Is it Bad to Cut Your Dog's Nails Too Short?

Dog shovelers know that there are many hazards for dogs not cutting their nails. For example, if the dog's nails are too long, it is easy to hurt people and damage furniture.

Too long nails can also cause the dog to walk unsteadily, feel pain, and affect the dog's bone development. Worst of all, nails that are too long tend to dig into the flesh, which can be painful for your dog and can easily lead to paronychia and infection.

So what should we do about dog nails? Here is a 101 guide about it!

How Frequent You Should Cut Your Dog’s Nails?

If the dog stays at home most of the time, it should be cut your dog's nails every two or three weeks. If your dog likes to go out and run around outside, the rough ground will help the dog to wear down a lot of nails. Try to trim your dog's nails once every few months.

As a general guideline, you should have your dog's nails cut as frequently as necessary to keep them from touching the floor when they're walking.

While each dog's frequency will vary, the following additional factors can determine how frequently you should trim your dog's nails:

The Type of Surface: Do they primarily interact with carpet indoors? outdoors on a concrete pad, soil, or lawn? Do they spend most of the day on the couch or in your arms?

Or do they frequently walk on concrete or asphalt? Their nails will deteriorate more quickly the tougher the surface they walk on most of the time.

Type of Activities: They dig, right? Do they engage in other sports or agility? Some activities wear down dog nails more than others, just like the surfaces they tread on.

Dog’s Nutrition: The health and rate of growth of your dog's nails may be influenced by the diet you provide him, specifically the ratio of certain minerals and vitamins. The nails of a well-fed dog are usually more durable and less brittle.

Is it Bad to Cut Your Dog's Nails Too Short?

You should only cut the tips of the nails, but if you accidentally cut your dog's nails too short, they could hurt and start bleeding. Although this is not usually life-threatening, like human nails, they can easily cause pain if they are too short to protect the finger during movement.
If a dog's nails are damaged or injured, it can also cause them pain. Not only can cutting a dog's nails too short cause them pain, but dog nail too long can be even more painful.

How to Trim Your Dog’s Nails?

As soon as you have everything you require — dog nail clippers or a dog nail grinder, a towel, styptic powder, and treats — sit down with your dog and pet and reassure him in a comfortable location on the floor. Playing softly with your dog's paws and applying progressively less pressure to their nails each day will help your dog become accustomed to having their paws handled.

• Hold your dog's paw firmly when you are ready to begin trimming, and only do so if they are not yanking their leg away.
• Avoid the quick, center of the nail which includes blood vessels and nerves, by cutting the nail at a 45-degree angle away from the paw.
• With the knowledge that you can always trim more off, you can cutting puppy nails if they are white or light-colored with a noticeable pink quickly. The dog will not only have a horrible experience if the nail is cut too short, but it may also bleed. Trim the very tip of your puppy nails until you detect a hollow region or black dot in the center of the nail if you believe that their nails are still too long or if they have freshly grown nails. Whether your dog's nail is pink or black, you will be able to see this. You can tell you're getting close to the action by this.
• Make careful to cut your dog's dewclaws as well if they have them.
• After a good nail trim, give your dog a treat to reinforce the idea that it's a pleasant experience.

How to Cut Black Nails at Home?

Cutting black dog nails can be difficult. Keeping an eye on the bottom of your dog's nail as it approaches the tip is an excellent technique to get around this. The quick is present where the bottom of the nail seems full; avoid clipping there.

There should be two outside walls that create a triangle just past the portion of the nail that appears full; if there isn't a quick there, you can safely trim that portion of the nail that makes up the tip. No matter what color your dog's nails are, once you've trimmed them to the smallest length, a hollow space or black dot will develop in the center of the nail. Make sure you aren't pruning too much by using this as a reference. Even though your dog may be used to having their nails clipped, it may pull away if you approach too close to the quick, which is a sign that they are uneasy and that you should stop.

Things to note:

1. Don't be nervous, if you are too nervous, you may make mistakes during pruning
2. Don't forget to use words of encouragement and reassurance during the nail clipping process. The director's reassurance will make the dogs more relaxed
3. If you are a novice, please choose a dog-specific nail clipper, which is easier to operate

4. If there is a lot of fur on your dog's paws, it's better to trim them before cutting the nails to avoid blocking the view.