Important Health Maintenance for Your Dog
July 16, 2024
Trimming your dog’s nails
An important part of taking care of your dog includes nail care. Long nails can cause pain and issues with walking. There are two basic methods. 1) Nail trimming 2) Using grinder tools. If you are going to take care of your dog’s nails, you should also have some stypic powder. Stypic powder stops bleeding in case you cut the nail too short.
I am going to talk about clipping your dog’s nails with a nail clipper/trimmer especially made for this purpose. If you have never clipped your dog’s nails, it is recommended to have your vet or vet tech show you how. It is best to start when your dog is a puppy to get used to having their paws touched and nails trimmed. Always be patient, start slow and remember to praise your dog. Graham was three when we got him. I was able to work with him and I clip his nails without issue.
Seeing the quick on your dog’s nails
If your dog has light-colored nails like Graham, you should be able to see the quick within the nail. The quick is the pink that you see in Graham’s nail. You want to cut approximately 1/16″ to 1/8″ from the quick to avoid pain or bleeding.
Do small clips. Remove only a small amount of nail with each clip to lessen the chance of damage to the quick where there are blood vessels.
What if I can’t see the quick?
If your dog has dark nails like Oliver, you may not be able to see the quick. Just trim the very tip off the nail.
In some dogs, especially if they haven’t had regular nail trims, the quick may be grown out almost to the end of the nail.
What if I hit the quick?
It is possible that occasionally you will hit a quick when trimming nails. You can apply a small amount of stypic powder to the end of the dogs nail to stop the bleeding. You can also use corn starch or flour to stop the bleeding. I have used flour before, and it does work!
To learn more about trimming your dogs nails or how to grind the nails visit: http://akc.org/expert-advice/health/how-to-trim-dogs-nails-safely/
Trimming the fur around the paw pads
I trim back the fur between our dog’s pads. It keeps their paws cleaner and drier. The hair between the pads can trap debris. This area is also prone to bacteria from wet surfaces.
Paw pad safety
In the summer, paw pads can burn if your dog walks on surfaces that are too hot. In the winter, paw pads can suffer frost bite when the weather gets really cold. Protecting their paws and limiting exposure is important. Dog’s paws can also be prone to cracking when they become too dry. There are moisturizers available just for dog’s paw pads. We put socks on our boys when they go outside on cold winter days. They are used to it and don’t mind them.
Cleaner paws that looks nice too!
I also trim our dogs paws. The fur on their paws grows long, causing it to get wet and dirty. A groomers curved scissors works great for rounded shaping. I use it for their paws and ears. I like the clean look of trimming up their paws.
