of a dog's claw. The buyer is offered a choice of nail clippers:

Guillotine An instrument with the same name as an execution weapon. The design consists of a fixed axis with a hole, and a movable axis with a crescent-shaped pointed cutter. The guillotine mechanism cuts off the claw inserted into the hole by squeezing the handles of the tool. Disadvantage: the blade often becomes dull, complex and flimsy design. Cost in stores: from 200 rubles.

Nippers (secateurs) They are scissors with two sickle-shaped blades. The strong and reliable design allows you to easily trim your Chihuahua's large and dense nails. The blades become dull less often, and it is easier to control the cutting distance. Some models are equipped with a blade opening limiter. I didn't find any shortcomings. Cost in stores: from 500 rubles.

Electric scratching post (grinder) Visually resembles a Dremel with an emery roller as an attachment. More often used as an auxiliary tool for polishing claws. Specialized dog files do an excellent job of this task, so purchasing a tool is at your discretion. Cost in stores: from 600 rubles.

I made a choice in favor of wire cutters, I recommend it to you too
! In fact, you can use any of the presented tools. The main thing is that it is made of hard metal with high-quality sharpening.

How to train a Chihuahua to trim its claws

Trimming nails can be a very difficult task. Chihuahuas often resist and try in every possible way to avoid the procedure.

There are several reasons for this behavior:

The owner is cutting his pet's nails for the first time, so the dog is nervous and afraid.

For Chihuahuas, the procedure seems pointless and tedious.

Previously, the animal was hurt while cutting its nails, so the dog is afraid of a repetition of the unpleasant sensations.

The puppy is taught to trim its nails at about 2 months of age. At this age, the Chihuahua's psyche is just being formed, so it is easier for the animal to adapt to something new. Working with an older dog that already has established habits is much more difficult.

First, the animal is introduced to the nail clipper and shown that the tool does not pose any danger. Then they try to touch the pet’s paws. The dog should not be afraid of touching.

After this, they take the nail clipper in their hands and bring it to the Chihuahua. This is done several times a day. The animal is praised and treated with a treat if it calmly tolerates all the manipulations. Now you can proceed directly to the haircut.

If a Chihuahua breaks out and growls, he is calmed down with a gentle voice. As soon as the dog’s behavior returns to normal, the procedure is resumed.

During the process, they continue to talk to the pet in a calm tone, stroke it and treat it with treats. He should develop positive associations. Over time, the dog will understand that cutting his nails is not at all scary.

Important. You cannot shout at the puppy, much less hit him. This will only make the situation worse.

Bleeding Claw

While trimming your nails, you may miscalculate the distance and unintentionally hit a blood vessel. The sensation is extremely painful, so the dog will yelp and pull his paw away.

Don’t panic, he will live, but you need to provide first aid to the victim. It is necessary to treat the wound with a solution of hydrogen peroxide or iodine. Then apply veterinary hemostatic powder or a pencil to the cut site. If you don't have it, flour or talc will do.

Belemnite stone, also known as the “devil’s finger,” when ground to a powder, has an excellent hemostatic effect.

Usually the blood clots within 5 minutes. If there is heavy or prolonged bleeding, apply a piece of ice and go to a veterinary clinic immediately.

Please write how you trim your Chihuahua’s nails, and do you do it at all? What difficulties do you experience during the process?

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Overgrown Chihuahua claws not only cause discomfort to the pet, but can also tear upholstery, clothing, or scratch the floor covering.
And the loud clicking of claws at night, when the dog goes to drink water and then returns to the room, can make few of the owners happy.

In order to avoid this, it is necessary to carefully care for the Mexican dog's claws and shorten them in time.

But how can this be done correctly without causing pain or frightening the pet?