Image Credits:
Pixabay
Dog paws are surprisingly sophisticated. The paw of a dog is of a
particular design to serve that specific breed's historical
requirements. The paw of your dog is functionally equivalent to
your hands-only much better. Your dog can walk without shoes on
surfaces that you can never touch with your bare hands or feet.
Canines can do this as they have many paw pads with a filling of
fatty tissue. An average dog paw has a total of six pads
for every paw. Four digital pads are present in one toe along
with a metacarpal pad and a carpal pad.
Paw functions
Other than natural insulation, the pad network provides the
acceleration, shock absorption, terrain intel, braking, rough
surface protection, and sure-footed navigation. An individual paw
has its temperature control system due to the positioning of
sweat glands below the skin's outermost layer. The sweat glands
keep paw pads moist and thus temperature balanced.
Unlike you, the dog cannot wriggle its toes. They, however,
serve identical functions of movement and balance. Walking is
their primary task. Your dog walks on its toes and not on its
nails or paw pads. The nails of the dog help the animal to grip
the surface. Many dogs possess a "dewclaw"-which is an
evolutionary memory of a thumb. It is only found on the canine's
front paws. A few dogs possess dewclaws on both their back and
front paws. A few dog breeds even possess double dewclaws in
their back paws.
Dow claws and clippers
Dog nails are colloquially called dog claws, and they are
equivalent to a human's toenails and fingernails. These are
created from cartilage and are dead. Blood supply, however, is
made through "dog nail quick," a small blood vessel. This blood
supply is something which the nails of your dog to grow
continuously. Almost all dogs possess four toes, and each has its
corresponding nail, on every paw. For those dogs which possess
dewclaws, those small claws found a little higher in the paw
could bring the number of toenails to five in each paw. When it
comes to dogs that possess double dewclaws on rear paws, this
means the two paws will each have six nails. It is thus essential
to choose the correct toenail clippers for your dog. If you are a
newbie to dog maintenance, buy scissor clippers. Guillotine
clippers sold by many pet shops work by sticking the canine's
tail inside a particular hole in the clipper center and squeezing
the handles. The nail tip then gets chopped off. Many dogs are
afraid of guillotine clippers, and for such dogs, standard
scissor tip clippers work fine. If your dog is a large animal,
then buy bigger-sized dog clippers.
How To Choose Dog Nail Clippers?
It is lovely to return home to your dog. To many owners, the
sound of their dogs running to them for a hug with their feet
tapping the floor is a happy one. The sound, however, signifies
that your dog is in desperate need of a nail clipping. This task
should not be ignored and must be done at the earliest. If this
is not done, your dog may get seriously injured. Choosing a nail
clipper could be a confusing task but a much-needed one. A number
of models are sold in the market. There is no all-size-fits-all.
A particular kind of nail clipper is needed for a specific
species of dog.
Scissor clippers
These are also known as Miller's Forge Trimmers and functions
like scissors. This model is suitable for bigger dogs that have
thicker and bigger nails. The clippers provide extra force to cut
the nails.
Guillotine clippers
As the name implies, these clippers function similar to the
guillotine. You just have to stick the nail end of your dog to
the hole and give this device a squeeze. The blade is then
lowered which slices off the nail end. Guillotine clippers are
best for medium-sized and smaller dogs.
Grinder tools
These clippers became popular due to frequent infomercials.
Unlike other nail clippers, the nail does not get clipped but
ground down. This function makes it versatile. Such clippers can
be used both on bigger dogs and on canines who hate when clippers
are used on them. It is to be noted that training could be needed
to make your pet used to this device's vibrating sensation. It
does not help that the grinding process also takes a little
longer time compared to the clipping process. Patience is thus
needed both for you and for your pet.
Whatever nail clipper you choose, it is an anxious period for all
dogs. Begin trimming claws from your dog's childhood years. Doing
this will make it accustomed to the nail clipping process. Keep
in mind that a majority of dogs require some kind of restraint.
It is vital to make your dog comfortable prior to cutting its
nails. If you do this in a proper manner, your dog will lose its
fear of the nail clipping device. You can prepare it by
frequently touching and holding your dog's paws from the initial
days you brought him to the house. To make inroads, allow the
puppy to sniff the device on the first day Give it praise and
treats. On the second day, touch it to each paw. Give your dog
treats and also praise. On the third day, touch the nail clipper
to its paw and squeeze to make a sound. Do not cut nails but make
sure the dog hears the sound. Touch the clipper to the dog's nail
on the fourth day. Give it praise and treats. Start by trimming
small parts of the nail on the fifth day and move to bigger
portions from then on.
