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How To Keep Your Dog's Nails Nice & Clean

By Brian McNeill | Update Date: Apr 26, 2016 04:20 AM EDT

Humans know for a fact that sporting long nails can cause some discomfort hence the reason why some cut their nails regularly. Like us, dogs also need regular shortening of nails for better comfort and upkeep.

The difference is that unlike humans who can easily turn to the traditional nail clippers to get it done, dogs would need more than nail clippers to get theirs in proper form. With that in mind, people can do all that to save on cost though the easiest way is to of course bring your mutt to the vet or some pet salon.

Before anything else, why do dogs need nail cutting anyway? Aside from the good grooming part, cutting the nails of your dog may be a need especially if they are too domesticated. Dogs which normaly get to walk in the outdoors and get the necessary friction would not result in longer unwanted nails.

The cases vary of course and for the domesticated ones, but the thing here is that longer nails could render dire consequences to dogs.

When dog nails are long, pain is likely to ensue when their legs touch the ground. Dogs would need to exert effort to get those long nails back into the nail bed which in all likeliness places more pressure on the their toe joints. If not addressed in the proper manner, this would result in dogs realign some joints or even make the foot flattened or splayed.

The whole issue seems to be pretty technical but the bottom line is that the weight distribution is at risk. With an uneven distribution of weight, the dog’s stance becomes unstable and would lead to injuries tied up with posture and walking.

In short, longer nails could be a cause for pain in mutts and one would eventually need the help of a veterinarian to address it. That is if the overgrown nails are not yet in the serious stages which may require months to remedy and correct.

On your own, there are nail clippers, guillotine trimmers and plier-style trimmers that you can use to ensure regular nail cutting for your pooch. But the question is are you aware of the proper nail-cutting techniques? A dog’s nails are different from humans so it may become sophisticated at some point unless you have been trained to do so.

Understanding the nail layers of dogs (yep, there is more than one) and understanding up to what extent you can cut a dog’s nails is a need.

Just imagine yourself over-clipping your nails which result in pain. Dogs are no different. So unless you have done it before, it may be best to let the veterinarians do it for you or at the nearest pet salon. It may cost you extra but the thing is you are doing it right with less worries.

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