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.
Some dogs will naturally wear down their nails from frequent walks on concrete sidewalks, but if your dog primarily gets their exercise outside, their nails may need to be trimmed as much as once a week.
The dog will usually not be able to grind all of their nails down evenly, so you may still need to use another method. 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.
Having your dog's nails trimmed regularly is an important part of routine grooming. Many times, we hear: “I have hardwood floors and my dog's nails are driving me up the wall!” Dogs that run or walk on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt are able to wear down their nails.
Nail Care for Dogs. If your dog spends a lot of time outside on hard, rough surfaces, they will naturally have their nails 'filed down' for them by the ground. However, for the most part, you'll have to trim your dog's nails from time to time.
One of the most common foot issues in domestic dogs is long toenails. Ideally, the nails should not touch the ground when standing on a firm level surface, but are long enough to provide traction when climbing a hill or digging.
Your dog's paws have footpads that can usually handle whatever a stroll or walk in nature throws at them. But a lot of human-made surfaces can burn your pooch's paws, including concrete, metal, pavement, sidewalks and asphalt.
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.
The secret to keeping your dog's nail tips short is to give frequent, gradual nail trims or to make sure they get adequate activity on a regular basis. Consider that each time you trim that nail a little bit more every week, the quick should gradually recede farther and farther up into the nail bed.
Dogs need their nails clipped on a regular basis, approximately every 3-4 weeks; however, it is common for owners to wait too long in between trimmings which can lead to a number of health issues for the animal. For cats, a routine claw trimming every 10-14 days will keep your pet healthy.
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.
For a wild dog, the surfaces they move across will naturally keep the nails at the length needed for survival.
When Can I Walk On My New Concrete? Please keep vehicles, children, pets, and yourself off of your newly poured concrete for the next 24 hours.
Instead, you should consider a stone like pea gravel, limestone or gravel chips, as well as screenings as the base of the dog run. These materials are not only soft on your dog's paws, but it also provides the right amount of drainage needed for the area.
As much as dogs love going for a walk, standing on concrete during the summer can make it unbearable. It's easy to overlook this painful detail since you're probably used to wearing shoes, but this is why investing in dog paw heat protection is more than important for your pup's well-being — it's essential.
While the grass is an easier and cooler substance for your dog to walk on, they still need to be careful where they step. Asphalt provides a different challenge to your dog that should be taken into consideration when you walk your dog outside. During the summer months, asphalt has a tendency to reach 143 degrees!
He may have a dietary deficiency or particular nutrient need. Anemic dogs and some with cancer and other debilitating diseases often lick brick and concrete surfaces. Discomfort can intensify this so-called pica.
This means that if the air temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the pavement could potentially be hot enough to burn a dog's feet if it stands on it for long enough.
If you feel the ground and it seems hot to you then that means that it will also be hot for your dog's paws. If there is no shade covered or grass areas available for your dog to walk on then it might be worth putting boots on your dog to protect them from concrete burns.
Simply touch the pavement with the back of your hand for seven seconds. If you can't hold out for the full seven seconds because the surface is too hot, then it's also too hot for your dog's paws.
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.
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.
The general recommendation is to cut approx 2mm away from the quick. But if a dog has black or dark claws it can be difficult or impossible to see the quick and this will make nail trimming more difficult.