Clipping your dog's nails is more than a cosmetic chore. Veterinarians warn that unhealthy nails can cause pain and, in rare instances, trigger irreversible damage to the dog. A dog's nail consists of the living pink quick and the hard outer material called the shell.
The growth pattern of a dog's nails forms a curved shape. If left untrimmed, the claws will eventually curve under the dog's paws and dig into the skin, creating pain when they walk. Anyone who has ever experienced an ingrown toenail can attest to the amount of pain this will cause.
Long claws are more prone to chipping, tearing, splitting and breaking, which can be very painful and may require veterinary treatment. As well as being prone to damage, when a dog stands or walks on a long-clawed paw it puts pressure on the wrong parts of the foot, causing pain and discomfort.
When you fail to trim your dog's nails as frequently as needed, the quick grows along with the nail. In some cases, when the nails are extra-long, the quick may lengthen so much that it reaches the tip. When this happens, you won't be able to trim much nail without risking cutting through the quick.
At the center of every dog nail is a bundle of nerves and blood vessels called a quick. Cutting this quick, or even applying pressure to the area around it, can cause your dog immense pain. Some breeds, such as Shiba Inus, pugs, shepherds, labs, and bully breeds, seem to have exceptionally sensitive quicks.
Adult dogs may be fearful of the clippers and the sound they make, especially if they had a previous bad experience (having the nail trimmed too short or “quicked”). Desensitizing older dogs to nail trimming takes patience. The process cannot be rushed.
Long walks can wear down your dog's nails naturally over time. In the wild, wolves and coyotes keep their nails short through digging and running after prey for hours.
Dog's nails should extend enough to be seen, but should not go past the paw. If your dog has long hair, you may not be able to easily see the nails. But if the nails extend over the bottom of the paw pad you'll know your dog's nails are too long.
Overgrown Nails Cause Accidents – Dogs use their nails for traction and balance when walking or running. Nails that are too long can cause a dog to slip and fall more easily. Long nails cause a dog to place their feet differently, in a “plantigrade” position.
Some dogs love a good scratch, especially if you have long fingernails. Many dogs enjoy petting from trusted people in the following areas: Lower back near the base of the tail. Belly and underside of the chest.
A dog's nails should be clipped often enough that they remain short enough to not click on the ground when a dog walks. Long nails that touch the ground may cause discomfort for your dog, and potentially cause problems down the road.
Unless your dog is incredibly active and takes daily long walks on sidewalks or hard surfaces that fill the role of a nail file, it's likely that their nails will need trimming a few times a month. When left unattended, increasingly long nails will start to cause pain in a dog's toe joints.
The main reason dogs hate getting their nails clipped is because of the pain. It doesn't hurt them if they are clipped correctly but if your dog has been cut too close to their nerve in their nail, even once, he will remember it.
Benadryl: This mild antihistamine sedative helps calm your pet when it is nervous about clipping its nails. Melatonin supplements: Help regulate body rhythm and help calm down your dog. Natural sedation methods: Herbs like California poppy, chamomile, rosemary, or valerian are natural relaxants.
Nails cannot be allowed to grow without being trimmed or naturally worn down so if they are long enough, your veterinarian will need to inject a sedative into your dog in order to safely trim the nails. Physical restraint should not be performed if a dog is struggling and trying to bite.
When you go for walks together, hard surfaces such as the pavement will naturally wear your dog's nails down, which leaves you with very little work to do. However, if your dog's nails aren't looking after themselves, their untrimmed nails can break, bleed or even grow into their feet, causing them a lot of discomfort.
For maintenance, cut every two weeks. To shorten, cut every week. Once the insensitive nail is thinned out and isn't supporting the quick, the quick will dry up and recede. This will allow you to cut your dog's nails even shorter.
The cutting blade should be closest to you, not the dog. Be sure not to cut too short, as the nail will bleed. Nails should be cut from underneath at a 45-degree angle.