We all want to do everything we can to help our furry friends be healthy and happy. Many little things go into taking proper care of your pet, especially when it comes to grooming. Some of these things can be breed specific, like understanding what type of care goes into your dog’s particular coat, but others are universal, like nail care.
Nails that are neglected and left to grow too long are more dangerous than just a scratch risk to you and your furniture. Long nails can often break or split, or even curl in and imbed themselves into the dog’s paws, which can be very painful and require a pricey visit to a veterinarian. Long nails also contribute to joint pain, especially in older dogs, and can even make arthritis worse and cause other orthopedic issues because of how dramatically the extra growth changes a dog’s gait. The quick, which is essentially the root of the nail, will grow with the nail as well and take a lot of time and effort to recede back, which will force the nails to stay longer; however, consistent maintenance can help curb all these potential issues.
Routine nail care, starting at a young age, will help your dog get more used to the process and make it less stressful, which is important because nail maintenance is an important lifelong routine! There are two main ways to maintain a dog’s nails, clipping and dremelling.
A Dremel is essentially just an electric file that files the nail down, as opposed to doing a straight cut, and it’s important to know the differences between each of these methods!
Dremel:
- It can be fast and works on even the thickest nail.
- It gets nails shorter and helps recede the quick.
- Much safer and lowers the risk of cutting the quick.
Clippers:
- High risk of cutting the quick, causing heavy bleeding.
- The nail ends up with a sharp edge.
- Thick nails are more difficult to cut through.
At Bark U, we only use the Dremel because of its safety and efficiency benefits while performing a higher quality, rounded cut! We recommend a nail appointment with one of our Salon Stylists once a month to make sure your dog’s nails and quick are healthy and well-maintained. We make sure to make it a stress-free and positive experience, offering treats and positive incentives and always making sure all have the most positive experiences possible. We do all this because we understand that that is an investment in a happier and healthier lifelong habit for the dog. Our groomers are AKC S.A.F.E. Certified Groomers who are both trained and well-practiced in providing a safe and stress-free environment for all our grooming clients. We are so pleased that we can provide services like this, and many others, that help to keep our local population of pups healthy, happy, and comfortable (and keep your arms and furniture safe at the same time!).
If you’re interested in having your dog enroll in Bark U – Register here and request a temperament assessment. To learn more about our other services, visit us online or call us at 215-486-2200 today!