Any pet parent knows the importance of nail trimming for dogs, but have you ever wondered how wild dogs got their nails trimmed? How short to cut dogs nail is reasonable from us, pet owners, to ask because we know the consequences of not cutting our dog’s nails, but how do wild dogs survive living without having their nails trimmed?
Dogs living in the wild got their nails ‘naturally’ trimmed. They run on different types of hard surfaces that act as a grinder and file their nails to a suitable shape. That’s why they never suffer from any difficulties related to nails cutting.
Because our dogs live style is different than wild dogs, we need to find an alternative for the natural way a dog’s nail would be trimmed with. So here is a guide on how short to cut dogs nails.
Why Dogs Nails Shouldn’t Be Too Long
When dogs nails are left without trimming for a long time it will cause some serious problems for the dog. In the long term, he may suffer from joints injuries or become unbalanced as a result of too long nails. Dogs, like all animals, count on information collected by their nerves to move through the world and get gravity precisely.
Dogs nails get trimmed by touching the rough surfaces they run on, they only way for their toenail to touch the ground was when they are climbing. So, the dog brain marked this action(toenail touching the ground) with climbing up.
So, whenever a dog’s toenail makes contact with the floor, the dog’s nerves will report the brain to adjust for climbing. There is no hill or real climbing, so the dog will have to make an opposite reflex to avoid face planting. With this action happening several times, the dog will have worn out muscles and joints that will affect normal activities like hobbing into the car or climbing stairs.
Cutting your dog’s toenail will relive him from this suffering.
A dog owner should cut his dogs nails regularly. It’s hard to define a specific timeline for the duration that should separate a cutting session from the other, but once a month would be great. You may calculate it when you start hearing your dog’s nails hitting your floor or see that his nails are touching the ground.
Why Dogs Nails Shouldn’t Be Too Short
As long nails are bad for dogs, short nails are no different. Cutting the nail too short will have it’s consequences too. Trimming the nail too short means you cut through the quick of the nail.
The quick is the blood vessel found at the center of the nail and supplies it with blood. To hit this blood vessel while cutting will cause the dog’s nail to bleed accompanied with a painful experience to your dog.
If you faced such an incident, make sure to have a styptic powder ready for stopping the bleeding. Styptic powder is easy to use, just take a bunch of the powder and press it to the bleeding area with slight pressure on it until you see that the bleeding stopped.
Corn starch or flour could be used instead of the styptic powder and they will get you the intended results.
Nail Clippers or Grinders?
If you are confused and can’t decide on what to use for trimming your dog’s nail, know first how every one of them works and then, decided on what you think will be more helpful to do the job.
[su_note note_color=”#fb9cf2″ radius=”20″]If your pets are terrified of nail trimming, then we’ve also got you covered. Try today this Electric Nail Grinder For Dog and trim their nails nice, easy and painlessly. No more worries about overcutting, nasty.[/su_note]
Nail Clippers
Nail clippers may seem a little bit hard to use at first, but once you have the courage and everything is settled to have a great trimming session, it would be absolutely fine!
First, you have to set a perfect place for the trimming session. Choose a well-lit or maybe you can take your dog outdoors for a change. NOTE: going out would be great if you have a backyard but if not it is not recommended to take your dog to a crowded place as he won’t feel too comfortable.
Then, get all the gadget you will need for this session. You may merge it with another grooming session if you think your pooch will take it well. Make sure to get a high- quality clippers and not kitchen scissors to get the best results with zero injuries.
After that, give your pooch all the time he needs to inspect the clippers and then, give him a treat. Then take his paw and start to cut the first nail, don’t rush so you don’t hit the quick. Take it slowly and cut small portions of the nail one by one until you get the nail to the desired shape.
Continue cutting all the remaining nails until you finish and then praise your buddy for being a good boy!
If you have a dog with black nails you would have to take care of a few other things to get your dog’s nails trimmed perfectly. Check Why Cutting Black Dog Nails Is Different?
Nail Grinders
If you think you are not ready to use nail clippers, you got to try nail grinders! They are the best option for every dog owner that wants to take care of the trimming at home but is reluctant because of the thought of hurting his dog.
Nail grinders are the easiest way to trim your dog’s nails without having to worry about cutting through the nail.
Want to know more about nail grinding?, check How to File Your Dog’s Nails in 4 Easy And Quick Steps
So, here are our tips for trimming your dog’s nail. Share with us what do you prefer, nail clippers or grinders?
