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Medical:
Nail Clipping
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Most dogs wear
down their toenails by activity such as walking and running. It they
are indoor pets, like most Pugs are, they wear them down enough
naturally. If this is the case, they can grow to become extremely long
and damage carpets and furniture. They can also splay the toes and
interfere with traction by preventing the foot pads from making
contact with the ground if they become excessively long. Long toenails
should be trimmed.
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In
this diagram, you can see the internal view of a dog's toenails. Within
the nail is a segment called "The Quick". The quick is made up
of tiny blood vessels and nerve endings.
For many pet owners, trimming the nails can be a fearful experience, not
only for their beloved pets, but for themselves as well. The reason this
is so is because many times, they accidentally, cut into the quick which
causes the the dog to experience a bit of pain and the nail tends to
bleed for a long time.
If nails are trimmed twice a month, the quick actually recedes toward
the base of the nail and the nail will remain permanently shorter.
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Dogs with Dewclaws must have these nails looked at frequently.
Dewclaws
are remnants of the 5th toe and are found high on the inside of each
foot.
Since these nails don't come in contact with the ground, they can grow
around
in a circle as is seen in the photo on the left.
If left unclipped, it can eventually pierce the skin and set up the
dog for
a bad infection. It is important to get your puppy use to having his
nails
trimmed, even though trimming may not yet be necessary.
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Dog nail clippers come in two types: Scissors like and Guillotine.
Either is satisfactory. The picture to the left shows a dog getting his
nails clipped with the scissors type clippers.
Begin by lifting the dog's paw and extending the nail. Identify the
quick
(this is the pink part). If the toenails are white it is easy to see it.
Be sure to trim the nail in front of (but close to) the quick. When
using the guillotine cutters, the blade should slice the nail upward
from the underside of the nail. |
| *If
the toenails are dark and the quick is not visible, a good rule is to
cut the nail parallel to the toe pads, so that the nails just clear the
floor. |
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What To Do If
You Accidentally Cut Into The Quick:
- Hold pressure
over the end of the nail with a cotton ball. (The blood will clot in
a few minutes.)
- If
bleeding persists, pack the tip of the nail with styptic powder
or use a styptic pencil.
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