fbpx
Charleston Dog Walker Logo

Pretty Nails are Pretty Important

Helpful Pet Tips

Your furry cutie pies probably aren’t a huge fan of making sure their nails are nicely trimmed.  But whether your pal is a cat or dog, it’s very important that you stay on top of their nail care.

Nails that are untrimmed can lead to pain and discomfort.  “Nails that are too long can get hung on fabric, blankets, towels, etc and get torn off which is not only painful, but tends to cause a great deal of bleeding,” said Dr. Stacy Eckman, lecturer at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM). “Nails that are too long (especially the dewclaws) can also grow around and into the footpads causing pain and infection.”

Here are some helpful tips to keeping nails under control:

“Nails that are too long can get hung on fabric, blankets, towels, etc and get torn off which is not only painful, but tends to cause a great deal of bleeding,” said Dr. Stacy Eckman, lecturer at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM). “Nails that are too long (especially the dewclaws) can also grow around and into the footpads causing pain and infection.” – See more at: http://moderncat.com/articles/pet-talk-importance-peticure/65596#sthash.NcYRHx87.dpuf
“Nails that are too long can get hung on fabric, blankets, towels, etc and get torn off which is not only painful, but tends to cause a great deal of bleeding,” said Dr. Stacy Eckman, lecturer at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM). “Nails that are too long (especially the dewclaws) can also grow around and into the footpads causing pain and infection.” – See more at: http://moderncat.com/articles/pet-talk-importance-peticure/65596#sthash.NcYRHx87.dpuf
“Nails that are too long can get hung on fabric, blankets, towels, etc and get torn off which is not only painful, but tends to cause a great deal of bleeding,” said Dr. Stacy Eckman, lecturer at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM). “Nails that are too long (especially the dewclaws) can also grow around and into the footpads causing pain and infection.” – See more at: http://moderncat.com/articles/pet-talk-importance-peticure/65596#sthash.NcYRHx87.dpuf
  1. Trim your pup’s nails when they get a bath. You can clip them whenever is necessary, but it’s a good thing to just build into your bath routine.  If your pal gets a haircut, make sure to ask the groomer to clip nails, too.
  2. Cats should get nail trims every 2 to 4 weeks. Some kitties will sharpen their claws with scratching posts (or trees if they like to climb outside), but it’s still good to keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t get too long.
  3. Train them early! Get your buddy used to you touching their paws at a young age.  When they are comfortable with you touching their paws, clip gradually.  Do just one or two nails a day so they can get used to the process.
  4. Make it fun with lots of treats! Positively reinforce the nail trimmings by giving out lots of praise while you clip and lots of treats after you’re finished.  Make sure they know they’re being very good and that nail trimmings don’t have to be scary or stressful!

If you’d like a bit more information, check out this helpful article by the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.