# Nails



## Jchrest (Jun 5, 2019)

So instead of derailing someone else’s thread, I thought I would start a new one based on my own questions. 

I’ve heard so so so much differing information over nail length and paw health. Groomers, vets, general public, on what a healthy nail length is, and if it does adversely affect traction, grip, etc. I’ve researched it, and articles contradict each other as well.

Lyka has always had long nails. Her quick is pretty much to the end of her nail, and no matter the frequency of trims, myself and the vet can’t get the quick to recede any further. They are much shorter than when I got her, but this seems to be the limit on hers. You can absolutely hear her nails clickity clack on the tile when she walks, but it doesn’t push the toe up, if that makes sense. Her vet has no issues with the length of her nails, I’ve asked multiple times. And I refuse to intentionally quick her to get them shorter when my vet doesn’t recommend it. But strangers and groomers look at me like I neglect my dog.

Crios is an oddball and has literally never had his nails trimmed since I’ve had him. They are so short you can barely see them with his fur. I’ve been accused of abuse for having them so short. Oh the fun of that. They’ve literally never been clipped in my care, I can’t say what happened before I got him. 

The pups I keep trimmed, doing every other week, and just trim and smooth the tips. I’ve had people (random general public) tell me they were both too short, and too long. Man I can never win.

So is there any science behind long or short? Any medical studies on the affects of long vs short? Is it just personal preference? I’ve never had a dog split a nail and get an infection because of length.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

How fast the nail growth rate is, where you exercise then - dirt versus pavement. 
The longer they grow the longer the quick. The shorter you let them grow the shorter the quick the shorter the nail when you trim it. If you trim to short it is painfully as you hit the quick and make them bleed. To get your dogs nails to short is not that easy I would imagine would be more like a challenge and the time it takes to keep them that short is a challenge. Dremel a few times a week may help those overly long quicks recede. My dogs nails are not to short or long they clack on the floor by the end of the week they grow way fast and are active dogs. The nails have to be cut dremeled awfully short for their not to be any traction. The nails are much longer when they are using their nails for traction then just standing. I have had dogs who I never trimmed and kept them on pavement. I have dogs who nail split from being to long and active with nail bed infection. I had a dog where they had to pull a nail out from being to long. I not ever had a dog where their nails were to short. 
https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/how-often-should-you-cut-your-dogs-nails


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Deja's are moderate length and I always here them on the floor. Digging in sand (beach walk!) works. If we sit on a log on the beach, every dog so far started digging right next to our feet. Good nail trimming! I read somewhere that you also have to Dremel around the entire nail so the quick loses it's support. I do Dremel the underside of the nail, not just the top. I like some length so she has grip on wet grass and can dig big holes.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

My Dane had hers cut and cauterized while being spayed. She had some anomaly that made the quick grow as long as the nail. Repeated attempts to correct it had failed and it had been that way all her life. 
She is the only dog I raised that I had issues with. 
Shadow's have never been trimmed. Sabs and the other patrol dogs never got trimmed. I routinely accustom pups to trimming but as I said, I don't need to trim. Like Wily I find a good digging session does the job. Never had a nail split. Yet. Lol.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I don't know if there is a right or wrong answer on average nail length. It's obvious the extremely long nails can be painful and cause issues. Every dog is different in their activity, surfaces they work/play/live on and certainly their comfort level with nail length would be different with body structure. 
Ziva's nails need trimming on the regular. More often than they get done as she hates nail trims. Seems the older she gets the more grief she gives me over it. 
Personally I am very annoyed by nail clicking on floors or pavement walks. I hate ticking analog clocks too. 
What I have noticed is that for my dog when her nails start ticking on floors she actually has less traction on smooth surfaces. Her toes will splay a bit and the nails try to dig in and this doesn't work on smooth surfaces. If her nails are a bit shorter her pads do the work of keeping the grip to the floor. They are not so short she can't dig or get a grip on soft surfaces. I try to keep nails just short of clicking/ticking on floors. 
She does have one nail where the quick is grown out a bit which makes trimming a bit more difficult but we manage. 
Unfortunately she doesn't cooperate for nail trims and I have more than once quicked her . Doesn't help that like most gsd's her nails are black. 
My feeling is if they are clicking on floors or pavement walks they need a trim. What the proper length should be really depends on the individual dog IMO.


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## atomic (Mar 28, 2016)

I trim my dogs nails about every two weeks. They all line up to present their paws because it’s the only time they get a healthy slice of cheese. I don’t take much off, but its noticeable. I leave enough on to grip onto turf, they do a lot of playing outside.


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## BigOzzy2018 (Jan 27, 2018)

I only use the Dremel, I do keep them short except for summer when we do dock diving. I prefer short even though some people said they are too short.


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## John T24 (Oct 19, 2019)

We clip them whenever they are noticeably long.... maybe once a month?


We tried the dremel type tool but found it quicker (no pun intended) to use the dog nail clipper.... just gotta be careful.


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## Kyrielle (Jun 28, 2016)

Springbrz said:


> My feeling is if they are clicking on floors or pavement walks they need a trim. What the proper length should be really depends on the individual dog IMO.


That's our rule, too. If it clicks, it gets clipped.


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## Damicodric (Apr 13, 2013)

What Atomic said.

Every two weeks. Three dogs. 54 nails. If some are not long, then I only trim what's needed. I have found for years that the back leg nails do not grow at the same rate as the front. Anecdotal, I know. 

Start 'em young - it's key.


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