3. Unruly nails can cause pain for your dog. Excessively long nails can cause joint pain, arthritis and even skeletal damage, because they can make the bones in the feet flatten and change the way a dog walks. By trimming your dog's nails, you can avoid this.
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.
The average dog should have his nails clipped every three to four weeks, but it should be done as often as needed to keep the nail from touching the ground when your dog is standing.
It is therefore important to keep your dog's claws well trimmed at the correct length. If they get too long it can put pain and pressure on the toes and paws, which will ultimately put strain on the legs. Long claws are also prone to splitting and infection.
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!
Taking your dog for regular walks, including on hard surfaces such as pavements, will help to shorten their claws, but may not be enough to keep them as short as they should be.
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.
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.
Long nails can turn a sound paw into a splayed foot and reduce traction, and they can cause deformed feet and injure the tendons over an extended period.
The easiest, stress-free way to keep those nails filed down is “naturally.” This happens when your dog is walking or running on rough surfaces enough to keep the nails short.
With your furry friend standing in front of you with their front legs under their shoulders, check their nails. Are they touching the ground? If so, then they're too long. And if you hear your dog's nails clicking or see them turn sideways, it's time for a trim.
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.
First, gently hold your dog's paw in your hand. While looking down at your dog's semi-transparent nails, locate the pink region in the center of each nail. This pink area showing through the outside of the nail is the quick. It's that simple!
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.
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.
Just like human nails, dogs do not have any feeling in the nail itself, but the quick contains a nerve that transmits sensations back to the brain. When trimming the nail, it is important to stay far enough from the quick to avoid causing pain or drawing blood.
Generally speaking, a healthy dog with a short, smooth coat and no skin problems doesn't need to be bathed often. In most cases, dog baths are more for the benefit of their pet parents than for the dogs themselves. Even so, it's a good idea to bathe your pooch at least once every two to three months.
Look under one nail, you'll notice gummy gray matter extending from your dog's paw to about ¾ of the nail. This is the quick. The last ¼ of the nail will probably look hollow with no gummy gray matter present. This is the portion to trim off.
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.
Point: Dogs carry certain intestinal parasites, fleas, and ticks that cause human illnesses. Sleeping with a dog increases human exposure to these parasites and vector-borne diseases. Very young, very old, and immune compromised people are particularly at risk of infection.
Washing the skin and hair coat removes everything from dirt and grime (i.e., the mysterious funk your dog rolled on in the grass), to allergens, bacteria, and parasites. Bathing also removes dead hair and hydrates and nourishes the skin and coat, helping your dog feel more comfortable and less itchy.