Your feet Hurt...What about your dog's?

You’re on your feet all day long, after walking all day, they hurt and are sore.  You take your shower, trim your nails, rub your feet and suddenly it hits you….What about Fido?  He has 4 feet, his nails are thick and long and he has no shoes for protection from salt, gravel or anything sharp.  Here are some tips for foot care for your dogs from Dames and Sires Beauty Spa.

Dog’s nails grow quickly and if left untrimmed for too long, can give them difficulty with traction, let alone causing severe pain, which could lead to medical issues, like walking irregular, which can lead to skeletal problems.  “Nails typically should be trimmed every two to four weeks, and we highly recommend filing,” says Michelle Michael from Dames and Sires Beauty Spa.

Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know there was a difference or even an option, neither did I, but the ladies at Dames and Sires have explained and showed me the differences.

Trimming-Trimming is basically is cutting off the sharp, long tips and making the nails shorter again, while avoiding cutting the quick, which is the blood vessel supply and the nerve in your dogs nail.

Filing-Filing follows trimming, and is done with a filer. “It allows us to get closer to the quick, making the nail as short as possible, without causing pain or bleeding of the nail.  It also helps the quick recede, making it possible for us to get the nails shorter in subsequent visits.  It also smoothes the rough edges of the nail after trimming,” says Michelle.

Long nails cause many issues such as allowing the quick to grow with the nail, which if left untrimmed for too long of a time can make the nail become frail and easy to fracture, and in some cases allow the quick to grow to the total length of the nail, making trimming both dangerous and painful.  (Remember, there’s a blood vessel and nerve in it.)  It is important to not try to trim a long nail short all at once, as it will take time for the quick to recede.

Trimming the hair in the paw pad area can help your dog feel better too.  The hair traps dirt, debris, burrs and many other unwanted objects which can not only make your house dirty and muddy, but can cause other problems for your dog.

Also make sure you check their paw pads, even though the pads are a thick, tough skin, they still can become cut from sharp objects like rocks or salt, they can also become irritated from chemicals in yards, ice melt and a variety of other conditions.

To help prevent these things from occurring, we recommend a regular grooming schedule for your dog.

Although the basic treatment packages include nail trimming and removal of paw pad hair,  the groomers  at Dames & Sires Beauty Spa also offer nail filing, paw butter and/or  Paw Spaw treatments as an add on service.  Call them at 217-361-5733 to ask about their new amazing Spaw treatments which include soaking their paws in a luxurious, anti-fungal and anti-septic fizzy treatment, trimming, filing and Paw Butter to lock in moisture.

Samantha Hudgins owns and operates Dames and Sires Beauty Spa, located at Tails to Remember in Springfield, IL.  Michelle Michael has been an Academy Instructor and groomer for many years.  Together, Sam and Michelle have over 28 years of experience in grooming a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs.  

Dames and Sires Beauty Spa is available for all your pet grooming needs, they are now open Tuesday-Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and can be contacted by calling 217-361-5733 or by
booking online at DamesandSires.com.

They are located at Tails to Remember Pet Services, 3036 Peoria Road, Springfield, IL 62702.