Like you, your dog's nails grown continuously and require routine maintenance. A few lucky dogs never need a trim because they wear them down by exercising on hard surfaces.
A dog's nails should barley touch the ground. If the nails are too long, they can cause the feet to splay (spread out) creating discomfort and possible deformity of the foot. Nails can actually curl under the foot and pierce the pads at the bottom of the feet and require a trip to the vet.
Trimming your dog's nails is important for your dog's overall health. Severely overgrown nails can cause a variety of problems including broken nails which are painful and bleed profusely. In some cases, nails will actually curl and grown back into the dog's feet piercing the pad or the ankle. Long nails can break or split a very painful condition that can become infected. Overgrown nails become "needle" sharp inflicting injury on you and your pet or can get even caught in carpeting and upholstery.
Your dog's nails should be examined every 3 to 4 weeks. A dog's nails should barely touch the ground and should not "click" when walking.
Many pet owner's hesitate to trim their dog's nails because they are afraid of cutting the nail too short, causing pain or bleeding. Your pet groomer trims your pet's nails as part of there regular grooming, but we can also trim and file the nails in between grooming appointments.
Cat nails can also be trimmed. This can also save your furniture and then you don't have to declaw them. The cat's nails are layered like an onion with the oldest tissue on the outside. If the old layers are not removed they will build up. When your kitty claws at a scratching post, or your couch, he/she is trying to shed the old layers. In addition to getting rid of old layers, nail clipping is necessary because left untrimmed; the nails can curl around into the footpad causing infections or painful absesses. |
