At our daycare and kennel we see a lot of different dogs. One of the most important things for us to look out for is nail length. Regular nail trims are paramount to your dog’s health.
The length of time in between trims varies dog-to-dog depending on how much time they spend walking, their breed, general health and diet. What you want to see is a paw on the ground but the nails not touching. A general guide is between 2 to 6 weeks with many dogs averaging around 4 weeks.
If your dog’s nails are too long it can create a host of issues including:
- High risk or ripping or tearing
- Painful walking
- Difficulty to maintain a good grip on slippery surfaces
- Extremely long nails can curl under the paw and cause injury
In order to keep your dog’s nails a good length regular trims are a must. If you leave them too long then the blood vessel inside (called a Quick) will grow longer and longer making it harder to trim.
Pet owners can do nail trims at home or have their groomer do it for them. Most salons allow walk-ins for nail trims and at High Tails we are more than happy to help you keep your pet’s paws in excellent condition. Just stop by the grooming salon for a nail trim and even a pad tidy.
