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.
Get down low on the ground and look to see whether your dog's nails touch the ground. If they do, they are too long and should be trimmed. If you can hear your dog's nails clicking on your wood or tile floors when he walks, this is also a clear indicator that the nails are too long.
With mature dogs, untrimmed nails can cause decreased traction, affect mobility, and even cause pain. A dog's nails should be trimmed every 2 weeks depending on your pup's growth rate. At the very least, they should be trimmed every 4 weeks.
Correct length for a dog's nails. 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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. As the long nail hits the ground, the pressure puts force on the foot and leg structure.
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. Some breeds, such as Shiba Inus, pugs, shepherds, labs, and bully breeds, seem to have exceptionally sensitive quicks.
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.
Their nails have a nerve and vein (called a quick), which, if clipped, causes tremendous pain and even bleeding. Whining – A dog that's anxious about trimming nails might start whining in hopes that you stop with the trimming. They will whine if they are in pain, for instance, from clipping the quick.
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.
Hold one of your dog's front paws firmly but gently, and identify where you want to make the cut. Trim off the end of the nail. Always cut from top to bottom, and try to cut perpendicular to the nail. Avoid cutting the nail at an angle.
Some dogs love a good scratch, especially if you have long fingernails. Many dogs enjoy petting from trusted people in the following areas: Lower back near the base of the tail. Belly and underside of the chest.
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.
The cutting blade should be closest to you, not the dog. Be sure not to cut too short, as the nail will bleed. Nails should be cut from underneath at a 45-degree angle.
As you get closer to the quick, the center of the nail will appear black, and may eventually look pink right before the quick. The trick is to trim a very short bit of nail at a time and stop as soon as the cut surface shows a black center. If you get to the pink, definitely stop!
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.
Nails scratch a typical hardwood finish.
Over just a few months, your wood floor will begin to look dull and worn just because of all the scratches on the finish from dog nails. Unlike cats, dogs do not fully retract their nails, so they are always clicking on the floor when they walk.
Most dogs actually enjoy having their paws massaged. The ASPCA suggests that massaging the paws and pads on your dog's feet can actually help promote relaxation and help calm your dog. To give it a try, slowly massage the spot on your dog's paws, and also between each toe.
If your furry friend has light-colored nails, finding the quick is relatively easy. 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.