Many dog owners have expressed the difficulty involved when it comes to having their dog’s nails clipped. Many dogs can be cautious of having their nails trimmed because the quick (vein in the nail) may accidentally be cut, which causes them pain. Helping your pet overcome this fear is extremely important and will greatly help your groomer the next time you bring your pet into the grooming shop.
Your dog’s nails should be clipped about every 4-6 weeks as overgrown nails can lead to other health issues. Nails which grow too long can curl, causing the nail to curl into itself or into the paw pad, which is very painful and often results in a trip to the veterinarian. Additionally, an overgrown nail can also cause the dog to step gingerly throwing off her posture, skeletal structure, and bring about back pain. Hence, it is best to pay attention to your dog’s nails and keep them trimmed.
Some dogs that are very active and have concrete to run around on naturally grind their nails down. Other dogs have short nails on their back paws because they push off and only need clipping on the front nails. With all dogs, you need to be aware of dew claws (the claw on the upper inside of the legs). Dew claws must be trimmed and always remind your groomer to clip them.
As mentioned above, helping your dog to overcome her issues of clipping her nails will not only put your dog at ease, but you will be doing a great favor to the groomer as well. A couple of tips to relax Fido are by touching her feet often; you should massage them, it is a good idea to start when she’s a puppy. Take a little time to sit with your dog gently massaging her feet and pads. If you are not able to cut the nails yourself, try to find a groomer who will tip the nails just to the quick. Watch out for groomers who cut the nails too short and others who do not cut them at all.
