Poor claw care harms your dog’s joints!

Claw care in dogs is extremely important!

Claw care is a topic that makes many dog owners break out in a cold sweat just reading about it, because it’s not uncommon for claw trimming to put the nerves of both dog and owner to the test.

Wondering what claw care has to do with the dog’s musculoskeletal system?

Very much so! Can you imagine that with too long claws your dog walks like on eggs, can be in pain and it permanently harms a healthy movement and joints? That’s right. And yet there are so many dogs out there with claws that are far too long. Of course they do not complain. And the consequences are gradual, but permanent. And certainly you can imagine that a dog, which every step hurts or is difficult because of too long claws, has little pleasure in movement.

The length of the claws affects how your dog moves and how he stands. Your dog is trying to move in such a way that not every step is uncomfortable for him. Too long claws create pressure on the paw and can cause lameness and pain. Permanent changes occur in the joint, which can lead to ARTHROSE .

The subject of claw care is avoided

We make sure that our dogs have beautiful fur, eyes and ears are clean. However, the claws are often neglected. And so in my work with dogs, I so often see claws that are poorly groomed or not groomed at all. When dogs walk a lot on soft ground such as field and forest paths, the claws do not run or run very little.

What happens when the claws are too long?

Once they become too long, claws can break, tear, cause pain when walking and permanent musculoskeletal damage. Worse, everything your dog perceives through the paws, which are crisscrossed with nerves, is disrupted. The nerves give the dog information about its spatial position, i.e. where is up and where is down and where it is in space. If the claws are too long, the message from the nerves to the brain is transmitted incorrectly.

How you can tell that your dog’s claws are too long

There are sure signs you can tell if it’s time to trim your dog’s claws:

Your dog’s claws touch the ground when he stands.
When you hold up your dog’s paw, the claws are longer than the ball of the toes.
You hear the click of your dog’s claws with every step on smooth floors

Each dog runs its claws differently

You should not rely on statements that a monthly claw trimming is enough. Each dog has its own rhythm. My Tessa rarely needs a pedicure, while Snowy needs to have her claws trimmed about every two weeks. Snowy has very pierced feet due to bad posture in her first years of life. This has improved significantly in recent years, but she does not run her claws much. Therefore, I have to pay close attention to trimming their claws regularly so that their pads are used as evenly as possible and their joints are not damaged.

Learn here how and with what you can best care for your dog’s claws!