Why Trimming Your Dogs Nails Are So Important

Short Nails By Summer!

Our new nail trim program will take your dog from "talons" to "terrific" in just a few "short" months!

So many dog owners are unaware that their dog needs regular nail trims! And if that doesn't happen, the result can be dangerously long nails that:

• Cause unequal pressure on the toes which results in the nail beds becoming sore and tender.
• Are prone to splitting and/or splintering. This is the equivalent of a human hangnail and is extremely painful, and can sometimes require a trip to the vet for sedation, pain medication, and a procedure to pull the hangnail.
• Don't allow the dog to use his pads for traction, causing slippage on hardwood or tile floors. Or they'll adapt by walking gingerly to prevent that from happening.

Nail care is especially important in our older dogs, and critical if a dog has arthritis or other structural issues like hip dysplasia, ACL tears/repairs, or is overweight.

 

Keeping your dog's nails at an acceptable length also protects you! Have you ever:

• Been scratched by your dog after he jumps up on you? And in summer, it's even worse when you're wearing shorts….
• Had clothes (or furniture) rip when your dog jumps up?
• Overgrown nails can also get caught on things potentially causing a nail to be torn from their paw. Especially common with dewclaws, a nail everyone forgets about until it's curling back into the dog's foot or pulled out because it was caught on something.

Still not convinced? Then put yourself in your dog's "paws" by trying this:

1. Tap your nail on whatever hard surface you're near right now. A table, your laptop, the wall, anything hard will do. Do you feel the discomfort in your nail bed?
2. Now do it a few more times - with more force! - and that's an example of what your dog feels every time he walks on the tile, the floor, and pavement with long nails. It's called a "nail strike" and it hurts.

And, before you ask: "No. Most dogs cannot file their nails down simply by going for walks." The exception to that rule are dogs that spend all day in concrete kennel runs, racing/pacing back and forth, which likely does not apply to any of your dogs.

I can hear some of you saying "Well, that's why I take my dog to the groomer!" or "My vet trims my dog's nails". Cool, but unless you take your dog to the vet or groomer a few times a month for this procedure until the nails are really short, every few months is NOT enough. 

And also, trims are effective ONLY if the groomer really cuts (or grinds!) the nails back. Don't even bother with the semi-worthless "tip trim"….

We know our students want their dog's nails to be short and healthy, but they're not always able to create (and maintain) them, which is where we come in.

Join the KSDT Nail "Revolution", and we'll help you get your dog's nails where they were meant to be: Seen and not heard.