What type of nail clippers are best for dogs

The stainless-steel blades are sharp and cut the nail easily and smoothly, and the clippers are fairly quiet. The clippers have a quick guard and lock for safe storage. I always lock my nail clippers after using them to protect the blade. Cassie Edmond, an animal care specialist at the San Diego Humane Society , likes using small nail clippers for puppies or dogs whose nails have grown too long and are curling back toward the paw pad because the smaller cutting blades are easier to maneuver around curled nails.

On the flip side, if you have large hands you might find the handles difficult to hold. I have medium-size hands and had no problem operating them. With sharp stainless-steel blades and a smooth comfort grip, the Bissell Dog and Cat Nail Clippers easily cut through big, thick nails and are also very quiet.

Pros: Sharp stainless-steel blades cut smoothly, ergonomic handle with smooth rubber grips for comfort and control, adjustable quick-stop guard for safety, lightweight, easy to hold, locking mechanism for safe storage, one-year limited warranty Cons: Included nail file doesn't work well.

Big dogs often have thick, large nails, and even some medium-size dogs have thick nails. The well-constructed Bissell Dog and Cat Nail Clippers easily cut through large nails and are extremely comfortable to hold and cut quietly. They also come with a one-year limited warranty.

I used these clippers on a Labrador retriever. The sharp blade cut her thick nails easily and smoothly, with no shredding or splintering of the nail. The smooth nonslip grip felt good in my hand and the handles were easy to squeeze closed. These clippers also worked well on a miniature poodle with medium-size nails, so they are versatile. Some nail trimmers make a loud snapping sound, which can startle a nervous dog, but the Bissell clippers are extremely quiet.

The safety guard prevents overcutting and hitting the quick, and the clippers can be locked in the closed position for storage. There's also a small nail file that slips inside the clipper handle. Though in theory this is a nice feature, in practice the tiny file didn't work very well.

They beat out the Andis nail clippers for having a more comfortable grip handle and better price point and won out over the Safari trimmers because of the superior grip handle and the fact that Bissell offers a one-year limited warranty and Safari does not.

Pros: High-quality American steel, sharp blade for a smooth cut, easy to hold and squeeze closed, blade can be replaced with purchase of kit, made in the United States, limited lifetime warranty. Cons: No quick-guard safety feature, not appropriate for very large nails or thick nails. Resco is the inventor of the guillotine-style nail trimmer, which debuted in I used these clippers on a miniature poodle with medium-size nails and a pound mixed-breed dog with small nails.

The Resco blade was very sharp and cut the nail smoothly. In comparison, the blade of the Millers Forge trimmer didn't seem as sharp and didn't cut as smoothly.

Even though the Resco clippers have no rubber grip on the handles, I found them comfortable to hold and easy to squeeze closed. In comparison, the Millers Forge handles felt a little sticky each time I closed them, which I found distracting.

Designed to last, Resco's chrome-plated American steel nail clipper is manufactured in the United States. When the cutting blade becomes dull, you can purchase a kit that allows you to replace the blade instead of buying a new set of clippers.

Guillotine clippers cut with less force than is needed with plier-style clippers, but they aren't as strong so don't choose these for dogs with very large nails or very thick nails. They work best on dogs with small or medium-size nails they are also great for cats.

The clippers are very quiet, so dogs that get upset by the loud snapping sound of some plier-style clippers might appreciate these.

Guillotine clippers don't have a quick-guard safety feature, so don't make big cuts; slowly snip off small amounts of nail to avoid cutting the quick. Exercise caution because a dog's nail can get caught in this style of clippers, and if they pull away, they can damage or tear out their nail.

With a nail safety guard, paw guide, and wide variety of grinding attachments, the Dremel PawControl Cordless Pet Nail Grinding Kit is easy to use and works well for professionals and novices alike. Pros: Quiet, gentle, enhanced safety guards that block all spinning parts, good for novices and professionals, rechargeable cordless operation.

Cons: Needs to fully charge before use, instructions require careful review for safe setup and use, grinding heads need occasional replacement. Some nail grinders are marketed specifically to pet owners and others are best for professionals, but our top pick for the best dog nail grinder, the Dremel Paw Control Cordless Pet Nail Grinding Kit , is ideal for both novice pet owners and professional groomers.

This cordless grinder is quiet and gentle. I particularly liked the grinding disc recommended for novice users , which quickly and easily sanded down the nails.

The grinding disc is used with both guard attachments, which block all the spinning parts of the tool — something that made me feel quite safe when using it. The enhanced safety afforded by these attachments are main reason this grinder beat out the next closest competitor in the category: the Wahl Battery Nail Grinder. The Dremel also comes with band attachments that offer more maneuverability but require more skill and confidence as they cannot be used with the guard attachments.

I used this grinder with both options and preferred both the performance and peace of mind of the grinding disc. Nail grinders can be used on dogs of all sizes and are effective even on thick nails.

I used this grinder on a miniature poodle with medium-size nails and a Labrador retriever with large nails. Nail grinders are great for dogs that don't love clippers as well as dogs with black nails since you can't see the quick. I liked the variety of sanding bands and discs that come in the Dremel kit, but the product's real standout is the nail safety guard and paw guide, which helped me attain a good nail trimming angle.

Nail grinders do have a learning curve, but Dremel's Quick Start Guide is helpful and clearly recommends specific attachments and speeds for beginning users. As with all nail grinders, the grinding heads need occasional replacement. Professional groomers will need to replace these more often; for pet owners, they should last a long time.

Like the Bissell Dog and Cat Nail Clipper , the Andis Pet Nail Clipper has sharp stainless-steel blades and a tension spring to smoothly and easily cut through big, thick nails. The Bissell Dog and Cat Nail Clipper gets the nod for a more comfortable grip handle and lower price point. In this guide, the Bissell beat out the Safari trimmers because Bissell offers a more comfortable grip handle, plus a one-year limited warranty.

Millers Forge Nail Clipper : These trimmers are similar in construction to the Safari and Andis clippers, but they feel lower quality — reflected in the lower price. The handle on the Millers Forge clippers doesn't have a nonslip grip and the clippers lack a quick-guard safety feature.

Furminator Nail Clipper for Dogs and Cats : The blade opening of these clippers is somewhat narrow, the handle is small, and I didn't love the nubby grip. Although the safety guard has a unique, adjustable design, I found the guard itself got in the way too much and was hard to move out of the way if I didn't want to use it.

The handle of the Four Paws scissors-style clippers is very small, so if you have larger hands they may be difficult to use. Millers Forge Guillotine Style Pet Nail Trimmer : The rubber grips on the handles make the clipper stick a little and the grips also slipped down while I was using them.

Our top choice guillotine clipper from Resco outperformed this trimmer, which didn't cut the nail as smoothly. The safety nail guard is loose, which causes it to move and get in the way while clipping, and is overall not very functional. The clippers are somewhat small, so they are also not a good choice for larger dogs. They were comfortable to hold, but the scissors-style handles might be too small for larger hands.

Our top pick, the JW Pet Grip Soft Deluxe Pet Nail Clippers , beat these out with their tension spring for more comfortable clipping and usefulness for both medium-size dogs and toy breeds. Though they are decently sharp, they are harder to close than the Bissell Dog and Cat Nail Clipper and they make a loud snapping sound when clipping. The nail safety guard has multiple openings of various shapes and sizes, making it easy to find the ones that worked best for each individual dog's nails.

This grinder comes with a grinding stone with a concave top that makes it simple to round the tops of the nails, plus coarse and fine grinding bands. Conair Pro Professional Dog Nail Grinder : This grinder is not cordless, but the cord is sufficiently long and you'll never get caught with an uncharged battery. It's less powerful than the other grinders I tested, so it takes a little longer to grind the nails.

However, this could be a positive for novice pet owners who feel intimidated using a powerful grinder. Andis Cordless Dog and Cat Nail Grinder : This nail grinder was easy to use and worked well, but it lacks a nail safety guard, which is a helpful feature, especially for novice users. I tested 11 different pairs of nail trimmers and 4 grinding tools, using them on three dogs with different size nails: a Labrador retriever with large, thick nails; a miniature poodle with medium-size nails; and a pound mixed-breed dog with small nails.

I received editorial review samples from the manufacturers with the exception of the Millers Forge and Resco clippers, which Insider Reviews purchased. All of the clippers and grinders were tested on the miniature poodle with medium-size nails. For example, dogs that get a lot of exercise or go on a lot of walks have their nails worn down quite often, so they may need their nails cut less frequently.

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Shopping Which dog food is best, according to experts. Shopping Shop with veterinarians: Dog treats. Shopping Veterinarian and expert tips: Dry dog food. Zoe Malin. With rubber-coated handles for a firm grip and a safety guard to avoid cutting too far, these trimmers also score high on ease of use. I have a veteran Labrador with large horny nails and a pup with quick growing softer nails. The tool copes with both easily.

Great buy for the money. These are small and easy to use, whether you opt for the finger holes or clip with your hand surrounding the handles. You can also use this clipper from either side, so that you can get the easiest access to the nail. It seems a bit pricey, but well worth it. AND they will exchange it for free. Our pick: Dremel PT 4. Dremel is considered the go-to brand for rotary tools, and many groomers say they make the best dog nail grinder, too.

The Dremel PT is cordless and comes with two different speeds, an accessories kit, and easy-to-use wall charger. He is a bit scared of it, but I think he will get used to it. It smooths out his nails and files them away.

Resco invented guillotine nail clippers way back in !