Rating 4, 8 · Review by Anna Mejorada · After weeks of testing, our overall favorite nail clipper for dogs is the Safari Professional nail clipper. It is a pliers type tool, with an anti-slip. Our Picks · What to Look For · How We Tried. Akhmarova personally uses the Aussie Dog nail clipper: “They're small, precise and cut like butter,” she said.
These nail clippers have high-quality stainless steel blades and are ideal for both large and small dogs, depending on the brand. Nail clippers for dogs come in a number of different styles. Plier-type nail clippers work for most dogs. Guillotine nail clippers are generally the best for small to medium sized dogs.
Nail grinders are ideal for gently filing your nail instead of cutting it. My favorite nail clipper is the Millers Forge Large Dog nail clipper. This is a standard nail clipper with an open trim part, not a closed circle or guillotine style. This makes them easy to use and hold, plus they're made of surgical stainless steel and are sharp, so they cut efficiently.
For cats, I like the Miller Forge pet nail clippers, they are similar but smaller. A dog nail grinder can be used instead of a nail clipper for some dogs, and some humans find the experience more accessible, especially when they start out. However, if you have a larger dog, you'll want to buy a larger nail clipper, as nail clippers for cats will probably have a hard time cutting through thick nails. Trimming a dog's nails at home, rather than visiting a vet or groomer, can be cost-effective if done correctly.
He said that rewarding dogs with one of these less frequent items allows them to focus on food instead of trimming their nails. In the case of nail sharpeners, I evaluated how well the abrasive bands or discs smoothed the nails and how loud each grinder sounded. Large, heavy dogs that run outside can naturally wear out their nails, so they need to be trimmed less frequently. Trim the nail as short as you can without cutting the fast vein, which is the vein that runs through the center of the nail.
Like all guillotine nail clippers, this Resco model has a hole that indicates where to place the nail and, when the handle is tightened, an internal blade comes out to cut the nail. Bissell's well-built nail clippers for dogs and cats easily cut large nails and are extremely comfortable to hold and cut silently. If you're comfortable using guillotine nail clippers, Resco Deluxe dog nail clippers are a reliable option for cutting dogs' nails quickly and cleanly. Wiley backed up that experience by saying, “I've used large trimmers on small dogs when I had to, and it's almost like their nails were broken instead of being cut.