Rough surfaces like gravel, stones, or abrasive concrete can wear down your dog's nails more effectively because these surfaces provide more friction and resistance than softer surfaces like grass or carpet. If you live near the outdoors, you'll likely have rough surfaces throughout your dog walk.
Ways to File Those Nails Down Naturally
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.
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.
One of the simplest methods to keep your dog's nails short is to regularly walk them on rough, hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt. These surfaces can naturally wear down your dog's nails, preventing them from becoming too long.
Not only does cutting a dog's nails too short cause them pain, but leaving them to grow too long can be even more painful. For instance, long nails can cause a dog to lose traction in their paw, making it easier for them to slip and fall, causing additional pain than that from the nail alone.
Covering the claws on the paw(s) that a dog drags can help protect them. The vinyl that Soft Paws® claw caps are made out of become a barrier between the nail and the ground, so they become the structure that is worn down. This can help protect the claw itself from becoming damaged, worn down to the quick, and painful.
Long nails that touch the ground may cause discomfort for your dog, and potentially cause problems down the road. If you want your canine to be comfortable and happy, then keeping their toenails at a reasonable length is a necessity.
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.
Adding some hard ground or pavement walking to your daily routine can be enough to keep your dog's nails trim and mean you won't need to clip them. But if your dog is small and light, they may not weigh enough for their nails to wear down naturally through exercise.
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.
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.
Many dogs naturally wear their nails down by walking and play, especially if the walk involves hard surfaces. An inactive dog may not wear their nails down.
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.
Generally, your dog's nails shouldn't touch the ground when he's standing upright on all four feet. There is no hard and fast rule as to how far from the floor those nails should be; it varies from dog to dog. If the nails click on the floor, they are usually too long.
Nail grinders get the job done in a fraction of the time it takes clippers. You can also round off the tip of the nail with much more precision. Once the super efficient grinding heads wear down, they are easy to replace. Once clippers have dulled, most people toss them out and have to buy another pair.
Why You Shouldn't Use Nail Clippers. 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.
The good news is that when you clip your dog's nail too short, you can stop the bleeding in three easy steps. The bad news is that hitting the quick is painful for your dog, nerve-wracking for you, and a bloody mess. It's an event you and your dog are likely to remember when it comes time for the next nail trim.
Keeping your dog's nails trimmed consistently is very important, because a lack of regular nail trimming can cause an overgrown quick. Without regular nail care, the quick will advance inside the nail and may even advance enough to match the end of the nail's outer shell!
Remember that if asphalt and cement can get hot enough to cook an egg during the summer or if it feels way too hot for you to leave your hands comfortably on the ground for at least 10 seconds, it can result in nasty burns on your dog's paw pads. This is especially true if you have a new puppy with tender young paws.
Being barefoot isn't that tough when a dog is running on grass or other natural ground surfaces, but running on concrete, asphalt, gravel or other hard surfaces can put a lot of stress on your dog's body and can put them at risk of injury to their legs, paws or paw pads.
Yes, you can bathe your dog too much. If your dog has healthy, normal skin, excessive bathing—more than once per week—can dry out their skin and coat and compromise the skin's moisture barrier. Remove as much dirt as possible with brushing to prolong the time between baths.
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. Styptic powder stops bleeding when applied.
If you dog has dark nails trim very thin cuttings off the end, as it's easy to accidentally damage the 'quick' or soft part of the nail. If you see a black dot in the centre of his nail, you have reached the quick and should stop cutting right away.