Clipping Nails and Brushing Teeth

Princess

Few things are as wonderful as a new puppy or kitten. They have soft, clean fur and sparkly eyes and their teeth are as white as pearls. But at some point that puppy or kitten is going to need a bath and need to have its teeth brushed. There’s no better time to start getting your pet used to grooming and oral hygiene than when they’re young. Grooming should be integrated into your training schedule. Just as you practice sit and stay commands, you should also practice grooming. As with any training, it will take a few tries to get it right. Here are some suggestions.

First, give them loads of affection so they associate grooming time as a happy time. Make sure that it’s a happy setting and that you are constantly rewarding and showering them with affection and words of encouragement. If you have a food motivated pet, make sure to use treats so that they start associating grooming time with being rewarded. For cats, we suggest our top selling Bonito Flakes, and for dogs you could use our Soft Training Treats.

After you’ve mastered bath time with our Pal Dog and Pal Kitty Shampoo and Conditioners, it’s time to take on dental health, and maintenance of your pet’s nails. We meet pet owners daily who have never brushed their pet’s teeth or clipped their nails, until they visit us for advice and suggestions. We understand that these tasks can feel daunting and scary, and the most common excuse we hear for not doing these things is that your pet will not allow it. Similar to training and bathing, it’s all about consistency and gradually introducing new things into your pet’s life. Below, we’ve listed a daily schedule of exercises that we’re sure will make clipping your kids nails and brushing their teeth as simple as handing them a treat.

Teeth Brushing:
Day One – Place your pet on your lap. If you have a larger pet, you can sit on the floor with them on your lap. Place a small amount of pet toothpaste on your finger and allow your pet to lick it off, so they become familiar with the taste. We have enzymatic toothpaste which comes in many flavors, including malt and peanut butter.

Day Two – Repeat Day one, but this time, get your finger as close to their teeth as possible. This will help them acclimate to having a toothbrush in their mouth. As with all grooming exercises, make it a happy time.

Day Three and Four – Place a small amount of the toothpaste on a pet toothbrush and let your pet get used to the feeling of the bristles on the brush. On the fourth day, try to get the toothbrush into their mouth and even towards the back of their mouth.

Day Five – Once they’ve become familiar with the taste of the toothpaste, and the feeling and texture of the toothbrush, you can start to brush their teeth softly, making sure to get the back teeth. Continue this exercise until your pet is comfortable with the brush in their mouth. It is recommended that you brush your pet’s teeth at least twice a week to maintain optimal dental care.

Trimming Nails

We have so many customers come into Best in Show who have never trimmed their pet’s nails, but want to start doing so. Below are a few steps and suggestions on nail clipping. Throw in some patience, and you’ll make trimming nails an easy task to add to your grooming repertoire.

Day One, Two and Three – Get your pet accustomed to having their paws handled. As with any grooming exercise, you’ll need to reward them with affection, words of encouragement, and possibly treats. Remember to make this a happy experience.

Day Four – You can introduce the nail clippers on this day. We carry the traditional clippers and the guillotine nail clippers. Start with petting their paws. Let them see the clippers and while you’re petting their pads, touch the clippers to each nail. Repeat this as many times as necessary, but don’t do any clipping on this day.

Day Five– Today’s the day to make the cut…literally. Don’t be timid or scared as your pet will pick up on that. Approach the task with confidence and a happy demeanor. If you’re unsure about how much to clip off, just clip a tiny bit at a time. With most nails, you can see the quick, or the vein that juts into the nail. Don’t cut that or your pet will start bleeding. Make small cuts, and if you’re unsure, don’t cut any more.

So there you have it. A clean, well groomed pet makes for a happy pet owner! Not only does brushing your pet’s teeth, clipping their nails, bathing and brushing their coats make for a healthy pet, but it also strengthens the bond between pet and master. Our pets offer unconditional love and want nothing more than to please us. Rewarding them with a healthy life is the least we can do.