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 From the Groomer There may be occasions when a pet owner is unaware of, or overlooked, a pet's grooming needs. The grooming tips here are presented to you based upon my own experience as a groomer and are not intended to replace veterinary care when needed, but I do hope you find it helpful with some of the minor issues that I frequently see while grooming. Overgrown Nails Cause Pain.  The most overlooked grooming need your pet has is nail trimming. Many pet owners do not like to trim their pet's nails because of behavioral issues but if you don't have your groomer do it, you must. It is much more important than most people realize. Nails have a significant health impact and if they grow too long, they will lift and twist the toes, not allowing the pads to bear the proper load, causing stress on the foot and leg and deforming their structure. If you have ever tried walking only on your heels for a while you will have some idea of the discomfort! If ignored, the hip and spine also become involved and can cause serious longterm or even permanent pain and lameness.  If your pet's nails don't wear quickly they will become overgrown and the tell-tale click on a hard surface is a good indication that they need to be trimmed. They may even grow so long that they curl around and embed themselves into the pad. Overgrown nails can also catch in carpeting or other objects and your pet may rip out or break a nail in their struggle to free themselves, causing injury, bleeding, and pain. A well trained groomer will always consider safety the first priority when dealing with un-cooperative pets and nail trimming. Some dogs will even require vet care to trim nails if they become too dangerous to proceed. The majority are not that difficult, however, and this article HOW TO CLIP DOG NAILS will help you successfully trim your pets nails. I find in most cases you need to build trust with your dog, and one way to accomplish this is if you gently hold the foot without forcing it, allowing the dog to withdraw the foot if he feels panicky, then gently grab it up again. You can build trust with your pet this way and by praising him each time he lets you hold his foot. Usually after a few times he will let you handle the foot. If he is a small dog you may even wrap his body in a towel with a foot sticking out and set him in your lap to trim them.   The diagram shows you where the nail should be cut. In light colored nails you can see the pink quick and you should avoid cutting into it. It's a little trickier on black nails, but frequently on a black nail you will notice a sudden thickening on the underside of the nail as it gets closer to the toe. You want to cut in front of that point to avoid the quick. If you are unsure of where to cut or have extremely long quicks, you can cut the nail longer and dremel or file the nail back to a more appropriate length. It may take a process of days and weeks to bring overly long nails back into shape, and to give the quick time to recede in between trimmings. If you accidentally cut the quick, you can use "quick stop" or cornstarch applied with pressure to pack the cut and it will usually stop the bleeding after a short while. Remember to reward your pup with lots of praise for every cooperative behavior they exhibit! More to come.... ear infections...mats and sores...
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