• Tidy toenails require trimming, which you can do at home.paw image by pusti from Fotolia.com
  
  If you hear the pitter-patter of little paws every time your pet crosses the kitchen floor, then it's probably time for his nails to be trimmed. You can trim your pet's nails at home with minimal fuss, and maintaining your pet's paws prevents discomfort from standing on overgrown toenails, ingrown nails and painful snags. With a few inexpensive supplies on hand, you can keep your favorite critter's feet looking trim.
  
  

Nail Clippers

• Because pet nails are thicker than human nails, human nail clippers are not suitable and can painfully crush the nail rather than cutting it. Different styles of pet nail clippers are available, and which you choose will depend on the size of your pet and your own comfort level and preference. Guillotine-type clippers are commonly used for dog and cat nail care. These clippers have an opening that holds the nail, and when you squeeze the handles, a blade slices cleanly through the nail without crushing it. For large dogs, pliers-style clippers make a quicker, cleaner cut. Pliers-style clippers look like pruning shears, with blades on both sides of the clipper to cut through both sides of the dog's nail simultaneously. For small dogs and cats, nail scissors provide yet another alternative and, for many pet owners, are more comfortable to handle.
  
  

Nail File

• Some pets' nails, especially large dogs, become brittle and, when clipped, fragment into sharp edges. These sharp edges can snag clothing or upholstery or scratch your skin when you're handling or playing with your dog. Filing removes snags and softens the tip of the nail. As with nail clippers, the file you use will, in part, depend on the size of your pet. Emery boards do the trick for small dogs and cats, but larger dogs may require a bastard file, available from a hardware supply store. According to the Veterinary Information Network's website, pets that fear nail clipping may allow their nails to be filed, providing a way to keep your pet's nails tidy without the trauma of bringing out the clippers.
  
  

Nail Grinder

• No matter how careful they are, some pet owners find that their pets develop a terror of the nail clipper. Kennel owner Janet Ford explains that even the best clippers can still crush pets' thick nails and pinch the nerves inside, causing pain and discomfort. Nail grinders, in contrast, act as high power nail files, using a small rotating sander to quickly wear away overlong nails without pinching and making it easier to avoid severing the quick--the nerves and blood vessels inside of the nail. Because nail grinders do make at least a small amount of noise, you will likely have to train your pet to tolerate them, but once you do, nail care should be a painless experience for both of you.
  
  

Styptic Powder

• Inside of your pet's nails lies a blood vessel and a bundle of sensitive nerves. As anyone who has ever nicked this while trimming a pet's nails can attest, cutting this is not only painful but causes bleeding, sometimes for hours. If you plan to give your pet a home pedicure, keep a vial of styptic powder on hand. Pressed into a bleeding toenail, it helps to stop the bleeding. In a pinch, if you don't have styptic powder available, holding your pet's paw in a bowl of flour or cornstarch will also help stem the bleeding.