How to Care for your Dog's Nails
Article written by Nancy Settecasi
Dog nails need to be clipped regularly. If you send your dog to a groomer once every 6 to 8 weeks, then that will often suffice. On the other hand, if your dog is groomed once or twice a year, then you will need to step in and clip the nails every month or two. Please keep in mind that dog nails are very similar to human nails in the sense that cutting too short can cause extreme pain and even bleeding. If you take a close look at your dog’s nails, you will see that the color changes somewhere in the middle of the nail. The inner portion of the nail may have a pinkish color and then as you look toward the tip of the nail, it gets darker. BE SURE NOT TO CUT TOO CLOSE TO THE PINKISH AREA. That is the nailbed which contains many nerve endings. Cutting into this area will cause your dog a lot of pain. If you are not sure how far to cut, leave it to the professionals or have them show you where to cut.
Clipper irritation is a nail grooming problem dogs may sometimes experience. This usually happens as a result of professional grooming. Ask your groomer to leave a little extra hair around the nail area if you find your dog suffering from this. Applying emu oil may help the irritation.
Dog nails require maintenance just like many other parts of a dog's anatomy. Keeping the dog nails short will keep him from experiencing discomfort in that area.