![]() A study of 35 dogs found that nail trimming is a stressful experience for dogs but improves over time. Groomers can trim the nails for squeamish dog owners or those who’ve had a horrific experience doing it. Nail trimming is crucial to a dog’s grooming routine and is, luckily, easy to do at home. This can make walking uncomfortable and even contribute to arthritis in dogs with sensitive joints, like Great Danes. Long nails put more pressure on the entire foot when they hit the ground. Sometimes, dogs can snag long nails on carpets or grass roots, causing them to literally peel off if they’re brittle. Your dog can also break their claws if they’re too long when jumping or running. Long nails easily hook on objects and can rip off if your dog yanks at them hard enough. ![]() Ingrown nails occur when a dog’s claws curve under the paw and dig into the skin, causing pain and even mild lameness. Most dogs walk on soft structures like the carpet, floor, and grass, so their claws don’t get that natural trim.Ĭlaw trimming is crucial for your dog’s health, and these reasons for cutting your dog’s nails will tell you why. It can help with protection in cases of a fightĪ dog’s nails can get too long if not regularly trimmed, leading to ingrown nails and an increased risk of being torn off.Giving canines traction when walking or running.The hard part of the nail has several functions: That said, a dog’s nail is mainly made up of keratin (the hollow shell or claw) and nerves and blood vessels (the quick). Here’s a visual representation of dog toenail anatomy: ![]() You’ll probably see the quick as a pink structure if your dog has white nails, but it’s not visible in dogs with black nails. ![]() Cutting the quick causes bleeding and immense pain to your dog, not to mention nasty nail infections. The quick is the nail part that you must never accidentally cut when trimming your dog’s nails. In contrast, the claw is made up of dead structural fibrous protein (keratin) and isn’t painful to the dog when trimmed. The quick has all the nerves and blood vessels of the nail. If you look at your dog’s feet, you’ll notice that their claws protrude from paw pads, which we call digital pads.īeneath the nail is a fleshy part called the quick, which keeps the nail alive by supplying it with nutrients. These claws are curved, cone-shaped hard structures that are wider at the toe where they’re attached and narrow as they grow out.Įach claw is attached to a bone called the distal phalanx located inside the toe. 7 Final Thoughts Dog Nail Anatomy 101: What Are the Different Parts of a Dog’s Nail?Ī dog’s claw is made from keratin and protrudes from each of the four toes on the paws. ![]()
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