By Jennifer Tillman
Do my dog’s nails need trimming?
A: Yes. Neglected nail trimming leads to torn nails, and nails curling under the toes of the foot causing foot imbalance related ailments, and/or tendon strain, resulting in walking difficulty for the animal. The severity of the foot ailment will determine whether or not surgery is necessary to correct the condition. Also untrimmed dewclaws can curl around and re-enter back through the dewclaw pad which is extremely painful to the dog. It’s similar to the feeling people experience when having a construction nail puncture their foot. Removal of a nail in this condition is recommended to be done by a certified groomer or veterinarian to prevent the onset of infection of the pad. Pay especially close attention to the length of your dog’s dewclaws. They are often overlooked or forgotten during the toenail cutting procedure.
Jennifer Tilman is the author of Grooming Tales from A to Z now available at Amazon.com, and Barnes and Noble Booksellers. She is also the owner of Carolina Pet Spa in Apex, NC
Bart
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My cousin once had a dog that almost never had it’s nails trimmed and because it was trimmed so late every time the dog never got used to it so it used to kick up a huge fuss every time. I think if you are being kind to your dog you should get it done from a early age and regularly so the dog doesn’t get so stressed.
thank you,
Iain