This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.

In the photographs below, unless otherwise noted, the top if the paw is facing up. The dog who was photographed has black pads on her toes. The black pads on the bottom of her toes will help you orient yourself as you view the photographs. Variations on these instructions exist.
Most dogs do not like having their claws trimmed. Start trimming claws in young animals so that they get used to the process. Some dogs will happily sit in your lap or on a table while you trim their claws but many require some form of restraint.

One method to restrain the dog is to place her/him on a table. Stand on the side of the table opposite to the claws you are trimming.Drape your arms and upper body over the dog. When trimming the front claws, keep your left forearm over the neck to keep the dog from lifting its head. Hold the paw in your left hand and hold the trimmer in your right hand. If the dog tries to stand, lean your upper body over his/her shoulders to prevent him/her from rising.

 

If your dog is too wiggly, try laying him/her on his/her side. Use your right arm and upper body to keep the dog laying on his/her side. Hold the trimmer in your right hand. Use your left arm to keep the head on the table and use the left hand to hold the paw.

It is easier to perform this procedure if you have a helper. See the section on restraining a dog for some additional suggestions.

There are several styles of nail trimmers, including a guillotine type and a scissors type. The guillotine type is the easiest to use in dogs.

 

The scissors-type is used to trim a toenail that is so long that it is curling in a circle. Long claws can grow into the toe-pad. This most often happens to dew claws, the claw on the inner side of the paw. Dew claws do not touch the ground so they are not worn down as the dog walks. The dew claw is attached to the leg by loose skin. The dew claw can usually be bent away from the leg so that you can fit a guillotine type trimmer over the tip of the dew claw.

 

	The scissors-type cutter is placed at a right angle to the toenail.
	Hold the trimmer in your right hand if you are right handed.
	Close your hand around the clipper to squeeze the handle which will move the cutting blade.

 

	The guillotine type trimmers have stationary ring through which the nail is placed, and a cutting blade that moves up to slice off the nail when the handles of the trimmer are squeezed.

Unlike cats, dogs do not have retractile claws. The color of the nail is determined by the color of the surrounding skin and hair. This dog has black claws on the brown paw and a mixture of white and black claws on the white paw.Always remember to trim the dew claws that are located on the inner surface of the paw.

The claws on the rear feet are often shorter and require less frequent trimming than those on the front feet. Always remember to trim the dew claws that are located on the inner surface of the paw unless they were removed as a puppy.  Some breeds of dogs such as the St. Bernard have 2 sets of dew claws on the rear feet.

Light colored claws are easier to cut than dark claws as the blood vessels and nerves that supply the toenail, called the quick, is easier to see.

Cut the toenail to within approximately2 millimeters of the quick. If you cut into the quick, the toenail will bleed and the dog will experience pain.

The handles of the trimmer can be held pointing toward the floor, as pictured at the left (cutting the nail from bottom to top) or the handles of the trimmer can be held pointed towards the ceiling (cutting the nail from top to bottom); which ever is more comfortable in your hands. The tip of the nail is placed in the stationary ring in the trimmer with the clipper perpendicular to the nail (cutting either top to bottom or bottom to top). If the trimmer is placed parallel to the nail (cutting from side to side), the nail is crushed and may splinter. The cutting blade should be facing you, NOT the dog. The screws on the handle of the trimmer should be facing the dog. If you turn the trimmer around with the screws toward you, the cutting blade is cutting closer to the quick than if the trimmer is held with the cutting blade toward you. You are less likely to cut into the quick if the cutting blade faces you.

The handles of the trimmer are squeezed to advance the cutting blade through the nail.Light colored claws can be trimmed with one cut on each nail.

 

	You cannot see the quick on dark colored claws, making them more difficult to trim without cutting into the quick.
	Cut dark colored claws in several small cuts to reduce the chance of cutting into the quick.

As you cut off small pieces of the nail, look at the cut edge of the nail. The light tissue (1) is the curved bottom part of the nail. The mottled light and dark tissue (2) is the top part of the nail.
 

As you cut the nail deeper, you will see a homogeneous gray to pink oval (3) starting to appear at the top of the cut surface of the nail. Stop cutting the nail at this point as additional cutting will cut into the quick. The sharper the trimmer, the cleaner the cut. The cutting blade on guillotine-style cutters can be replaced when it is no longer sharp. You can file the end of the nail to smooth the cut surface.

 

	A correctly cut dark colored nail next to an uncut mixed colored nail. The mixed color nail is darker close to the base of the nail preventing one from seeing the quick. This nail should be trimmed in several small cuts.
	If the toenail is cut too short, you can use a styptic pencil containing silver nitrate to stop blood flow, although many animals object to the styptic pencil as much, or more, than toenail cutting. The black end of the stick is held to the bleeding nail and gently rotated until bleeding stops. Even without any treatment the nail should stop bleeding in about 5 minutes or less.

       This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.

In the photographs below, unless otherwise noted, the dog is facing to your right. Variations on these instructions exist. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.
Supplies used in giving subcutaneous fluids will vary by manufacturer and may differ from those pictured here.
Fluid given under the skin, subcutaneously (SQ), is absorbed into the blood stream and can be used to correct or prevent dehydration. The most frequent disease for which fluids are given is chronic kidney failure. Dogs with chronic kidney failure pass large amounts of urine and may not feel well enough to drink enough to prevent dehydration. The dog owner may give subcutaneous fluids a few times a week to supplement the water the dog is drinking in order to prevent dehydration and help flush waste products through the kidneys. 
Your veterinarian will prescribe a certain type of fluids and a volume and frequency for administration to your dog. The most common fluid type given to dogs with chronic kidney failure is Lactated Ringers Solution (LRS).
There are 3 general techniques used to give SQ fluids:

• with a syringe and needle 
• with a syringe, needle and flexible tubing called an extension set 
• from a vinyl bag using a solution drip set

Most dogs  tolerate being given subcutaneous fluids. You can give about 10-20 ml per kg of body weight (5 -10 ml per pound)  in one spot (e.g. 50 ml for a 10 pound dog) before you move to another location.  It usually takes 6 to 8 hours for all the fluids to be absorbed. Check to see if the previously administered fluids have been absorbed before giving more fluids. Even though the fluids are given on the back, gravity will cause the fluids to accumulate on the belly, so check for residual fluids on the belly before you give more. Check with your veterinarian if the fluids are not being fully absorbed.
Usually the skin is not cleansed before inserting the needle. If the dog has a normal immune system, the few bacteria that are pushed under the skin with the needle will be killed by the dog's immune system.
You can use alcohol on a cotton ball to make the hair lay flat so it is easier to see where the hair ends and the skin starts. Alcohol takes about 30 minutes before bacteria are killed, so just swiping the hair with alcohol is not an effective way to kill bacteria.
If your dog may have an abnormal immune system, for example is on anti cancer drugs, then several patches of hair may be shaved and the injection sites scrubbed with an antiseptic solution such as Novalsan or Betadine before placing the needle to prevent pushing bacteria under the skin.

The thickness of a needle is measured by gauge (g), the smaller the number, the thicker the needle. An 18 gauge needle is thicker than a 20 gauge needle. Needles may also be different lengths, one-inch and one and one-half-inch are most commonly used.

The plastic hub is the wide part of the needle that attaches to the syringe. The hub of the needle is color coded by size, although these colors may vary by manufacturer. 18g needles have a pink hub, 20g needles have a yellow hub. 20g needles are most commonly used to give SQ fluids although larger needles (18g) may be used in large dogs and may be used to draw fluid from the container of fluids. Smaller needles (22g) may be recommended for small dogs.

Needles are packaged in a rigid plastic cover and wrapped in paper or plastic to keep them sterile. Keep the needles in the original package until use. Do not dispose of needles or syringes in the trash. Keep used needles and syringes in a puncture-proof container and return them to your veterinarian for disposal.Don't use the same needle that was placed under the skin to draw more fluids from the container of fluids or bacteria will be introduced into the container of sterile fluids.

If you use an 18g (pink) needle to draw from the solution container and a 20g (yellow) needle to give the fluids, it will be easier to keep track of which needle to use. Keep the white plastic cap to place over the sharp needle when it is not in use.

Usually a large (60 ml) syringe is used for fluid delivery. The syringe is often packaged in a plastic case. If the syringe is to be used more than once, you may want to keep the container. The plastic container is also useful for placing used needles for disposal.

 

The syringe has 2 parts, a barrel and a plunger.

 

The syringe is marked in milliliters (ml) and ounces. The syringe is marked at 5 ml increments (5 ml, 10 ml, 15 ml, etc.). Each line between the numbers is 1 ml. The plunger has a domed end. The top edge of the plunger is used to read the amount of fluid in the syringe. This syringe contains 26 ml of fluid. There is a small air bubble in this syringe. It is not necessary to remove tiny air bubbles such as this one when you are giving fluids SQ.

 

Remove the needle from the paper/plastic wrap but leave the plastic cover on the needle. Place the hub of the needle firmly over the tip of the syringe. Some needles and syringes have threads that screw together (luer-lock).Remove the plastic needle cap just before use.

 

Fluids are in plastic bags or glass bottles. Bags of fluids come packaged in a plastic wrapper. Remove the wrapper from the plastic bag just before using. The fluid type that is most often given SQ is Lactated Ringers Solution (LRS). Fluids do not contain a preservative, so ideally they should only be used only once and then any remainder should be discarded. Most veterinarians stock fluids in 1,000 ml bags. This volume is larger than is usually given to a dog at one time. You may be given instructions to draw fluids from the same bag for a few days. See the instructions below for suggestions on how to prevent contamination of the bag of fluids.

The neck of the bag of fluids has 2 ports; the injection port that is covered with a rubber stopper and a port covered by plastic (blue) in which the spike of a solution set is inserted (discussed below).

Follow your veterinarian’s instructions for handling the fluids sterilely so the container of fluids is not contaminated, and you may be able to use the same container of fluids for a few days if recommended by your veterinarian. Clean the rubber stopper of the injection port with an antiseptic solution such as Novalsan (chlorhexadine) or Betadine (povidone iodine) before inserting the needle, if more than one puncture will be made through the stopper. Alcohol takes about 30 minutes of contact before bacteria are killed, so it is not a good solution to use. Always use a sterile needle to draw fluids from the sterile container. Do not use the same needle to give the fluids to the dog, and then place that needle back into the fluid container as it will become contaminated with bacteria from the skin. If you use an 18g (pink) needle to draw from the solution container and a 20g (yellow) needle to give the fluids, it will be less confusing. Never use a bag of fluids if it appears cloudy.

Remove the plastic cap from the needle and place the tip of the needle in the injection port.

	The needle must be inserted into the center of the rubber stopper. The injection port itself is held so the needle is inserted straight into the injection port.
	This needle is properly aligned.

This needle is placed off-center and is puncturing the injection port.

Draw back on the syringe plunger while holding the syringe barrel steady so the needle does not pull out of the fluid bag. Fill the syringe to the volume prescribed by your veterinarian. Do not fill a 60 ml syringe past 50 ml as the plunger may accidentally be pulled out of the barrel of the syringe, spilling the fluid. If you used an 18g needle to draw from the bag, replace the plastic cap, remove from the syringe, and set aside this needle.

Replace the 18 g needle with a 20g needle. When you have given the first syringeful of fluids, change back to the 18g needle to draw another syringeful. Then change back to the 20g needle to inject the dog. Keep the plastic caps on the needles as you exchange them. Use one new 18g and one new 20g needle each time you give fluids to your pet; alternating needles between syringefuls of fluids.

Pinch up a fold of skin anywhere along the neck or  back using your left hand if you are right-handed.Use your right hand to place the needle that is attached to a 60 ml syringe, into the skin fold along the long axis of the fold. If you place the needle in the opposite direction, across the skin fold, it is more likely that the needle will go through one fold of skin and out the other fold of skin.

	Before injecting the fluid, pull back on the plunger of the syringe. If air bubbles appear in the syringe, the needle has gone through both folds of skin and you are sucking room air into the syringe. Remove the needle from the skin and try again. If you get blood, the tip of the needle is in a blood vessel. Remove the needle and try again.
	Once you have checked that the needle is correctly placed, let go of the skin fold and push the plunger to inject the fluids.  The plunger can be pushed using one hand by holding the syringe between your fingers and pushing the plunger with the thumb of the same hand.  The other hand can be used to steady the syringe or comfort the pet.
	If this is difficult, hold the syringe in one hand and push the plunger with the other. The fluids can be injected as fast as you can push the plunger.

If the needle is not directly attached to the syringe, but is attached to a flexible piece of tubing (an extension set) first, the dog can move around a bit while the fluids are being injected.The extension set will be packaged in a plastic/paper wrapper. Remove from wrapper, remove the white plastic cap from one end and firmly place on the tip of the syringe. Remove the cap on the other end and place into the hub of the needle. The two ends are different, the female end fits over the tip of the syringe. The male end fits into the hub of the needle.

	The needle attached to the extension set is inserted into the injection port as described above for a needle directly attached to a syringe. Draw the prescribed amount of fluids into the syringe. Replace the 18g needle with a 20g needle and recap the 18g needle with the plastic needle cap.Push some of the fluid through the tubing to evacuate air from the tube, a procedure called priming.
	The syringe containing the fluids is laid on the table. Pinch up a fold of skin anywhere along the neck and back using your left hand if you are right-handed. Use your right hand to place the needle into the skin fold along the long axis of the fold. Pull back on the plunger of the syringe. If air bubbles appear in the syringe, the needle has gone through both folds of skin and you are sucking room air into the syringe. Remove the needle from the skin and try again. If you get blood, the tip of the needle is in a blood vessel. Remove the needle and try again.
	Once you have checked that the needle is correctly placed, let go of the skin fold and push the plunger to inject the fluids. The plunger can be pushed using one hand by holding the syringe between the index finger and middle finger and pushing the plunger with the thumb of the same hand.
	If this is difficult, hold the syringe in one hand and push the plunger with the other. The yellow X marks the site the needle is entering the skin.

When you are finished giving fluids, if you are instructed to use the same syringe and extension set for more fluids later, place a clean needle covered by its plastic cover on the end of the extension set.

	The third method to give SQ fluids is to attach a solution drip set to a bag of fluids.Remove the solution set from the plastic/paper wrapper. Both ends are covered with plastic caps. After removing the cap, the male end fits into the hub of the needle. The white spike is punctured into the spike port of the bag of fluids after removing the plastic tube that covers the spike.
	The spike port on the bag of fluids is covered by a blue plastic cover. This cover is pulled off. The cover is tightly covering the spike port and you have to pull firmly to remove it.
	The white spike on the solution set is pushed into the spike port. Hold the spike port in your left hand to guide the spike straight into the port. If you push the spike in at an angle, it may puncture the bag of fluids.
	Attach a needle to the other end of the solution set.

	The plastic tubing has 2 clamps that must be opened to allow fluid to flow.  The dark blue pinch clamp has a tapered slot, the tubing is pushed to the widest part of the slot to open and pushed to the narrowest part of the slot to stop fluid flow The light blue clamp is a roller clamp. Use your thumb to roll the white disk up, toward the solution chamber to open and in the opposite direction to close.  The fastest flow of fluids occurs with both clamps fully open. Before placing the needle in the SQ, open the clamps and let fluid flow until the air is evacuated from the tubing. You will see drops of fluid drop in the drip chamber when the clamps are open. If the drip chamber fills with fluid so that you cannot see the drops forming, turn the drip chamber upside down and squeeze some of the fluids back into the bag.
	The skin is tented and the needle inserted along the long axis of the fold. You cannot suck back to check for air so watch the site at which the fluids are entering the skin fold to make sure the hair isn't getting wet suggesting the needle is incorrectly placed.
	The fluids can be dripped into the SQ space as fast as the drip will go. The higher you hang the bag, the faster the fluids will flow.

 

You can also roll up the bag and squeeze the fluids out of the bag for faster delivery.If you are instructed to use the same fluids and solution set for more fluids later, place a clean needle covered by its plastic cover on the end of the solution set.

Complications of SQ fluid administration can include:

• development of an abscess which will be a hard, painful lump that is warm to the touch
• edema if too much fluid is given
• if the dog is severely dehydrated, the fluids will not be absorbed