Pets need to have nails clipped or trimmed regularly if they are indoor pets or elderly animals that are not wearing their nails down naturally. How often they are trimmed can be dependent on age, breed, environment and level of exercise. Active dogs and working animals often require less nail care as the nails are worn down by the surfaces they work on. Dogs that don’t have well arched toes and downward facing nails need to have their nails checked more often and may need trimming on a more regular basis. Dogs that did not require much nail care in their younger years may need trimming when they age and do not run about as much. Many dogs will still need to have the dew claws trimmed as these do not often touch ground and can become overgrown. Dogs that have nails that point forward will need to have their nails taken care of much more often as the nails are not worn down naturally.

Nail trimming can be necessary on a weekly basis for some animals but for most this won’t be required nearly as often. Inspect your dog’s nails regularly and have them trimmed as needed.  Some cats may also need clipping especially if they are indoor only cats. Outdoor cats generally wear their nails more and will not need to be trimmed very often.

Overgrown nails can break, split, bleed, become infected and also be painful. Long nails can also tear or get caught, causing pain. Nails can also grow backwards in a spiral, making walking painful.  Uncut or broken nails can pierce the paw pad. This is painful for the pet and may also become infected, making it uncomfortable for the pet to move around. Check the nails at least once a month so that they can be trimmed without the quick growing out with the nail. If the quick grows out, cutting becomes very difficult or impossible as it is full of nerve endings, making cutting extremely painful. If you do cut into the quick when trimming nails and there is some bleeding, soap pressed to the nail stops the bleeding.

Talk to us about nail care. We can check your pet and advise you accordingly and even teach you how to trim the nails yourself. Book a consultation with our qualified personnel for more information.