Best Dog Nail Clippers in 2022, Dog Nail Clippers + Grinder Reviews
If you let a dog or cat’s nails get too long, it can be painful for your pet and it can lead to infections in the pads of the foot. While many people do take their pets to a vet for nail clipping, you can do it yourself at home.
Here’s our comprehensive guide to dog nail clipping and our recommendations for the best dog nail clippers that are currently available.
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I. We Need Clippers + Grinder Tools for Trimming
Dogs and cats need their nails clipped, because many of our pets live indoors where there are soft carpets and they exercise on soft ground, so their nails don’t get worn down and they can become too long.
If your pet’s nails get too long, it will cause them pain and, in extreme cases, it can lead to them walking awkwardly which will put strain on their joints and that could lead to arthritis.
Many people take their pets to a vet to have their nails clipped, but you can do it yourself if you have the right tools. It is important that you use the right type of clippers for the job, but pet nail clippers and pet nail grinders are readily available relatively inexpensive.
Using good quality pet nail clippers and pet nail grinders will ensure that you can trim your pet’s nails without causing your pet any pain and distress and it will save you the cost of a regular visit to the vet.
II. Main Key Features of the Best Dog Nail Clippers You Need to Check before Buying
There are quite a lot of different brands and styles of dog nail clippers on the market and they can vary quite considerably in price. Here are the basic features that we would expect to see in the best pet nail clippers.
1. Stainless steel blades
The first thing to look for in the best pet nail clippers is stainless still blades, because they are easy to clean, they are precise, and they will stay sharp for a long time.
2. Safety stop
A safety stop is a very simple metal bar that prevents you cutting too far down your pet’s claw. That’s important, because if you cut too far down, you will cut into the quick, which will cause your pet pain and the nail will bleed.
3. Size
Be sure that you buy pet nail clippers that are designed for the size of your pet. If your nail clippers are too large, you will be more likely to cut into the quick and, if they are too small, they may not be strong enough to cut through the thick nails of a large pet.
4. The handles
It’s also a good idea to check that handles are ergonomically designed. The best pet nail clippers have handles that are designed to be easy and comfortable to hold and they are usually covered with a soft rubber coating for grip and for comfort.
III. Best Overall Dog Nail Clippers
Safari 770045 Professional Nail Trimmer
Our pick for the best dog nail clippers overall has to be the Safari 770045 Professional Nail Trimmer, which is a well-made, high quality pair of dog nail clippers that are ideal for use on mediums sized and large dogs.
Safari 770045 Professional Nail Trimmers are very sharp stainless steel dog nail clippers that have the safety feature of a safety stop and they have ergonomically designed and comfortable to hold rubber coated handles.
We like these clippers because they are lightweight and easy to use. The safety stop guard does its job, but you still need be careful when you use any dog nail clippers that you don’t clip the nails too short. The Safari 770045 Professional Nail Trimmers come in two sizes; small-medium and large, but you’d only need the large clippers for a very large dog.
We found clipping a dog’s nails very quick and easy with the Safari 770045 Professional Nail Trimmers and that’s always a benefit if you are clipping an impatient or nervous dog’s nails. These are definitely one of the best dog nail clippers on the market at the moment.
Things We Liked
- Comfortable rubber coated handles
- Sharp stainless steel blades
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Safety stop to prevent injury
- Precise cutting action
Things We Disliked
- Some people say that these clippers make a loud noise, but we didn’t notice it
- The handles may be a bit too small for you if you have very large hands
IV. Best Overall Grinder Tools
Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool
The Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool is a neat little cordless pet nail grinder that we have selected as our best dog nail grinding tool that will provide a safe and effective alternative to pet nail clippers.
This best pet nail grinder features two speeds of rotation, so you can grind nails in stages, and it is compatible with a whole range of different Dremel sanding drums and bands that can be purchased separately.
The motor on the Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool is fairly quiet, so it shouldn’t bother most pets, but some pets might be a bit wary the sound it makes. The grinder was easy to use too, and it fits quite comfortably into the palm of your hand. Like all dog nail grinders, be careful if your dog has long hair, because the hair can get caught up in the spinning head.
The Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool is a well-designed pet nail grinder that we think deserves to be called the best overall pet nail grooming tool on the market at the moment.
Things We Liked
- Cordless with good battery life
- Easy to control
- Two rotation speeds
- Leave nails nice and smooth
- Easier to get the length right than it is with clippers
Things We Disliked
- Head can get hot if used for too long
- Instructions could be better
V. Dog Nail Clipper Reviews
1. Epica Pet Nail Clipper
Made out of high-quality stainless steel, Epica Pet Nail Clippers are one of the best professional dog nail clippers for medium and large dogs.
The clippers are easy use and the sharp stainless steel blades give a very precise cut. We found that the cut was very clean too,so we didn’t need to file the dog’s nails too much after cutting, which you do need to after clipping with some pet nail clippers.
The handles are covered in rubber for comfort and they are easy to hold. Like all the best pet nail clippers, the Epica Pet Nail Clippers have a locking mechanism that will keep the blades closed when they are not in use.
What we also liked about these nail clippers was that you don’t need to exert a lot of pressure to clip a pet’s nails. That’s both easier on your hands and it makes accurate clipping a lot easier too. The way that the Epica Pet Nail Clippers have been designed makes it easy to see what you are doing, which means you are less likely to cut into the quick.
The Epica Pet Nail Clippers are sturdy, well designed, and they will provide an easy and accurate tool for trimming your pet’s nails.
Things We Liked
- Comfortable to use
- Sharp, accurate blade
- Cuts with minimal pressure
- You can see what you are doing
- Effective safety guard to avoid injury
Things We Disliked
- Clippers may need tightening from time to time
- The blades locked a couple of times when we were using the clippers
2. Dog Nail Clippers and Trimmer by Boshel
The Boshel Dog Nail Clippers and Trimmer are used by professionals and it is a high quality pair of pet nail clippers that have all the features that you expect from one of the best pet nail trimmers.
These pet nail clippers are suitable for medium to large sized dogs and cats and the blades are made from high quality stainless steel. The blades are super-sharp and they cut effortlessly through pet nails and they leave a nice and clean cut with no rough edges.
The Dog Nail Clippers and Trimmer by Boshel were easy to use and they felt comfortable in the hand. The handles have a non-slip covering, so that makes keeping the clippers steady very easy. There is a safety stop, to stop you accidentally cutting into the quick. There’s also a nail file built into the handle of the clippers’, which we thought was a great idea.
Overall, we would say that the Dog Nail Clipper by Boshelis a great pet grooming tool that has been designed well and manufactured with high quality materials.
Things We Liked
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Strong, sharp blades
- Safety stop to avoid cutting into the quick
- Comfortable, non-slip grips on the handles
- Leaves a clean, smooth cut
Things We Disliked
- The clippers are quite small
- Some people find that the safety guard gets in the way a bit
3. Simply Pets Online Dog Nail Cutters
Often used by vets, the Simply Pets Online Dog Nail Cutters are pet nail cutters that are easy and safe to use and they are very high quality too.
The blades are long lasting stainless steel and they are sharp. The handles are rubber coated and they give a comfortable and firm grip. These pet nail trimmers also have a safety guard that will help prevent cutting into a pets quick.
We were able to cut through some pretty thick nails with these clippers and they went through in one easy snip. They didn’t leave any rough edges and they didn’t crush the nails like some pet nail clippers do. You also get a lifetime guarantee with these clippers and that’s not something that you get with every pet product.
We think that the Simply Pets Online Dog Nail Cutters are a great quality pet grooming products and we are more than happy to include them in our best dog nail clippers reviews.
Things We Liked
- Very sharp
- Comfortable and easy to hold
- Easily cutsthrough tough nails
- Lifetime guarantee
- Safety guard to prevent injury
Things We Disliked
- They make quite a loud click when they close
4. GoPets Nail Clippers for Dogs & Cats with Nail File
Next in our pet nail clippers reviews are the GoPets Nail Clippers for Dogs & Cats with Nail File. These pet nail clippers come in a choice of sizes. The large clippers will be good for medium to large dogs and cats and the mall clippers would suit small breeds.
The GoPets Nail Clippers for Dogs & Cats with Nail File feature a safety stop guard to stop you cutting into the quick and the blades are angled, to make it easier to see what you are doing. The clippers were comfortable to hold, although not the most comfortable of all the brands we reviewed. You can get nice clean cut with these clippers. This model also has locking blades to prevent any injury when the clippers are not in use.
The blades are stainless steel, which means that they should stay sharp for a long time, and the manufacture offers a lifetime guarantee.
One feature that did stand out on the GoPets Nail Clippers for Dogs & Cats with Nail File was the accuracy of the safety stop guard, which was much more precise than some of the clippers that we tested.
We also like the fact that GoPets donates a portion of their profit to animal charities and animal rescue centres, so full marks to GoPets for that.
Things We Liked
- Good, clean cutting action
- Accurate safety guard
- Ergonomic handles
- Good quality pet nail clippers
Things We Disliked
- A bit too bulky for very small pets
- The handle covering could be improved
5. Trim-Pet Dog Nail Clippers
The very first thing that struck us when we opened the packaging for the Trim-Pet Dog Nail Clippers was the clear and concise instructions that come with this product. So many pet grooming products let themselves down in this area, so that was a big tick in a box of these pet nail clippers.
The Trim-Pet Dog Nail Clippers have heat treated, tempered stainless steel cutting blades that are very sharp and the handles are big, easy to hold, and easy to get a good leverage on. These dog nail cutters have a good spring back mechanism too, which brings the blades back into the cutting position quickly.
The clipper has an anti-pinch telescoping spring guard, which is a great idea and we found the clippers comfortable to hold and easy to control. The sharp blades make it easy to cut through nails and you can get a good angle when cutting too.
The Trim-Pet Dog Nail Clippers are good quality pet nail clippers and, by the look of customer reviews, pet owners love them too.
Things We Liked
- Good cutting action
- Big handles
- Very sharp blades
- Suitable for small, medium and large pets
- Good quality product
Things We Disliked
- Quite heavy to hold
- The free nail file could be better quality
VI. The Steps for Using Dog Nail Clippers to Trim Your Dog's Nails
The best way to make clipping a dog’s nails easy is to make it fun for your pet. Make a fuss of your dog, give him some treats, and that will help to distract him and keep him calm.
1. Lay your dog down on his side and beside him
The best position for clipping a dog’s nails is to have your dog lying on his side, with you sitting beside him. That will give you a clear view of the nails and, if your dog pulls his paw away, you will be less likely to damage the nails that you were clipping at the time.
2. Hold the paw in the palm of your hand
Hold the dog’s paw in the palm of your hand with your hand facing the same way as the paw. Wrap your fingers around the pads and hold the paw gently but firmly.
3. Start by tipping the nails
Start by clipping just a small shaving off the top of the nail and then work your way down slowly until you see an oval shape in the claw, which means that you are getting close to the quick.
4. What to do if you cut into the quick
If you do accidentally cut into the quick, reassure your dog and try to keep him calm. You can stem the bleeding by applying some styptic powder to the wound.
VII. How Often Should You Clip Your Dog's Nails?
How often you should cut your dog’s nails will depend on the breed and on how often they are exercised on hard pavements. As a general guide, most family pets will need to have their nails clipped once every four weeks or so.If a dog’s nails have got very long, you should not try to cut them back all in one go, do it several stages.
VIII. Main Types of Dog Nail Clipper on the Market Today
There are three main types of nail clippers available on the market; scissor clippers, guillotine clippers, and pet nail grinders.
1. Scissor pet nail clippers
Scissor clippers, which are also sometimes called Miller’s Forge Trimmers, work in just the same way as a pair of scissors does. These are usually the best type of pet nail clippers for medium sized to large sized dogs, because they will cut through large nails.
2. Guillotine pet nail clippers
Guillotine clippers work in just the way that the name suggests. You insert the nail into the hole and then when you squeeze the handles, the blade will cut off the end of the nail. This type of pet nail clippers is best suited for small to medium sized pets.
3. Pet nail grinders
Pet nail grinders use a rotating head to grind down the nails. They can be very useful if your dog has very large nails, or if your dog is uncomfortable with you using clippers. The downside to pet nail grinders is that some animals don’t like the noise and the vibration sensation on their paws that grinders make.
IX. Conclusion
Trimming your pet’s nails is not all that difficult to do, but you do have to make sure that you avoid cutting into the quick. If your pet has light coloured nails, you can see the pink areas of the nail and that is where the quick is. On breeds with dark coloured nails, though, you have to judge where the quick is, which can bea bit tricky.
We hope that you have found this guide to pet nail clippers useful. Please do feel free to take a look around our website and visit some of our other pet products guide and pet advice articles.
