Trimming Nails
This task may seem daunting to a new boxer owner, but it is imperative to ensure your dog's health. A dog with long nails that spread their feet is at risk of his joints being misaligned because he cannot stand squarely on his paws. Long toenails are at risk of being torn out of the pads of the paws, and repair to this might require surgery or cauterization. Because the nails hit the ground, there is risk of infection to a torn nail. A good rule of thumb is that if you can hear your boxer's nails tapping on the floor as he walks, the nails are too long.
Before you start to trim your boxer's nails, you must know where the quick or the living portion of the nail is. On light-colored nails, this is pretty easy to see. On dark nails, this is harder, so you need to proceed more cautiously and take smaller snips of the nail with your nail trimmer. If you accidentally hit the quick of the nail, and your boxer yelps and bleeds, don't panic. A styptic pencil will stop the bleeding, as will cornmeal.
What is the quick in a dog's toenail?
The quick is the blood vessel that supports the nail, and it runs past the pad of the paw through the nail almost to the end of the nail. If you cut it, it will bleed, and your boxer will yelp and pull his foot back. The quick contains nerve endings for the nail, so cutting it is painful. You will need to keep something on hand to stop the bleeding, such as a styptic pencil or powder in case you miscalculate and cut into the quick accidentally.
One of the best nail trimmers is the guillotine type. It is easy to handle and easier to control exactly where it cuts the nail. All pet stores and pet supply catalogs carry this type of nail trimmer. For a boxer, you will probably need a large one, especially if your boxer is a male.
Another good option is to get an electric- or battery-powered hand grinder. This is the piece of equipment used by carpenters to reach difficult corners of wood-trimmed cabinets or similar projects. These grinders come with little sandpaper belts that fit around the grinder head, or you can buy a stone head that will probably never need to be replaced.
One advantage of the grinder is that you are less likely to cut the quick and make it bleed. If you reach the quick with a grinder, it will bleed much less than if it has been cut. Another advantage of the grinder is that you can take the discoloration off the outside of the nails. People who show dogs do this routinely, although it isn't a necessary element of grooming your boxer if he is not a show dog.
A disadvantage of a grinder is that it is loud, which may frighten a puppy, and many dogs do not like the feel of the grinder grinding their nails down. You also have to be careful that you don't let the nail get too hot as it grinds. Even with the disadvantages, the grinder is a fast, safe way to quickly trim your boxer's nails.
