Nail clipping for dogs
Nail maintenance is an important part of your dog’s health.
Why should you trim your dog’s nails?
Regular checking or clipping your dog’s nails is important, as splayed and overgrown nails can cause discomfort for them. Unclipped nails can also break or get hooked on blankets resulting in nail bed infections or broken nails having to be removed under sedation.
Canine nail anatomy
Dog’s nails should be treated with extra care. Much like humans, canine nails are made of a tough material called keratin, but in addition to the fibrous keratin outer layer, the nail also consists of an inner called ‘the quick’. This is made up of many sensitive nerves and blood vessels, making cutting dogs nails correctly more challenging, as getting it wrong can cause them pain and bleeding and a lifelong fear of having their paws touched.
How long should a dog’s nails be? Signs your dog’s nails may need clipping.
Like ours, dog nails grow constantly, the amount of clipping needed depends largely on the breed of your dog, age and their activity levels. Many dogs will file their nails down naturally as they walk on hard concrete or tar surfaces. If your pet’s activity levels have declined as they have aged, or they have an injury preventing them from being as active as they usually would be, overgrown nails can quickly become an issue.
A good rule of thumb is that the nails should not protrude far over the pad and there should be a small gap between the nail and the floor when they are stood upright. Healthy nails shouldn’t split, look rough or break easily.
How to cut your dog’s nails?
Positive association to nail trimming is key to getting your dog to cooperate and not be fearful.
Nail clipping at home is possible as long as you know what to do! A few days before trimming, try touching your dog’s feet more often, get them to give you their paw in return for a treat, show them the clippers to get them used to them before going straight in and clipping. This will help them be more familiar with having their paws touched.
A dog’s nail consist of an outer shell which is comprised of dead cells (like our finger nails).
The outer shell (a hard material) protects the soft tissue – the blood supply, called the quick. If your dog has light coloured nails you can usually see the quick through the nail shell. This makes it easy to see where you need to cut the dogs nail-just below the quick.
If your dog has dark colour nails and you are uncertain as to where to clip the nail…look underneath the nail. You will see that the nail looks solid (completely filled in) from underneath – up to a point. After that the nail appears hollow – all you see is the nail shell – no fill (no quick). By taking a look at the nail from underneath you can see where to cut. Until you have more confidence cutting your dog’s nails, just clip a little off the end. Once you gain confidence you can clip a little more off.
At Midlands Vet Hospital we understand how hard it is to clip your pet’s nails at home that is why we offer free nail clipping every weekday from 2-2:30pm by appointment only. Our team of qualified Veterinary Nurses are highly trained to help clip even the trickiest nails.
To book your dog for a free nail clip at our week day nurses clinic please contact us on 033 330 6184.
Midlands Veterinary Hospital
