• Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
Press "Enter" to search
Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
  • Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Balanced Living
  4. Pets & Pet Care

Manicures for Dogs?

What’s the best way to clip dogs’ claws?

Andrew Weil, M.D. | October 4, 2011

Pedigree dog outdoors on a sunny summer day.
1 min

That depends on the dog and your relationship with it. If your companion animal is easy to handle, and you know how to clip the claws, you can do it yourself. But if a dog isn’t being cooperative or doesn’t like to be restrained, it is best to let a vet or a groomer do the job.

If you do the manicure at home, you’ve got to be very careful not to cut too close to the quick, the living part of the nail that has blood vessels and nerves. If you cut into this area, you’ll cause the dog pain and see some bleeding, and that probably will be the end of the session. The quick is easiest to see on light-colored claws. It can be hard to see the quick when claws are black, so you’ll have to estimate where it begins. Try drawing a line with a felt tipped marker around each claw, a safe distance from the tip, and not going beyond that when you clip.

Make sure you have a nail clipper designed for dogs (and know how to use it) before you attempt a manicure.

When dogs are able to run or walk out of doors on rough ground, their activity keeps nails naturally polished so that claw clipping may not be necessary. Also, the claws on the back feet usually are shorter than the ones on the front feet so you don’t have to clip them often.

You can find demonstrations and photos of dog nail clipping on line. If you’ve never clipped your pooch’s claws before, it’s worth taking a look at the pictures or getting a lesson from your vet or groomer.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Advertisement
Related Weil Products

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging for Connecting

Did you know that people who have companion animals tend to be happier, more social and healthier? Find out more – start your 14-day free trial of the online guide, Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging – today!
Get Started
Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

1 Love dog rescue CA
Pets & Pet Care

Adopting Your Companion Animal

Cropped shot of a young couple relaxing with kitten in their bedroomhttp://195.154.178.81/DATA/i_collage/pi/shoots/783281.jpg
Pets & Pet Care

Are Cats a Threat to Pregnancy?

Are Mushrooms Safe For Dogs? | Pets & Pet Care | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Pets & Pet Care

Are Mushrooms Safe For Dogs?

otc human drugs safe for pets
Pets & Pet Care

Are OTC Human Drugs Safe For Pets?

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Dr. Weil's Signature

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

© Copyright 2025 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com