Striegel Animal Hospital
"50 Years of Quality Medicine"
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Something Special Award July 2010 Winner
Melissa
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| Dear Helen... |
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Is it really important to have my dog's toenails trimmed? And how often should it be done? Yes, regular nail trims are important, and overgrown nails can lead to several problems. The most common problem occurs when your dog or gat gets a nail caught in something like carpeting or your clothing. Most of the time they can free themselves, but sometimes they will break the nail, which causes bleeding and pain. If your pet struggles too hard, s/he can get a muscle strain or sprain. Nail that grow too long can also cause the toes to spread into an uncomfortable position. Over time, they can cause deformities of the toes and foot, which can lead to arthritis. As your pet tries to compensate for the pain in his feet, he can put stress on other joints, which will also become painful. Many pets have nails that curl as they grow. If not trimmed regularly, those nails can curl under and pierce the bottoms of the toes. It's even possible for the nail to grow all the way through the toe until it comes out the top of the foot, and they usually become swollen and infected. Nails that have grown into the pad should be cut and pulled out by your veterinarian, who will flush the wounds and prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. How often nails need to be trimmed depends on a couple of factors, such as how much exercise your pet is getting and how fast the nails are growing. Thus, surfaces like pavement, gravel and sand will help war the nails down naturally, and your pet may not need a nail trim at all. But if the most exercise your pet is getting is a short walk from the couch to his food bowl, a once-a-month nail trim will keep him from developing painfully overgrown nails.
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Just Ask Helen
Our Professional Groomer will begin answering questions for you about professional grooming, styling, showing pets and some of the things you can do if you plan to show your pet. She will also answer general questions about grooming. Of the questions Helen receives each month, she will choose one or two and write about them in her column, located on the homepage of our website. Just drop off your questions at the reception desk or send an email to Helen, c/o striegelanhosp@clearwave.com.
August 2009: The "Puppy" Cut
I asked my groomer for a puppy cut, but what I got wasn’t what I expected. Can you tell me what a puppy cut is supposed to look like?
Dear Owner,
A puppy cut is how show poodles under one year of age are groomed. The face and feet are shaved close and the rest is hand-scissored. The top knot and neck are left very long, and only scissored enough to produce the correct outline.
If your dog isn’t a poodle, there is no standard “puppy cut,” so everyone has a different idea about how it’s supposed to look. For some, it’s fairly short all over, like a newborn puppy. For others, it’s long and fluffy, like a four- or five-month-old puppy, or it might be anywhere in between.
My advice is to just tell your groomer what you want your “puppy” to look like. Be specific about the length you want, how you’d like the ears and tail trimmed, and what shape you’d like the face – round or broad like a terrier. A picture may help, but remember that your dog’s coat texture will affect the final outcome. Your groomer can’t make a Maltese look like an Airedale, after all!
Helen