Show Me The Correct Toenail Length

[Guest kimberllee]

I'm a Greyhound newbie and have seen wildly varying lengths of toenails on the Greys. I've also read different things on how long they should be. To say the least, it is confusing.

 

I want to do what is right for my girl, and have purchased the type of clippers that our adoption group uses and a Dremel and have learned how to properly use both.

 

So, if you will indulge me, can you show me what you consider the appropriate length for a Greyhound's nails? Majority wins!

[Guest KateWantsaGrey]

hmm..cant wait to see what people post. I've always wondered this myself. btw-great siggy of your dog! she looks beautiful with the light pink.

[Guest Ola]

I searched for some old threads on this - I recall that KennelMom had some great photos, but I can't see them now. Here is one of the threads:

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showto...4&hl=dremel

[Guest kimberllee]

I searched for some old threads on this - I recall that KennelMom had some great photos, but I can't see them now. Here is one of the threads:

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showto...4&hl=dremel

Thank you. This is helpful.

[2hounds]

Great question, I am always cringing when I see the length of my hounds' nails!

 

And Lexie does look stunning in pink!

[Jiffer]

Nail length varies from person to person. Some like to bring the nails back (usually through dremelling) so the nail does not click when they walk on the floor. Others let them stay quite long, usually due to the quick being naturally long.

 

I like to keep mine so that you can slip a credit card under the nails when they are standing on the floor. So the nail is short enough that it does not cause excess pressure on their feet and long enough that they have grip when they run. As for dew claws, I like them as short as possible so there's less chance of them hooking on anything.

 

You can kind of see Uber's in this picture:

Echo's in this one (please ignore her foot fetish )

[Guest LindsaySF]

I like to keep mine so that you can slip a credit card under the nails when they are standing on the floor. So the nail is short enough that it does not cause excess pressure on their feet and long enough that they have grip when they run.

I agree with this.

 

Now this reminds me that I have to clip Teagan's nails....

[silverfish]

I like to keep mine so that you can slip a credit card under the nails when they are standing on the floor. So the nail is short enough that it does not cause excess pressure on their feet and long enough that they have grip when they run. As for dew claws, I like them as short as possible so there's less chance of them hooking on anything.

 

 

I agree with this, too.

 

The part I've put in bold seems very important to me. I wonder how many muscle strains, ligament injuries etc happen because a dog's nails are so short they wipe out. Sure, there's the opposite point of view, that they can rip a nail out if it's too long, and clearly that's wrong too. But (and I know some of you are tired of hearing me say this) the nail is part of the biodynamics of the foot. It's there for a purpose. If they're so short they can't use them in the way that nature intended, ie to grip when they run, then they will be prone to wiping out or slipping. JMHO.

 

Here are some pics of Renie's nails. She has some that grow at odd angles, so they're not all the same length, but I feel this is right for her

 

Back foot

 

 

Front foot

 

 

When I clip them I usually just take the tip off at an angle, too,. You can see the quick is right down near the bottom, but I shave that clear part off so that in this second pic, that front one would be flattened off at the front.

 

[GeorgeofNE]

Yikes! "Majority rules"?

 

I try very hard to keep my mouth shut on the topic, but I think there are a whole lot of people on this board who have dogs with nails that are WAY too long!

 

If I didn't know how to do my dog's nails, I'd ask a vet tech to show me how to do it--generally you can get an appointment with a tech for a few bucks--once they're the properly length, weekly Dremeling to keep them at the length and shape the tech got them is easy!

[silverfish]

Yikes! "Majority rules"?

 

I'm not sure what you mean by that? Could you explain?

 

I try very hard to keep my mouth shut on the topic, but I think there are a whole lot of people on this board who have dogs with nails that are WAY too long!

 

No need to keep your mouth shut at all - we need everyone's opinion! Yes, I've seen dogs on here with nails that are way too long, you just have to be careful how you say what you want to say. There may be a reason for it. Jack, for instance, often has nails that are a little longer than I like. This is because he is so spooky, that I have to trim them when he's in the right frame of mind not to freak out. I'm reluctant to let someone else do them because I KNOW that if he's quicked just once, it'll take months to get him back where he is, so he'll let me handle his feet and get at least one done at a time.

 

If I didn't know how to do my dog's nails, I'd ask a vet tech to show me how to do it--generally you can get an appointment with a tech for a few bucks--once they're the properly length, weekly Dremeling to keep them at the length and shape the tech got them is easy!

 

Only for those whose dogs don't mind the dremel. Mine have all hated it. Far easier for me to clip.

 

But yes, a vet tech will show you - at least in the US they will. We can't get appointments with the nurses over here unless we've seen a vet first.

[Guest KennelMom]

I'm kinda the "nail nazi" in our house. It helps that I love doing nails and have several dogs that seem to enjoy having their pawticures. I tend to keep nails on the shorter side, having been burned with recurring toe issues on our active hounds who's nails got too long to safely run. That's what put the bee in my bonnet about nail length. I think, though, after much thought on the subject that there really is no exact perfect length. Each dog gets looked at every week to see if their nails need to be done. Some dogs (our bigger males) would look ridiculous with the short nails I keep on some of our other dogs. I just keep them at a length that looks right on their foot. I will say that none of the nails touch the floor when the dog is standing.

 

I've often cringed at some of the length I've seen in pictures. I don't say anything...it's not my dog. Plus, I know sometimes life just gets in the way and trimming nails gets backburnered and they may get bit long. Happens to me sometimes. Add to that that sometimes picture angles can be deceiving. But, I can think of one pic in the last week or so that took every fiber of my being not to say OMG! Those nails are ridiculous! Honestly, I don't even know how the dog was walking around.

 

The dogs nails I keep the shortest are on my lure coursing dogs. I have never had a dog wipe out in over a year of field trials. I did have Melody tear every tendon in a toe because she tried to take a turn and the nail was too long. That pretty much ended her coursing "career." Don't think I don't kick myself because I didn't insist on getting more length off. The nails don't have to be long for dogs to get traction when they run.

 

 

I searched for some old threads on this - I recall that KennelMom had some great photos, but I can't see them now. Here is one of the threads:

 

We're redoing all our websites and our album is currently offline DH didn't tell me he was taking the photogallery down or I would have saved all my resized and formatted pics!

Edited February 6, 2008 by KennelMom

[Jiffer]

The nails don't have to be long for dogs to get traction when they run.

 

This is true, but when the nail is 1/4 long or shorter because it's been dremelled or clipped back, I doubt that the dog can get any grip with that when they run. I have seen a few photos.. not just greys, whose nails were actually that short.

[Guest kimberllee]

Thanks to all for the constructive comments and photos. I have a much better idea of what the "norm" is now and how to go about achieving it. (And thanks for the nice comments on Lexie in pink!)

[Guest whatahound]

I'm kinda funny about nails too. When we adopted Gee, her nails were too long. Luckily all of my hounds don't mind the dremel. It's a Saturday morning ritual, all doggies get pedicures.

[Guest IGmom4now]

I got used to the toenail routine with my Iggies -- they seem to grow even faster than the Grey's. Now we dremmel, and check every week, even if it's just to take the tips off. Otherwise the igs skate around on the kitchen floor!

 

My Iggy Stella came with VERY LONG toenails, they grow fast and they'd been ignored. It's a be-atch to get them short again when they've been allowed to grow.

 

I'm picky about this and prefer to keep the quick pushed back. Prevention rather than cure where the toes are concerned.