Tag: Dog Care 101

101 Dog Care Tips - Dog Nail Care - Tip 2

Many people have severe anxiety about cutting their pooches nails, but it might be easier than you think. Have a groomer or your veterinarian show you how to do it. Most pet stores sell a special dog nail clipper. In addition, there is a new tool out called the "Pedi-Paw" which is supposed to gently file your pups nails down over time.  We have tried the tool and found that the noise from the tool itself puts our boys on edge, so we just went back to the traditional method of clipping with clippers.  It is important to try a few things out and figure out which one works best for you and your pooch!

The blood supply to the dog's nail is called the "quick". If your dog's nails are too long and you immediately cut to the length you think they should be, you will cut into the quick and cause your dog's nail to bleed. Although this is not a serious problem, it can be painful for your pooch and can make for a royal mess around the house.  Most people keep some styptic powder or quick gel on hand to cauterize the bleeding if necessary.

The trick to trimming dog toenails is to train the quick to retreat backward. Remember, simply cutting a large chunk of the dog's nail is risky and can cause the nail to bleed. Instead, use the following method to avoid cutting the quick.

Cut or file the dog’s nails only a little bit every couple of days. This will cause the blood supply to get shorter at the same time as the nail is being shortened. Many also recommend regular walks, which encourages the quick to retreat and will mean that you will have less of a chance of nipping it.  When you get the nail to the length you would like to maintain, clip every few weeks or as often as necessary to maintain that length. This will prevent the quick from growing too long and prevent the nail from bleeding.

Nail clipping can be a stressful for event your pooch so make sure to give them a reward like a dog treat or dog chew to encourage them.

101 Dog Care Tips - Tip 1 - Oral Care for Your Dog

We are starting a new blog series called 101 Dog Care Tips today which will hopefully benefit dogs and owners alike.  If you have any suggestions that you would like to see a tip on, please let us know.

May dog owners overlook the value and importance of oral care when getting a dog and seldom include it in their pets routine maintenance like regular grooming.  Dogs are like people in that the more their teeth are brushed the better their oral hygiene will be!  Adding this habit to your dogs maintenance regiment can add years to their life, keep their breath fresh, and alert you to any potential oral related problems early.

Many experts agree that owners should brush their dogs teeth about 3-5 times per week to keep them in optimal shape.  Many pet stores sell dog friendly toothpaste and brushes that are specifically designed to accomplish this task.  Failure to do this can lead to periodontal disease, and the sad fact is that 7 or 8 out of pets at their time of passing suffer from some stage of this disease!  Make sure that when brushing you don't use your typical toothpaste (it can be harmful to dogs), but instead buy dog specific toothpaste or you can make your own with baking soda and water.

There are also many kinds of new supplements out now that you can add to your dogs water which will help in oral hygiene and reduce the natural build up of plaque, however, as a natural dog treat and chew company we recommend keeping it as simple as possible.  Bully Sticks are also great when chewed because they become soft and act as a sort of natural floss.