PawSafe^® Pet Nail Clippers

This product was designed with dogs in mind but it will also work great with cats.

LED lights on the PawSafe dog nail clippers shine through the nail to make it easier to spot the quick. By having the light attached to the clippers, you do not have to struggle to hold the clippers, the dog’s paw, and the flashlight, making the whole process infinitely easier. 

The LED light is particularly helpful for dogs with black nails, where the quick is completely hidden. Cutting the quick is extremely painful for dogs, so being able to easily see the quick and avoid it is a much safer way to trim your dog’s nails. 

There is a little plastic container that catches the nail trimmings so you don't have to worry about them appearing on your floor at home. We call this the Nail Catcher.

Our nail clippers do not take batteries but instead comes with a micro-USB port for charging.

Always cut a dog’s nail at a 45-degree angle. Holding the paw, gently press the knuckle on the toe, so the nail fully extends. Hold the nail trimmer flat against and under the toe pad. Angle it slightly up to 45 degrees from under the toe and cut the nail at this angle. 

If you are unsure where the quick is, only cut the very tip of the nail. You can also use the LED light to shine through the nail to show you where the quick is. 

Shining the LED light through the nail should show you where the quick is, even on black nails.

If you are still unsure about a black-nailed dog, only cut a tiny sliver off and examine the area you cut underneath. You should see a whitish-gray area. You can cut another tiny sliver off, as this is still a dead nail. Keep cutting slivers no more than 1/16th of an inch at a time until you see a black spot in the center of the nail. This is the pulp, which means you can’t cut further.

The process for white nails is much simpler. If you hold your dog’s nail up gently, you should see a clear transparent hard nail and a pinkish-solid section inside. The pink inside the nail is the quick, and this is the part you must not cut!

Dogs need their nails clipped regularly, approximately every 3-4 weeks. Waiting too long can cause overgrown nails and quicks, making it harder to cut the nails short again. If a dog’s nails have grown too long, you need to trim them very lightly once a week until the quick recedes enough so that you can cut the nails to a healthy length.

Leaving nails to become overgrown damages the ligaments and joints in a dog’s paws and legs, makes it painful to walk, makes ripped nails and infections more common, and causes a host of other risks to your dog’s health. 

Dogs may not like the clicking noise of the clickers, and they may feel a little pinch when you cut nails, but so long as you are not cutting the quick, it should not hurt them. However, you must use the best dog nail clippers for this task, as the wrong tools can damage the nail.

In the case of overgrown nails, it is much easier to cut the quick, and the process may generally be more uncomfortable for the dog.

If you hear a dog’s nails clicking on the floor, they are too long and must be clipped. Nails that grow past the toes and reach the floor push the toes up at unnatural angles, damaging the muscles, bones, and ligaments in your dog’s paws. This can lead to long-term issues such as arthritis

If your dog’s nails touch the ground when standing, they are too long and need to be trimmed. Nails that curl under the toe are extremely overgrown and may need veterinary attention. Another clue is if you can hear the nails clicking on the floor when your dog walks.

Nails grow quite fast, so don’t put the task off. Mildly long nails can become severely overgrown in a matter of weeks. These nails often crack and rip off, leaving your dog in pain and vulnerable to infections. This is aside from the long-term damage that occurs when overgrown nails push the toes into unnatural angles. 

Each dog nail should ideally be 1 or 2 mm above the ground when standing. That is, the nails should never quite touch the ground. Overzealous clipping or trimming nails too short can also lead to infection. So keep the nails trimmed just enough that they do not touch the ground when your dog is standing.

It’s helpful to trim your dog’s nails after you bathe them. Allowing them to stand in warm water gives their nails time to soften. Soaking the nails first means they will be less brittle and less likely to break or split. They will also be softer and easier to cut. Further, cleaning the dirt and debris from the nails will make it easier to see the quick.

Rubbing paw balm on the paw pads after a bath moisturizes and protects the pads, while a little argan oil on the nail further softens them and prevents any brittleness, especially in older dogs.