Overlong nails in a Cavalier are not a cosmetic problem but a mechanical one. A nail that touches the floor with every step changes the way the dog stands, loads the toes and over time alters the posture of the paw.
This article explains how to tell when it is time, where the limit for cutting lies, what to do if blood appears and how to look after the pads through the year.
When it is time
There is a check that requires no experience at all: the dog stands on a hard floor and you listen. If you hear the nails clicking as it walks, the nails are too long.
The second check is by eye from the side. The nail should not go past the line of the pad when the dog is standing.
For most Cavaliers that means trimming every three to four weeks. Dogs that walk a lot on asphalt wear their nails down naturally and need it less often; dogs that mostly walk on grass and parquet need it more often.
Where the limit is
Inside the nail runs a nerve with a blood vessel. That is the part that hurts and bleeds, and it is the only real limit.
In pale nails the quick shows as a pink line and you cut two or three millimetres in front of it. Cavaliers often have pale nails, which makes the job considerably easier.
In dark nails the quick is invisible, so you go differently: cut a little at a time and look at the cut surface after each pass. When a grey or black dotappears in the middle of the cut, that is the sign the quick is close and you stop there.
In a dog whose nails have long been too long, the quick has grown out with the nail. Then it cannot be shortened at once — cut a little, once a week, and the quick gradually recedes.
With what
Two kinds of tool, and both do the job:
- Guillotine-type clippers — fast, but it requires judging the limit well
- Plier-type clippers — a clearer cut, easier for beginners
- A file or a grinder — the slowest but the safest, and a good option for dogs frightened by the click
Along with the tool, the house should have styptic powder. Buy it in advance, not when you need it.
If blood appears
It happens even to the experienced. It is not dangerous, but it looks worse than it is.
Press the powder onto the cut and hold it with a finger for about fifteen seconds. If you have no powder, cornstarch or even soap will do. Do not let the dog run around the house until it has stopped.
What matters more than the blood itself is what happens afterwards. If the dog gets frightened and that is the end of the session, it will remember. So after the bleeding stops, do one more paw that is certainly short, and finish with praise.
How to get the dog used to it
This is done while the dog is a puppy, months before the nails become a problem.
- first just touching the paws, a few seconds a day, with a treat
- then holding the paw and pressing the toe so the nail comes out
- then touching the paw with the clippers, without cutting
- only then one nail a day, not all eighteen at once
With an adult dog that already struggles, go in the same order, only more slowly. Forcible restraint solves one occasion and ruins every one after it.
The dewclaw
Cavaliers often have a fifth nail on the inner side of the front legs. It does not touch the ground, so it does not wear down and grows in a curve.
If forgotten, it can grow into the pad. That is painful and needs a vet. So the dewclaw is checked every time the other nails are.
The hair between the pads
In this breed hair also grows between the pads, and that has two consequences:
- the dog slips on parquet and tiles, which in a breed prone to slipping kneecaps is not harmless
- snow, mud and road salt catch in the hair
Trim it with round-tipped scissors, level with the pads. This is the only trimming of the coat the breed standard permits.
The pads through the year
In winter the main problem is the salt spread on the streets. It irritates the skin and causes cracking. After a walk the paws are rinsed with lukewarm water and dried.
In summer the problem is hot asphalt. The check is simple: if you cannot hold your palm on the asphalt for five seconds, it is too hot for the dog too.
Cracked pads should be shown to a vet. There are ointments for the purpose, but persistent cracking can be a sign of something else.
When to see a vet
- a nail has grown into the pad
- the dog limps for more than a day after trimming
- there is swelling or pus around the nail
- the pads keep cracking despite care
- the dog licks one paw persistently, with no visible reason
Conclusion
Nails are cut when you hear clicking on the floor, roughly every three to four weeks, and always with styptic powder to hand. On dark nails go little by little until the grey dot appears in the cut. The two places most often forgotten are the dewclaw and the hair between the pads — and it is that hair which in this breed contributes to slipping on smooth floors.
Note: this article is informational and does not replace examination and advice from a veterinarian.
Related
- Cavalier coat care: brushing, mats and tools
- Bathing a Cavalier: how often and how
- Cavalier dental care and preventing tartar
- Tear stains under the eyes in Cavaliers
- Do Cavaliers shed, and are they hypoallergenic
- Patellar luxation: slipping kneecaps in small breeds
- The Cavalier in winter: cold, road salt and care
- Cavalier care — an overview of all topics
- Puppies for sale from a kennel with health-tested parents
