Nails- Cut? File? Nothing?

Did you know that how you care for your dogs nails affects so much more than scratched floors? Neglecting your dogs nails can cause serious issues. In the short term you would be looking at nails that start curling and growing back into your dogs skin. This is of course very painful to the dog and puts them at risk of infection. The long term affects that you could be facing are a restructuring of your dogs feet. 

Imagine walking on the sides of your feet everyday for months. Eventually, your muscles and bones are going to start to shift. When that happens you would have a hard time trying to walk normal again. This is the same concept with dogs. When dog nails reach a certain length it actually twists their toes (a.k.a. splayed feet). Splayed feet can have a domino affect on your dog, causing arthritis and joint pain. 

Now that we've discussed the importance of nail care, let's figure out what is right for YOUR dog.

Cut?

When it comes to anything relating to dogs there is really no "one size fits all" option. It is important when you get an animal to do your research and decide what is going to work best for your lifestyle and your pet. There are many reasons why someone may decide that a simple nail cut is sufficient for their dog. One reason could simply be that a nail cut is cheaper. Others may chose a simple cut because they go on regular walks on asphalt or other course surfaces that will naturally smooth out those rough edges. Or maybe your dog is older, and doesn't jump up on people or things as much anymore. Another thing to think about is how your dog reacts to their feet being handled. For some dogs, nail cutting is your only option. For nervous dogs, the sound and vibration that comes from a nail file can be overwhelming. What matters is that you are keeping up on those overgrown nails, the "how" really isn't that important.

File?

Nail filing is not just "another charge" or something to pay for. There are very real benefits to getting your dogs nails filed. As you can see in the picture above, a regular cut leaves sharp edges on your dogs nails, often leaving them sharper than when they came into the salon. You may want to consider filing your dogs nails if they are a very hyper and jumpy dog to save your legs from some bothersome scratches. Do you have hardwood floors? If you answered yes, nails clicking and clacking on your floor surfaces are probably a very familiar and recognizable sound. Freshly cut nails can have a uniquely damaging affect on hardwood surfaces, so if you want to protect your floors as much as possible, this is the option for you. If your dog has fast growing nails, filing can also cut down on the regularity of your visits. Please keep in mind that every dog reacts differently to the nail file. To give your dog the best chance at handling it well, be sure to have their nails done as soon and as regularly as possible.

Nothing?

Okay, I know what you are thinking "we already concluded that the nails HAVE to be done". And in MOST cases that is the case. However, your dog may have extremely slow nail growth. That, especially accompanied with regular walks that naturally grind down the nails, can result in you never really needing your dogs nails done. It is important to keep an eye on your dogs nails. You never know when your dogs nails will go from needing done once a year to once a month. I would highly recommend you still bringing your dog in every once in a while to get the tips of the nails taken off either by cutting or a light file to keep them accustomed to getting it done. That way you don't have an elderly dog that has no idea how to behave as people are working on their feet. Trust me, that is no fun for anybody.