Toenails

Proper toenail trimming important for the health and comfort of your Shar-Pei, and it is probably the one thing owners are the worst about.

When a Shar-Pei is standing, its toenails should not touch the floor. Letting a Shar-Pei's toenails hit the floor is like a letting person's toenails grow to push against the tip of their shoes.

Frequent walking on cement can file toenails naturally, but will not completely eliminate the need for trimming.

When possible, I prefer to use a hand held dremel rather than clippers. A dremel gives me better control and is safer for the dogs.

For adults I use a cordless heavy duty dremel model.

With young puppies, I use a lightweight cordless version from walmart for $19.95. This is quieter and less disturbing to the puppies. They will resist and squirm, but just ignore them and trim. This is the least favorite part for a puppy, but if they are trimmed weekly, they will become accustomed to it.

Causing a toenail to bleed is much better than letting the toenail get too long. You can use styptic powder available from any drug store to stop the bleeding.