Nail Length

[beledi]

How long is your Grey's nails? Do you keep them a little longer for running grip?

[Guest jettcricket]

I like to keep my boys nails nice and short. I don't understand what you mean by keeping them long for gripping.

[kudzu]

How long is your Grey's nails?

My preference is for short nails. You should not hear your dog's nails click.

These are better than many but still too long.

(Not my dog, btw, but similar to my senior's nails.)

 

Do you keep them a little longer for running grip?

No. It seems that approach can contribute to a greater likelyhood of injury. Per Dr. Gillette at Auburn University:

"On soft surfaces the paw spreads out allowing the webbing to help provide traction.The negative side of long nails far outweighs any potential benefit. The longer nail acts like a fulcrum, which increases detrimental forces placed upon the bone and ligamentous structures of the paw (Figure 3). Longer nails predispose the digits to fractures, dislocations and nail injuries."

 

He was the evening speaker at the 2008 ASFA Greyhound Specialty. This subject actually came up. He basically dismissed the idea of using a dogs nails as cleats for traction. Humans may use cleats successfully but the shoes are not permanently affixed to our feet. They can slip & come off. Dogs do not have this ability. Instead of the shoes giving, it is the tissues in the dog's toes, feet, legs that must give. Not good.

 

- Edited because I think faster than I can type. -

Edited April 8, 2010 by kudzu

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Short. Absolutely they should not touch the floor when the dog is standing- there should be some space. Clicking I can't always agree with- depends on the dog. I've had Goldens with nails level with the nail bed, literally, and I could still hear them because of the way they walk.

 

I keep my dogs' nails super short and am complimented on it all the time at the park and meet n greets and so forth.

 

My senior boy has always had long quicks and I have never had the heart to quick him, but I grind often and keep them as short as I can. I've had dogs sedated to have their nails cut back before. I also believe there is no benefit to leaving them long.

 

PS I have never had a dog of any breed with a toe injury, ever (or any, actually) and I run my dogs every weekend in performance events for months of the year, and hard running off leash every day. Uh oh, I probably just jinxed myself.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

These are the longest nails in my house:

 

 

We cut the cat's nails weekly, too.

[kudzu]

So on a whim I just took a pic of my girl's nails. These are as long as they get for her. Shorter would be better IMO but I am not that disciplined. Just wanted to give an example of my own dog:

[beledi]

O.k. his nails are a Greyt length acording to the pictures I am seeing. I worry about long nails and broken toes.

[Guest KennelMom]

I definitely fall into the "the shorter the better" camp....though right now most of my crew is a far cry less than my ideal.

 

Freshly dremeled, this is what I typically aim for:

[Guest MZH]

Holy moly, how long did it take to get the quicks that high up? Does using the Dremel make that happen?

 

I took mine to the vet last week to get theirs clipped but the vet tech barely cut them. I had to go home and do some more. Never again there unless the vet does it. The techs are chicken.

 

Heather, can I use that photo for the nail maintenance article on Greytarticles?

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Mine all look like that, or even shorter. Some were fast, some took a couple months

[Guest KennelMom]

Holy moly, how long did it take to get the quicks that high up? Does using the Dremel make that happen?

 

I took mine to the vet last week to get theirs clipped but the vet tech barely cut them. I had to go home and do some more. Never again there unless the vet does it. The techs are chicken.

 

Heather, can I use that photo for the nail maintenance article on Greytarticles?

 

 

No problem, you can use the pic It think I have some more somewhere...of a different dog, maybe a back foot. But that's probably the best example I have since it's the one I used in a blog post forever and ever ago on our old site.

 

The dremel will work the quick backs easier and faster than anything else. Definitely easier than clippers.

 

eta - some dogs have quicks that recede quickly and others don't. Also, sometimes you have to take the structure of the foot into account. Lucas has a huge paw with super thick/huge nails...his nails aren't that short, nor do I want them to be. He's a lure courser so it is important that they are short, but I just keep them at what looks to be a good length for his foot structure. MOST of our dogs, though, can have nails that short with diligence on my part. I've been lazy over the winter....er, spring

 

I've had them shorter than that, but honestly, I saw a performance decrease in my coursers. More slipping and sliding in the grass. This is the length I've found to work best for my guys, whether they are performance dogs or not.

Edited April 8, 2010 by KennelMom

[Jiffer]

I like to keep our guys' short enough that they are off the floor when standing, but long enough to give them grip when they run.

 

Here's Miss Echo's (hers are a tad longer than any of the other's; back toes are shorter than front)

 

I cut their nails every 12 - 14 days. Most of ours are kickers when they potty too, so that helps grind them down a bit, particularly if they're kicking on concrete or sand. I don't dremel, I just cut them really short and round the nails out as I clip. I do have a file that I use as well, mostly on the dews.

[Guest happygrey]

I'll have to get a picture of Tatam's nails. I know they are too long but I've got them cut up to the quick as close as I can.

 

How long does it take for the vein to recede?

[Guest goofydog]

How long is your Grey's nails?

My preference is for short nails. You should not hear your dog's nails click.

These are better than many but still too long.

(Not my dog, btw, but similar to my senior's nails.)

 

Do you keep them a little longer for running grip?

No. It seems that approach can contribute to a greater likelyhood of injury. Per Dr. Gillette at Auburn University:

"On soft surfaces the paw spreads out allowing the webbing to help provide traction.The negative side of long nails far outweighs any potential benefit. The longer nail acts like a fulcrum, which increases detrimental forces placed upon the bone and ligamentous structures of the paw (Figure 3). Longer nails predispose the digits to fractures, dislocations and nail injuries."

 

He was the evening speaker at the 2008 ASFA Greyhound Specialty. This subject actually came up. He basically dismissed the idea of using a dogs nails as cleats for traction. Humans may use cleats successfully but the shoes are not permanently affixed to our feet. They can slip & come off. Dogs do not have this ability. Instead of the shoes giving, it is the tissues in the dog's toes, feet, legs that must give. Not good.

 

- Edited because I think faster than I can type. -

 

Thank you Laura for not using Get Em's nails as a reference for too long

[Guest MZH]

Holy moly, how long did it take to get the quicks that high up? Does using the Dremel make that happen?

 

I took mine to the vet last week to get theirs clipped but the vet tech barely cut them. I had to go home and do some more. Never again there unless the vet does it. The techs are chicken.

 

Heather, can I use that photo for the nail maintenance article on Greytarticles?

 

 

No problem, you can use the pic It think I have some more somewhere...of a different dog, maybe a back foot. But that's probably the best example I have since it's the one I used in a blog post forever and ever ago on our old site.

 

 

Thanks Heather; you're a gem!

[Guest Swifthounds]

I tend to keep my hounds' nails like those in the pic Heather posted. Half of my crew is too old for the good, hard running they did as youngsters, but I still maintain the nails. When they're younger and running, short nails keep them from breaking or springing a toe. Now that they're older, it helps lessen the chance of a nail catching when they don't lift their leg as high as they should. Catching a toenail can lead to tripping, so I keep a close watch.

 

I keep close tabs on nails, teeth, and body condition. Friends would tell you I need a hobby.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

That IS our hobby!

[Guest Swifthounds]

I know that, and you know that, but some folks don't get it.

 

It seemed less people questioned it when my pack was in the adolescent to young adult range and did a lot of hard running and looked it. Now that I have seniors who are a bit creaky, a bit incontinent, and that are showing their age, I guess some people wonder why I'm so diligent about everything - as if they matter less to me now?

[kudzu]

Thank you Laura for not using Get Em's nails as a reference for too long

Next time, missy. Consider yourself warned.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Seniors are the MOST special!!! I work hard to keep my 13 year old and 8 year old super fit! And it shows.