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Foot
Pads and Nail Clipping
Yes we have to do it. None of us love nail
clipping but it is very uncomfortable to let the nails
grow and curve. It will affect the gait of your
dog in the ring, but will also make it uncomfortable to
walk for the companion Havanese.
Clear nails are easy just
clip to the Kwick (right above where you see red in the
nail)
It's important to clip
often - the more you do the shorter you can keep the
nails. Clipping often will recede the Kwick
allowing you to keep nails nice and short. I have
often left this too long because I hate clipping black
nails and as a result have ended up with talons on my
Havanese. It's correctable just start clipping a
tiny bit every day and the Kwick will begin receding
Black nails are more
difficult because you can't see the Kwik. You can
simply cut a tiny bit off every two days but if you have
left it and have to make a cut I use the following
method.
    Taylor's nail are too long - I
have not cut them often enough and of course they are
all black. I look at the nail from the side and you will
see a small natural thickening in the long nail or the
place AFTER where the nail curves.
Cut just above the thickening to be conservative.
Once you have done this trim a tiny bit off every 1-2
days just a fraction and the nails will go back to
proper length.
A larger dog's nail so it is
easier to see
Don't forget the Dew Claws as
some breeders don't remove them
If you accidentally cut the
Kwick and get some blood you can use styptic powder or a
styptic pencil. You can purchase from any pet
store. Apply the powder with a q-tip. The
stick has a black end that is held to the bleeding nail
and gently rotated until bleeding stops.
Foot Pads
Foot pads get hairy on
havanese and can cause spreading of the toes, discomfort
and a poor gait on your pet. You need to cut the
hair around and in-between the pads and keep the area
free of mats. I use a small clipper for this but
you can also use scissors. If using scissors I
would make this a two person job on an un-trained pet or
leave it to your groomer
Definitely time for a trim.
Taylor is very hairy and this needs to be done about
every two weeks for her.
It is almost impossible to cut
Taylor with clippers but I start with the blade on the
pad and then move our to cut the hair. Cut against
the curl or natural lie of the hair not down - you want
some resistance
You can also use scissors.
I'm using scissors to get come hair out between the pads
A short haired huge dog but
same principal
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