Really basic question here...... how long should toenails be before they need clipping? I can hear Pongo click-clacking as he trots on tarmac - is that a sign that they are too long? Any other tests? If they touch the ground when he stands still, is that too long? (I've been to the vet's a few times recently and don't want to nag them for no reason...they already think I'm the mad dog-woman)...
If they touch the ground when he's standing then I'd say it's clipping time. There was a thread on this not so long ago. If I wasn't drinking beer and watching Eurovision and doing this on my phone I'd find it for you.
Have a read through this ...there's a few pics and tips of when some of us have trimmed http://thelabradorforum.com/threads/clippng-nalls.11315/ Dexter's grow fast because we walk on so much soft surfaces.....I get them done as soon I can hear them on the tiles x
Our vet showed us a handy trick. Grab a business card (or something similar) and slide it towards your dog's paw when they are standing up. If the card slides under their nails and hits their pads then their nails are fine but if the card hits the nails and won't go further then they need a trim.
I will add, they all need clipping at different times. Oban and the previous Lab walk the same terrain but I could do hers about once a month while I do his once a week. Something else that needs trimming is the hair between the toes. When it gets long it's slippery on our hardwood. I don't have to trim this at all in summer but snow and ice are evidently less abrasive than gravel and dirt and I do have to trim it in winter.
I am a nail worrier Charlie's seem to grow very fast, as soon as I see them starting to touch the floor and I hear the clicking I snip them, so I do them about once a month, Hattie's are done every 3 months so quite a difference between them. x
Thank you everyone - looks like Pongo's for the clip! I'm not brave enough to do it myself. Off to the vet's we go.....
You might find it cheaper getting them done at a groomers rather than a vet. I know how you feel about being brave enough. But once you have tried it, you will wonder why you were ever worried. I did make the mistake of buying a very big pair of nail clippers -- as advised by the sales assistant at the pet shop. The vet has a much smaller pair that is so much easier to handle. They usually come with a guide that you line up along the paw pad to make sure you don't cut too short. My vet didn't bother using it though; he went in for a really short nail and Snowie wasn't bothered at all. I tend to be far more conservative (ah, still a bit of a scaredy-cat!!). My sister, on the other hand, has never cut her dogs' nails. They have all lived to ripe old ages with no joint problems. I've just spent a week with her and her two dogs (2.5 years old, siblings, Labx) who are just lovely but nowhere near as spoiled and pampered as Snowie. They are well-adjusted, well trained, happy, and healthy with untrimmed nails and not one health problem!
Here's a little tip I learned for Jaxs nails. We have hardwood floors no claws and hardwood don't mix too well. I had a pedi paw the little battery operated nail trimmer and it went dead . I grabbed a dremel and in a few minutes had Jaxs nails good as gold . Now we tried acrylic caps and IMHO they are a waste, they fall off fairly easily . A Dremel on a low speed (low enough to nor build heat or grind too quickly to hurt your dog) The first session took about 10 minutes ,after that I keep ahead of them and can round his nails in 3 minutes tops I keep a check on them weekly .
