chihuahua Nail Trimming Guide – How to Trim Their Fragile Toe-Nails

It is well known that a chihuahua’s paws can be fragile. It is because of the fact they possess some exceptionally large nails in their paws. They can be very dangerous in cases when they attack. It is normally not the nature of chihuahuas to attack. They are very fun-loving, loyal, and small breeds who enjoy living inside a house. But beware do not irritate a chihuahua as they might use their paws and injure you or any family member. Therefore, chihuahua Nail Trimming is not a normal task.

In this section, we will cover:

• The importance of clipping chihuahua’s nails
• How to choose Nail Clippers
• Examine how sensitive the nail area is
• Things to remember in the trimming of toenails
• how to begin?
• Methods of trimming the  toenails:

The importance of Clipping Your Chihuahua’s Nails

Chihuahua’s grooming routine should include nail trimming. Because there are many disadvantages when their nails become too long, such as irregular gait, growth deformities of the toes, and pain. Moreover, they can also break and splinter open, which leads to creating wounds that can be infection-prone.

Some breeders also think that long nails could be one of the causes of canine arthritis. A chihuahua with long nails will walk and run on hard surfaces while playing or doing some exercises, as a result, he compresses the nail back into the joint. In other words, the constant pressure on the joints can result in arthritis. So, you can avoid this issue by trimming constantly your chihuahua’s nails.

How to choose Nail Clippers

Never use regular nail clippers( human ones) to cut your chihuahua’s nails. A chihuahua’s nails are thick and long and human nails are thin and flat. under those circumstances,  our nail clipper will crush a chihuahua’s nail, which will lead to some unwanted consequences such as pain, discomfort, or even splintering. So, to avoid any harm to have to use a special canine-designed variety.

Concerning nail clipper types, there are three types: scissor-style(called also millers forge), guillotine, and the plier’s style trimmer. Many of the Clippers have a safety feature attached to them that allows only some portion of the nail to be cut. The guillotine style has one crescent-shaped blade, this later cuts the nail by pressing it as opposed to a stationary ring. While the scissor style resembles the ordinary pair of scissors, it cuts the nail using two crescent-shaped blades by squeezing the handle.

Chihuahua owners prefer to use guillotine clippers because they think that this type is secure for their dogs. As it holds their nail safely which makes the clipping easier. However, the owner must always pay attention to the blade, as sometimes they become lifeless. In this case, they can hurt your chihuahua by crushing their nails. Scissor clippers have two blades, which means that this type is far from having the guillotine clippers’ problem.

 

 

Examine how sensitive the nail area is

It is a problem with every breed of dog that they do not like any stranger to touch their paw region. It is mostly because the paws are quite sensitive and they are the weapon of this small breed of dogs. Nobody likes to give their weapon to some other hands. The first thing you should do is be familiar with your chihuahua. Do not choose anyone who is a stranger to your dog for the nail trimming job. It is possible that your dog mat does not like to be handled by some other stranger. It is possible that during the process the chihuahua may bite and yelp and making the trimming process even more difficult. But since it may affect your chihuahua’s ability to walk around properly, it is essential to have their nail trimmed. However, the owner needs to take certain precautions.

Things to remember in the trimming of toenails

Your chihuahua might find it hard sometimes to walk around with long nails. So it is your duty to either take them to a professional groomer for nail trimming before they get too large. A professional groomer is the best way to easily have the nails of your dog trimmed. A professional will know the best way to handle your chihuahua as they have experience in trimming the toenails. Read this article further and you will find some useful tips to trim the nails of your dog.

how to begin?

Well, the answer to this question is already hidden in the phrase which is used to ask the question. You should begin at the very start when your old chihuahua is still a puppy. This will help your chihuahua to recognize you and get used to your touch. This will help your puppy to know and recognize your touch and build a kind of relationship with you. Always use a trimmer that is clean and sharp. A trimmer which is the one with less clipping sound is advised to be used in some cases for chihuahuas. As they are quite sensitive dogs and may feel irritated by the sound the trimmer made during the process. An expensive way is to take your pet to a Professional groomer and let him handle the trimming of toenails. Here are some tips you can follow.

• Use some high-quality canine nail clippers.
• Make sure that the blades of the clippers are clean and why not sterilize before using them?
• If you notice that your chihuahua is not comfortable and she is always trying to pull away her nail, give her some time to feel relaxed.
• Trim excess hair from your Chihuahua’s paws in advance using the appropriate scissor.
• After finishing smooth their nails with a nail file.
• Trim your chihuahua’s nails on a regular basis (once a week is good).
• If you are not sure how to trim your chihuahua’s nails, take your dog to a professional groomer to do it.

Methods of trimming the  toenails:

Before carrying on with the trimming process I would advise you to clean your dog and give them a bath. A bath just before the clipping of toenails will make them soft and it would be easier now to cut nails.

1. Find a place where you can control your chihuahua’s nails easily. Or you can also take the help of some other person to hold the dog while clipping his nails. Which may or may not be a good idea as your puppy may not like the touch of a stranger.
2. Hold your chihuahua gently and comfort her.
3. Put the chihuahua’s nail between the blades.
4. Cut no closer than 2mm to avoid the risk of bleeding. Or do it gradually, small piece after another.
5. Squeeze gently the blade to do a proper cut.
6. Repeat the process until you finish cutting all your chihuahua’s nails.
7. Finally when you are done reward your little pooch by giving her a treat.

It is also necessary that you take care of the quick veins present in the nails of your chihuahua. If cut, it might hurt a lot of your dog and can also lead to bleeding around that region. If you did it unintentionally. Don’t worry. We know that It may cause discomfort and pain to your dog, but there is a quick remedy to stop bleeding by using a styptic powder product like Kwik Stop. 

Conclusion

         It is recommended that the above measures must be taken care of while trimming the toenails. Chihuahuas are the most sensitive of dogs which are small in size and they have to handle with care. It is a must to use fingernail clippers so that your puppy doesn’t get hurt. You should also build trust with your chihuahua so that it doesn’t irritate your dog.

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