How Do I Remove and Tamp Nails Without Killing My Pet?

Now that Christmas is a week away, it’s time to start planning what to do with those precious gifts you’re going to give your furry friends. Assuming you have an assortment of well-decorated and healthy pets, they’ll be thrilled to unwrap their new gifts and pet presents this year — until they see the scariest thing they’ve ever seen.

Of course, pets see their faces as if it were the most natural thing in the world to want to scratch them. But every second they can kill, too, as evidenced by the numerous videos of dogs and cats discovering the mutilation scissors at their fingertips. So do they panic when they see a microscope?

For the occasions when you have the chance to ensure your pets won’t harm themselves — a mechanical scale, for example, does a great job of determining a pet’s weight — here are some tips for when it’s time to cut their nails, too.

According to veterinarian Jeffrey Yoskowitz, PhD, and owner of the solution store Compassionate Innovation, tamping them with a sewing needle is the best method. Yoskowitz explained, “Your pet’s nails need to grow thick and deep, and this can kill them as soon as they grow. Tamping they hard is the way to go, because razor blades are not safe to use for everyday surgery.”

One-day Tamping

An individual nail is most likely weak and easy to remove if they’re cut with a regular pair of scissors. However, be sure to cut the nails off in one piece, or at least carefully divide them in half. In order to see the nail completely off, slice three of them, then pry off the small one with a fingernail.

To do this, divide the nail between two pairs of scissors, then thread each piece out through the other. Keep in mind that not all nails are the same length, and if the length is too short, you may have to slowly move the scissors back and forth across the nail, to ensure they don’t fall off.

Putting Them Back on

Once the nail is removed, close the scissors with a hot iron, and pin the tips of the cut-off nails to your pets’ ears, noses, and faces.

To make the tips completely natural-looking, clip them on with extension hair holders and avoid positioning the pins too close to a surface such as the cat’s eye lid or the tip of its nose. Follow the same procedure you would in order to put the nails back on.

Flipping Your Pet’s Nails Over

The natural, symmetrical tip of your pet’s nails is what gives them a beautiful look. We’re assuming the shape of their tips aren’t how they look, but this doesn’t mean they can’t be checked. To check on your pet’s tips, flip them over as if you were in the operating room and remove the insert. If you can’t remove the insert entirely, peel it off first, then go in and remove the nail, either directly or from underneath.

When it comes to scratching, Yoskowitz recommends starting with a small nail. He said, “If it will not break, don’t damage it.”

Touch a small nail and click your fingers over it for 10 seconds, then cover it with your bare palm and relax. For a larger nail, click five fingers over it, then pull out all the nail. Repeat until you feel the nail break. If the nail doesn’t break but looks badly damaged, clean it with rubbing alcohol and make sure the culprit is out of your animal’s body. Clean your pet’s nails, and then pat it dry.

Lastly, let the nail heal and let your pet lick it with soap and water.