Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

108 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
This neglected dewclaw has grown
around and into the pad.
upholstery. Excessively long nails can
splay the toes and interfere with traction
by preventing the foot pads from
making contact with the ground.
Long nails should be trimmed.
Nails are also trimmed to prepare a
dog for show. If trimming is done
twice a month, the quick (the bundle
of nerves and blood vessels inside the
nail) will recede toward the base of
the nail and the nail will remain permanently
shorter.
Dogs with dewclaws must have
these nails looked at frequently.
Dewclaws are remnants of fifth toes
and are found high on the inside of
each foot. In many breeds the dewclaws
are removed shortly after birth.
In other breeds, such as Briards and
Great Pyrenees, the presence of dewclaws is required by the breed standard.
These nails do not contact the ground and thus can grow around in a circle
and pierce the skin. Dewclaws should be trimmed regularly. This is particularly
true for dogs with dewclaws on the rear legs. If you have a puppy with
dewclaws, it is important to get her used to having them trimmed, even
though trimming may not yet be necessary.
Some nail clippers for dogs have two cutting edges, while others of the guillotine
type have one. Either type is satisfactory. Nail clippers designed for
humans do not work well because a dog’s nails are not flat the way a person’s are.
Begin by lifting the dog’s paw and extending the nail. Identify the quick
(the pink part running down the center), which contains the nerves and
blood vessels. If the nails are white, it’s easy to see the quick. Be sure to trim
The correct angle for
trimming the nail.