Have you ever tried to clip or trim your dog’s nails?
If you are like me, you will find the experience to be a nerve-racking nightmare!
Years ago, we had had two pet poodles. The chocolate-colored dog would scream and whine before you even started the nail grooming. He just had to see the nail clippers, and he would get upset. And they were only the little ones you can use on cats!
The apricot-colored dog happily sat for me to clip his nails, but I hit the quick of the nail one time, and there was blood everywhere. The dog didn’t make a peep, but I was traumatized at the sight of so much blood and felt really guilty.
Needless to say, I couldn’t cope with the whole ordeal and looked for a safer, more humane solution for trimming your dog’s nails to replace the dog clippers.
After having seen an interesting advert on television, I set out to research the top nail grinder for dogs for keeping dog nails nice and short with minimum fuss.
Table of Contents
- The Best Nail Grinders for Dogs – Quick Recommendations
- What are the Best Canine Nail Grinders?
- Dog Nail Grinders – Pupter Passion Recommendations
- What Is the Quick?
- What Should You Do if You Accidentally Cut the Quick When Trimming Your Dog’s Nails?
- Why Do Dogs Need Their Nails Clipped?
- Dog Nail Grinder vs. Clipper
- Video: Trimming Nails With a Grinder
The Best Nail Grinders for Dogs – Quick Recommendations
Check out this short and sweet review of some of the best nail grinders for your dog:
What are the Best Canine Nail Grinders?
Look for Professional Quality
When searching for a nail grinder tool to shorten your dog’s nails, you are best off looking for an option that is a professional quality pet nail grinder. The reason I say you want a professional nail grinder is not necessarily because pet salons use it, but rather because it is not a toy or a gimmick.
Remember that TV advert I told you about?
Well, I was one of the suckers to order that particular pet nail grinder. It was probably the first on the market when nail trimming with nail clippers was the norm.
Sadly, when I tried it, it was a piece of junk like most of these gimmicks are.
- The thing was so loud the dogs wouldn’t come near me with it running.
- The motor was not powerful and actually irritated the dogs with its slow operation and inferior functionality.
- Then, to top it off, the dog nail grinder didn’t file down any of the nails very much at all! They were still basically the same length as when I started.
- Finally, the tool got too hot in my hands, and the stench was unbearable.
I thought maybe I received a defective one, but then when the comments and reviews started to surface online, mine was just like everyone else’s.
So, when creating the pet nail grinder reviews page, we really wanted to find the very best quality grinders with the key features you need for your dog.
Okay, let’s get on to detailed and in-depth Nail Grinder Reviews and look into each of our recommended products’ details.
Dog Nail Grinders – Pupter Passion Recommendations
Best Dog Nail Grinder by Dremel | Pupster Passion Rating:
- Pet nail groomer and grinder – This rotary tool is a pet nail groomer and grinder that offers a safe, effective, less stressful alternative to using…
- Variable speed – Two rotation speeds let you safely and carefully grind the nails of your dog or pet in stages. Battery-powered device uses a 60-grit…
- Lightweight – The lightweight, cordless rotary tool works with two speed settings 6,500 and 13,000 RPM and an array of Dremel sanding drums and bands…
Pros:
- Made by Dremel, a company very well known for its high-quality tools. They have been around since 1932 and stand by their name.
- Dremel has the equipment and know-how to build grinding tools for woodworking and homemade furniture and saws for cutting and wheels for removing rust. I am surprised they never thought about making a dog nail grinder much earlier.
- This professional dog nail grinder is not too heavy to hold. This is important because your hands can get really tired when working on the dog’s nails, especially if your dog wriggles a lot during the grinding. Not having to deal with using a nail grinder that is really cumbersome is ideal.
- It runs with a rechargeable battery (Nickel-Cadmium), and a replacement can be bought from Dremel.
- Fastening and locking features for the pet nail grinder bits are very secure, so that bit doesn’t fall out while grinding nails. That is one less thing to scare your pet dog, plus they won’t get hurt, and you won’t burn your fingers!
- The kit comes with a grinding tool, battery, charger, mounting drum, five sanding bands, as well as a manual.
- All their pet nail grinders come with a great two-year guarantee.
- It doesn’t matter where we read about this model from Dremel on forum reviews and other sites, users all seem to love it, and they often report it is low noise, which is great for not scaring your dog.
- Backup batteries and extra grinder accessories are sold separately.
- Lots of videos (from Dremel and pet owners) for learning how to use a nail grinder safely on your pet dog.
- It comes with the option of convenient gift-wrapping, which is especially helpful if you are sending a gift to your favorite dog lover. I don’t know about you, but the idea of buying this pet nail grinder as a pre-wrapped gift for dog-loving friends sounds great!
Cons
- After reading various sites about dog care, we noticed that a few dog owners found the enclosed material to be a bit fiddly.
- In a way, this is positive because many companies seem to forgo instructions and information nowadays. If you do better seeing than reading, then the online videos will help considerably when you trim your dog nails.
Dog Nail Grinder by Oster | Pupster Passion Rating:
- Designed for pets: whisper-quiet rotary tool for stress-free pet nail trimming
- Adjustable safety guard helps ensure you don’t trim too far and captures filings for less mess
- Works on all breeds of cats and dogs with a powerful 2-speed design
Pros:
- Another option from a company that most people have heard of is Oster. They are best known for their kitchen appliances. Again, they are reputable and stand behind their products.
- This tool is a really great professional pet nail grinder for families with cats and dogs, as it can be used on both animals.
- Has a catcher for filings. I hate that when debris drops on the floor and you need to find a way to clean up. The attachment is the ideal solution.
- A safety guide makes me feel better about using dog nail grinders on my pets. Even though a grinder might be preferred over clippers, I still worry about filing too much and making the nails too short. Placing the nails in the plastic hole like you see in the video below is a great idea!
- Simple to operate. NO charging time. AA batteries.
- Best suited to smaller dogs and cats.
- Includes four grinding bands.
- Lightweight nail grinder for pets, which makes it nice and easy to use when you have to trim your dog nails.
Cons:
- The package does not include a rechargeable battery. That is one more thing you need to buy use this particular pet nail grinder.
- It may not be as powerful if you use regular batteries. Probably the alkaline will be more substantial.
- The sales page is unclear about the warranty. We are not sure if there is one or how long it might be. That is odd because their other appliances certainly do have guarantees.
Grinder for Dog Claws by Wahl | Pupster Passion Rating:
- Ideal for trimming, shaping and smoothing rough nails on small dogs such as Yorkies, Bichons, Shih Tzus, Maltese
- Powerful battery-operated nail grinder for easier at-home grooming (two C batteries not included)
- Quiet and lightweight –perfect for working with sensitive pets
Pros:
- The American company has been around for 100 years.
- The kit comes with a lot of pieces and accessories to help you trim the dog’s nails. And they give you a good solid case for storing everything.
- One-year guarantee, but check the details for any limitations.
- Extra and replacement supplies are available for purchase.
- Lots of videos using the product.
- Many customers seem to be happy with their purchases and find them useful for their dog’s nails.
Cons:
- Being corded and needing an electrical outlet, it does not come with a rechargeable battery. This could prove inconvenient. Depending on how long the cord is, you may not have a plug nearby, and it could be a tripping hazard if your dog moves around a lot.
- Users indicate instructions are unclear for attaching the sanding drum.
Now that the Pupster Passion Team has completed its reviews on the best dog nail grinders, let’s look at other important factors when trying to work on your dog’s nails!
What Is the Quick?
The quick of the nail is a blood vessel.
There is also a nerve in the claw. Both, when cut, can be quite painful and create a dangerous situation.
I mentioned at the beginning that I cut the quick on one of our toy poodle’s claws. I couldn’t see it, to be honest, because of the different shades of the dog’s nails.
What Should You Do if You Accidentally Cut the Quick When Trimming Your Dog’s Nails?
But what should you do if you accidentally cut the quick and cause it to bleed?
- Quickly helps stop bleeding
- For minor cuts
- Tail dockings
- Please don’t panic as I did. In my case, the dog wasn’t screeching, so he probably didn’t feel it. However, if the dog is yelping, you need to work quickly to stem the blood flow.
- Styptic powder is best!
- A second choice would be a little flour or cornstarch. Immediately grab some and get the dog’s nail into the powder. The cornstarch quickly helps the blood to clot.
- You can also gently compress the nail with a paper towel.
- If the dog is in serious pain or cannot stop the blood, you will need to call the vet for either further instructions or an appointment.
By the way, if your pet dog hates you doing nail grinding, you ought to read this post about using a dog nail grinder if your dog is scared.
Note – Note hitting the quick is much harder when using dog nail grinders (not just a Dremel) when compared to dog nail clippers as they have guards to stop it from happening.
Why Do Dogs Need Their Nails Clipped?
You might wonder why dogs even need their nails clipped since, in the wild, they don’t have anyone helping them with their nail grinding!?!
The main reason is domesticated animals don’t get enough of the same kind of exercise. Dogs’ nails in the wild are continually scratching and digging at things, plus they run long distances with acts like natural nail grinding by wearing down the claws through friction.
My dog and I go to the park almost every day, yet he still gets very long nails.
They have been bad enough that when he scratches his ears or shoulders, they have bled from the sharpness of the claws.
The truth is our daily outing of an hour or two doesn’t even measure up to what wild animals do in a day.
Some dogs will bite their nails when they get longer but can’t always get them off completely.
Also, if the nails start to curl around, it is excruciating for walking.
Needless to say, we have to help our beloved pets, and since we are going to be choosing to file their nails, having the benefit of comparing products through professional dog nail grinder reviews saves a lot of time and research.
Dog Nail Grinder vs. Clipper
Are Grinders Better than Clippers for Your Dog?
For me, the choice between a professional dog nail grinder and using nail clippers is straightforward.
I would choose the pet nail grinder every single time.
I have used both, and let me tell you why I prefer the grinder.
I don’t know what is worse when trying to clip nails? Seeing the dogs scared and jumpy or be scared and crying because I might have hurt them.
When professionals clip dog nails using nail clippers, they do it with purpose.
When I do it, I am so nervous, and I am sure the dog feeds off my fear. Plus, you can’t make a proper cut when you hesitate.
I ended up splitting nails. And the longer you pause, then the dog starts yelping and pulling away.
Another problem for me is I have a big dog now.
He is close to seventy pounds, so if he wants to take off while I am clipping, I can’t hold him, the nail clippers, and his paw all at the same time.
On top of that, his claws are huge. It takes all my might to clamp down on the nail clippers and get the nails cut.
The pet nail grinder is a whole lot simpler and safer, in my opinion.
If the dog is used to the nail grooming tool, they won’t put up the same fuss as they might do when he saw the nail clippers come out.
Video: Trimming Nails With a Grinder
This is a very short video but well worth viewing. It is jammed packed with good information and pictures of a lady and her pup using the pet nail grooming tool to trim the dog’s nails.
You can see dog nail grinding, how it works, how relaxed and happy the dog is, and see the dog’s nails after the nail grinder has done its work.
We think and hope that you will agree that it is a really effective way of controlling a dog’s nails and inspire you to research nail grinders for your pup instead of using pet nail clippers and get the job done more easily: