Alright, let's talk about nails. Not your nails, your dog's and cat's nails. This post won't talk about training or how to do it your self, it's too difficult for me to explain and it much easier for me to show rather than tell.
Let's start off with nail trimming vs nail grinding/filing. Nail trimming is done by almost every groomer and veterinary clinic. It's exactly how it sounds. You take nail clippers and clip the nail. With trimming, you have to stop right before the quick (vein in the nail) or you'll cause them to bleed. Nail grinding/filing is the process of using a dremel or nail filing tool to round out the sharp edges. Nail grinding/filing is done by most groomers and some veterinary clinics. Typically, you clip the nail first to remove excess length, then you take your dremel or filing tool to smooth out the sharp edges. This is a longer process than trimming because you can go around the quick rather than stopping right before the quick. Grinding/filing is also a great way to help push those quicks back.
Next up - frequency. To the owners who walk their dogs on concrete, this may not apply to you. Dogs who frequently walk on concrete may not need their nails trimmed (except for dewclaws) because the concrete files it down. For both dogs and cats, I always recommend every 2 weeks for routine maintenance. If your goal is to shorten the quicks, I recommend every week. You don't want to wait too long between nail trims for a variety of reasons such as decreased pet tolerance and it can cause pain. I like to compare overgrown nails to walkingin high heels 24/7. Honestly, that makes my feet hurt just thinking about that. Also, if the nail is left untrimmed for too long, they can grow into the pawpad.
Ok, that's about it. Feel free to let me know your thoughts and/or questions 😊
Comments