Promoting your pet’s well-being involves a lot of care that needs to be taken to keep your pet happy and healthy. What a lot of people don’t realize is that cutting the dog’s nails is an essential activity.
It is not by chance that the pet dog has the title of the best friend of human beings. His company is beneficial in many ways.
Living in a safe home gives the dog the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and adults, in addition to being protected from being run over and diseases like stray dogs.
But offering good shade, food and fresh water is not enough. Anyone who cares about their pet’s health knows that they require a lot of care, periodic follow-ups and hygiene habits.
So that your dear pet is always happy and healthy, read on to learn more about the importance of trimming nails!
What is the importance of cutting a dog’s nail
Many tutors ignore this, but cutting the dog’s nails is a very important health and hygiene care procedure, as necessary as vaccination and dog bathing .
Because they always walk on rough terrain such as sidewalks and streets, urban dogs have a natural wear and tear on their nails, resulting from friction with the ground.
The same phenomenon does not occur with domestic dogs, especially those who live in apartments and only have contact with smoother floors.
An alternative that can help promote nail wear, although it does not exclude the need to cut it, is to take your friend for a walk on the street, if possible, often.
Even so, it is necessary to periodically cut your pet’s nails in order to preserve its health, avoiding serious problems that can arise with long nails.
Disadvantages of keeping long nails
The consequences of keeping your dog’s nails long are very serious and can cause serious damage to your pet’s health.
The overgrown toenail causes a reduction in the contact between the ground and the “pads” of the animal’s paw, directly interfering with its stepping, making it walk with its paw more raised.
The act of lifting the paw to be more firm in the step can cause postural problems in the pet, causing orthopedic damage to its spine.
In addition to the deformities, the animal will not have enough balance to walk and the risk of falls is very high, which can be caused by slipping.
Not cutting the dog’s nails also allows them to enter the flesh due to the natural curving of growth, which would cause a lot of pain and discomfort.
This phenomenon of curvature can be observed mainly in the nail of the “thumb”, which never touches the ground when the animal steps.
Care should be redoubled in the case of elderly dogs. Due to advanced age, balance is naturally weakened and, with long nails, the risk of falling is much greater.
In addition to all these harms, we must also consider cleanliness. Just like humans, it’s also more hygienic to keep dogs’ nails trimmed to avoid unwanted microbes.
How to cut a dog’s nail?
Cutting the dog’s nails at home is possible, but we recommend looking for a veterinarian or another professional in the area that you trust, for the procedure to be safe.
The first step is to choose the specific tool for cutting dogs, as utensils for human use can injure your best friend. We recommend pliers or guillotines.
After choosing the equipment, you should think about the best time to cut. The best option is when the dog is calmer, without agitation.
It is necessary to hold the paw firmly and immobilize the pet’s body so that it does not move and possibly be injured due to some sudden movement.
If it is the case of a medium or large dog, an alternative is to try to lay it down on the floor, if it is small, you can hold it in your lap.
The cob is an area with nerve endings and blood vessels responsible for nourishing the keratin, that is, if you accidentally cut it, your friend will feel a lot of pain and will have heavy bleeding.
To avoid injury, pay attention to the color of the pet’s nails. On light nails, it is possible to better visualize the cob, while on dark ones you should be a little more careful.
Go cutting little by little and slowly so as not to advance too far. In case of apprehension, you can calmly opt for a specific file to wear the nails instead of cutting them.
What frequency do you need?
First, we must advise that it is necessary to wait for the puppy to complete the first 2 months of life to cut its nails for the first time.
The reason for this wait is precisely because of the cob, which begins to retract only after this period, which makes the cut safer.
The ideal is to cut the dog’s nails once a week or, at most, every 15 days, so as not to grow so much as to disturb the animal’s walking.
A tip that can help a lot is to observe your walk, if you are licking your paws or with them raised, it could be a sign that your nails are already too big.
You can also base it on the noise your nails make when they hit the ground. When you hear the “tic-tic”, it is another indication that the right time has come.
Conclusion
Just like physical exercise, bathing and up-to-date vaccinations, cutting the dog’s nails is part of essential health care.
We hope you have understood how important it is to always keep your pet’s claws well cut.
Cats have a natural habit of scratching all kinds of surfaces around them, corroding their claws, but dogs don’t.
Helping him with this is a way to take care of his well-being, avoiding pain caused by poor posture, as well as injuries caused by tangling and breaking.
In addition, cutting his nails on time is a way of repaying all the mental and affective good that he donates when he presents us with his loyalty and affection.