Welcome back to the senior dog digest from Grey Whiskers. A newsletter written with one purpose in mind. To talk about, laugh about, and sometimes cry about how we can all improve our senior dogs' lives. It’s a place where I can answer your burning questions about senior dog care, and the products I use, and share news and personal stories that you can all relate to.

In this week’s issue here’s what we are sniffing out

• Sharpening your knowledge about your old dog’s nails

• Home care tips

• Recommendations to help

Nailing the Facts about Nails

• Dogs have between 16-22 toenails, depending on their breed! Some breeders remove front dew claws, leaving only 4 nails per paw. Other breeds have front dew claws plus a dew claw on each rear paw, totaling 20 altogether. And there are a pawful of breeds who have double back dew claws, for a grand total of 22 nails.

• Dew claws are the little nails on the inside of your dog’s wrists above the paw. Active dogs use them to help with traction or stability when they change directions or run hard. They’re also used to hold things such as toys or bones for chewing and play. Rear dew claws are located on the same spot on the hind legs.

• Dog toenails contain a blood and nerve supply called the quick. The quick grows longer as the nail grows, especially for old or less active pups. It’s a common misconception that when nails are overgrown, they can be cut super short. Because of that ever-changing blood supply, you can only trim so much before drawing blood.

• Nails in younger dogs wear down somewhat on their own due to walking on pavement/concrete and active play. It’s the equivalent of a little bit of nail filing daily. The quick usually recedes as the nail is slowly filed back over time, too.

• In older dogs, the nails easily get longer than they should be. Many of our extreme senior dogs aren’t running or walking as much as they used to. The nails aren’t getting that daily filing, so the nails and quicks grow long together.

Home Care Grooming Tips

Have your geriatric dog’s nails trimmed every time you go to the veterinarian, or at home every 2-4 weeks. In general, most dogs 13+ aren’t being groomed as frequently as young dogs… I’m an advocate for that (to be discussed another day). But because of that, they need extra nail trims. If your dog has rear dew claws and you’re taking them in for a nail trim, be sure to tell your pawdicurist about them! Many rear dew claws on mixed breeds get missed because the person doing the trimming doesn’t expect to see them or can’t see them under the fur on heavy/long-coated mixed breeds. If those nails get missed they often grow in a complete circle and can become embedded in the little pads attached to the dew claw, causing pain and requiring veterinary treatment.

If you feel comfortable trimming your dog’s nails, just be sure that the whole experience is as positive as possible. Don’t trim on a day when you are stressed, irritable, or rushed. Make sure you’re as relaxed as possible, and pay attention to your dog’s body language. If they continually pull feet away from you, don’t get into a wrestling match. In a case like that, offer treats for as much of the process as needed. It’s better to go slowly - even if it means you trim one nail a day - than to create a dynamic between you and your dog that makes each nail trim harder than the one before.

Product and Resource Recommendations

There are 3 basic types of nail trimmers. Note that I’m not endorsing (most of) these clippers in any way… the links are provided solely for educational purposes.

1. Guillotine trimmers - This is not my favorite tool, but it is a popular option for small through large dogs. It is not the best for tiny or giant dogs. The noise it makes is in the middle of the 3 in this list.

2. Pliers style clippers:

   This clipper type with the thicker handle is another that is not my favorite, but this is the most popular type of nail clipper used, including among groomers who really know their stuff! I am also in that category - I have trimmed thousands of nails in my line of work. In my opinion this one puts excess pressure on the dogs‘ nails (and my hands!) as it squeezes. You have to squeeze the handles with some intention, especially if your hands are small or not the strongest (both me!). This trimmer is able to be used on giant breeds, if your hands are strong enough. It’s the loudest of the three featured, and I have definitely seen dogs react to that with anxiety. In the end, that is the main reason I don’t like it. It also isn’t always very sharp, so it can trim nails more roughly, leaving jagged spots that can scratch legs, or the arms of older folks pretty badly. In that case, filing afterwards will help.​

   

3. Scissor Style

   Okay, the non-endorsing portion of my soapbox rant is over. If I groom your dog, you know I use this clipper exclusively. It is sharp, slices the nails quickly with very little pressure required - good for both your dog and your hands! It’s super quiet and extremely accurate. I can use a fingernail of my non dominant hand to mark a line on the dog’s nail, line this little guy up and trim a tiny shave off the nail if I’m concerned about where the quick is. I love that. If a dog doesn’t hate having nails trimmed, they generally don’t mind this one at all and I can take little slivers repeatedly so I can accurately get the nail as short as possible, as well as round off sharp edges.

This is the other Scissor for tiny dogs, or overly rounded dew claws (and cats!):

I always have a tiny clipper like this on hand. It is capable of safely cutting into the center of the full circle of an overgrown dew claw, with some pressure applied. It is pretty quiet and very easy to use otherwise!

4. The Rotary grinder is another option use in conjunction with or instead of nail clippers

Some dogs do much better with a grinder than a clipper. It’s best used for dogs whose nails tend to be shorter. In most cases I trim first, and then refine with the grinder. This particular grinder isn’t the end all/be all, but it has a few features that I like and that may be important to you. It’s cordless, so can be used anywhere. It has variable speeds so it offers more options than a typical one or two speed (this controls noise as well as speed and vibration, so you can make it quieter or softer for smaller, softer nails or more nervous dogs). And it has an LED light, which is MUCH more helpful than you might initially think for moving quickly and efficiently.

🐶 Sniffing Out Senior Dog News 📰

☞ Science Fair Winners for Old Dogs

☞ The History of the Animal Welfare Act 

Senior Dog Humor

How did we do with this week’s newsletter?

• High Paws

• Pooped in the House