Here's Why You Should Always Trim Your Dog's Nails

Trimming a dog’s nails can be a little nerve-wracking. If you cut too close to their nail beds, the quick will be hurt, causing a lot of pain – and a lot of blood! Not only does this make your dog nervous about future nail trims, but it makes you nervous, too.

But cutting a dog’s nails, alongside other nail care habits, are very important to a dog’s health. You might think that daily walks are enough to keep a dog’s nails in check, but this is not the case. A dog would have to walk on very abrasive surfaces repeatedly for long periods of time to get this benefit, and it’s not usually something modern dogs do.

Traditional Chinese medicinal beliefs state that everyone’s body’s lines of energy begin in the digits. Whether you believing this or not, the fact is that this is a good way to describe how important a dog’s toes are. Their health often contributes to the health of their whole bodies.

Too-long nails can make walking difficult, causing a change in gait and leading to incorrect feet alignment. This can make any physical activity uncomfortable, damage the joints, and lead to a significant amount of pain – and the increased risk of a number of conditions later on.

If your dog’s nails do not touch the ground when they stand on a flat surface, they’re fine. If they’re longer than that, you should trim their nails with a U-shaped bladed clipper made specifically for dogs. Cut in 1 or 2 mm increments.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay