|
For many veterinarians, one
of the more common preventable problems that they see in their patients is nail
injury, usually due to overgrown toenails. This problem occurs in most of the
animals that we keep as pets – dogs, cats, pet birds, ferrets, guinea pigs,
gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, and so on. One of the reasons it happens is that,
when they live in our homes, the pet’s nails do not wear down as they would
naturally.
The consequences of not trimming
your pet’s nails on a regular basis can range from relatively minor to serious,
and include:
- you accidentally get
scratched by your cat or dog.
- your pet accidentally gets
a nail snagged on an article of clothing or furniture, causing damage to the
item.
- the excessively long nails
cause the toes to bend uncomfortably when the pet walks.
- the dewclaws (the pet’s ‘thumbs’)
become so long that they curl around on themselves and put pressure on the side
of the paw, causing pain; if the problem is not observed, the nails can actually
penetrate through the skin and cause a serious infection.
- the nail accidentally gets caught
(on carpet, clothing, furniture, something outdoors) and when the pet pulls
away, the nail is torn from its attachment – often, you don’t know what
happened, you just notice that your pet’s paw is bleeding. The injury is
extremely painful (if you have ever injured a fingernail, you can relate!) and
many times the pet won’t let you touch the injured toe or even look at it. In
addition, it can be very difficult to stop the bleeding.
The last two problems usually
require treatment by a veterinarian, and sometimes the animal needs to be
sedated or anesthetized in order to treat the injury properly. Once the nail has
been properly treated (any remaining torn nail is removed, the area is gently
cleaned, a protective bandage is placed to prevent further damage or infection,
antibiotics and painkillers are administered if needed), the nail will usually
regrow normally, with no permanent damage. However, in almost all cases, the
problem could have been avoided by some preventive care in the form of regular
nail trims.
This simple procedure is one that
most pet owners are capable of doing. If you have never trimmed a pet’s nails
before, your veterinarian can show you the correct way of doing it and can
advise you on the best type of nail trimmers to use for your pet. Understanding
the basic anatomy of the animal’s toenail (see the illustration) will help to
make you less apprehensive. As long as you only trim the nail, avoiding the
“quick” or nail bed (and the sensitive nerves and blood vessels that surround
it), you shouldn’t have any problems at all. If you just don’t want to do this
yourself (because you don’t want to chance hurting your pet, because your pet
struggles too much, or simply because your pet has black nails), you should
schedule regular ‘pet pedicures’ with your veterinarian or a dog groomer.
The ideal time to start teaching
your pet to allow nail trims is when it is young. We recommend trimming nails on
a weekly basis (even if you are only trimming one or two at a time) until the
pet accepts this as part of its regular grooming routine. That way, you will be
able to keep your pet’s toes properly ‘manicured’ and prevent this avoidable
injury.
Caution: These news
items, written by Lifelearn Inc., are licensed to this practice for the personal
use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited
without the express written permission of Lifelearn Inc. Please note that the
news information presented here is NOT a substitute for a proper consultation
and/or clinical examination of your pet by our clinic veterinarian.
|
