Why trim my dogs nails?

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Walking and Running

When a dog’s nails are too long, it can hamper their ability to walk and run correctly. To put it in human terms, imagine your own toenails growing so long that they curl under your toes or constantly rub against the ground, or make your shoes painful to wear by jamming back against the base of your nails from pressure against the tips. It would definitely make the walking more difficult for you. Sure, you would adapt, but you prevent the problems to begin with by keeping your nails trimmed. You can do the same thing for your dog.

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Comfort and Health

Untrimmed nails can curl under and become very painful for a dog. Adapting their walking and running to deal with the discomfort of overly long nails can make their legs or feet sore.  Excessively long nails can also catch on things and cause the nail to break to a painful level or even rip off, causing a different kind of injury.

In extreme cases, constantly adapting to the discomfort of long nails can cause stress on the dog’s joints and can lead to joint pain, arthritis, and disfigurement.

Walking in a way that adjusts to relieve some of the pain from overly long nails might also cause your dog’s natural gait and movement to be out of alignment. This can cause other pain or injuries as they try to find a solution for their discomfort.