There are many owners who take their dogs to the groomers for trimming, for fear of hurting their pooch or getting it wrong. Nail neglect can lead to pain and health risks for your four-legged friend, including a splayed foot, reduced traction, pain when walking, and worse, deformed feet and injuries.
Skipping This Grooming Task Can Cause Your Dog Pain
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.
As long nails hit the ground, it puts force on the foot and leg structure. This force can potentially lead to arthritis and ongoing pain. 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.
Many people may not think much of a dog's nails, but they are very important for the dog's overall health. Nails play a big role in how a dog walks, runs, and even affects its posture.
How Long Should Dog Nails Be? 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.
While it's likely that you'll have to trim your dog's nails fairly regularly, taking your dog on walks outdoors can help cut down on the number of trimmings a dog needs. This is because hard surfaces like concrete and pavement can wear down a dog's nails naturally.
A: Not at all. Long nails can certainly cause discomfort during rectal exams. They may also make abdominal palpation uncomfortable for the pet.
In the wild, wolves and coyotes keep their nails short through digging and running after prey for hours. Since your dog is likely not running around in the wilderness all day, you may need to walk them on concrete to help keep their nails at a reasonable length.
If a dog's nails are too long, you will hear them clack when the dog walks on hard surfaces. Deciding if your dog's nails are too long is quite simple. The claws should not protrude over the pad and should not touch the ground when standing.
Just like in humans, dog's nails continuously grow. Wild dogs naturally wear down their nails due to the amount of exercise (walking, running) they do on uneven and rough terrain. Our domestic dogs don't normally get enough exercise on harsh surfaces to file their nails down.
It might take awhile for your pup to get comfortable having his nails trimmed again if you've cut into their quick, but they will forgive you. Be sure to give him lots of treats and praise every time you get out the nail clippers; that will help make the experience more positive.
Ask for a sedated nail trim.
Unless there is a medical reason not to sedate your dog, your vet should be able to do a sedated trim. Being sedated should make the nail trim process less traumatic for your pup.
So ... how long should dog nails be? The length of your dog's nails should be about 2mm away from the quick. Another rule of thumb is that the nails should extend far enough out of the quick that they are visible, but not long enough that they are going past the paw and touching the ground.
For overgrown dog nails, you'll need to clip long nails weekly. This gives the quick time to recede toward the paw. Once your dog's nails are finally at an acceptable length, keep trimming back his nails on a weekly basis. If you skip a week or two, your dog's nails will start touching the ground.
Luckily, most groomers and veterinary clinics offer nail trimming services, so the owner doesn't have to do it; however, this comes at an extra expense and some dogs are even more stressed out by getting their nails professionally done instead of by someone they already trust in their home.
Whether your dog is an energetic puppy or a fully grown adult they will rarely, if ever, need their nails trimmed. But it's still a good idea to keep an eye on your dog's nails – and know how to clip them, just in case!
The second way to cause quicks to recede is by trimming the nails every week. These weekly trims will “train” the quick to recede, but it's the consistency that matters! You'll likely use either scissor- or “guillotine”-type clippers. Scissor-type clippers are similar to the scissors you probably use every day.
Most dogs need to have their nails trimmed approximately once monthly. Dogs that are frequently walked on pavement or concrete may be able to go a bit longer between nail trims, because walking on a hard, rough surface can help file the nail.
Clipping and grinding are equally efficient and safe ways to trim your pup's nails. Clippers are cheaper and less noisy, while dremels are louder and more expensive but more precise and efficient.
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.
Overgrown Nails
Nails that are overgrown may cause pain in your dog's feet, leading to excessive paw licking. Apart from causing pain, long nails may also make dogs more prone to injuries. To prevent this, regular nail trimming is beneficial.
It's best to not cut within 2 millimeters of the quick. As you cut the nail deeper, a gray to pink oval starts to appear at the top of the cut surface of the nail. Stop cutting the nail at this point as additional cutting will cut into the quick and cause bleeding.