Clipping your pet’s nails is a part of its regular care and should be done on a routine basis, as long nails can lead to many problems for cats and dogs. For a cat, overly long nails can grow to a point where they will penetrate the pads, leading to pain and possibly an infection or abscess. For a dog, nails that are not trimmed periodically can result in the vein within the nail becoming longer, making it impossible to cut the claw to a normal length.

Using a good quality nail trimmer is very important. As well a pet owner needs to purchase a cauterizing powder to stop possible bleeding as a result from cutting a nail too short. The nail should be clipped no further than the vein’s limit. The blood vessel within the nail can easily be located if your pet has clear nails. However, veins can not be properly seen through black nails. Accidentally cutting into the vein will cause bleeding. This can be stopped using the cauterizing powder and placing a moderate amount of pressure on the nail tip for several seconds.