Women spend a bundle of money to trim and polish their nails every month. Show your beautiful English Springer Spaniel the same love by ensuring that their nails are trimmed and polished!
English Springer Spaniel nails should be about 1mm from the ground when your dog is standing on solid ground. If the nail touches the ground and forces the toes up, it is too long and needs to be trimmed. Never cut the quick of the English Springer Spaniels’ nails.
Get into the habit of keeping your puppy well-groomed early on, and you can avoid the painful side effects of nails that have gotten way too long. Let’s find out how to trim your puppy’s nails like a professional.
Proper Length For An English Springer Spaniels Nails
Your puppy’s nails should never extend further than the edge of its paw; it should be about flush with the edge of her paw without touching the ground. There should be about a 1mm gap between the edge of the nail and level ground.
The nail should not be digging into the ground. Always observe the length of the nail on a hard, flat floor. Surfaces like grass or soft soil may not give you an adequate impression.
An English Springer Spaniels’ nails may curve inward as it grows in length. You can quickly determine whether your puppy is due for trim if the nail has started to curve.
Signs That Your English Springer Spaniels Nails Are Too Long
You may be forgiven for neglecting your English Springer Spaniels nails because their paws are covered in that beautiful long coat. It may simply be a matter of out of sight, out of mind.
The following signs that indicate your puppy is experiencing some distress due to her nails being too long should ring alarm bells.
Hearing Your English Springer Spaniels Nails On The Floor
If you hear the tick-tack of your English Springer Spaniels’ paws on your floors on your tiled floors, it means she needs a pedicure.
The nails of your English Springer Spaniels should never extend over their paws. The extra-long fur on your English Springer Spaniels paws can be trimmed down somewhat so you can better keep an eye on its paws.
Harder surfaces like gravel, asphalt, and rocky soil help to naturally grind down your dogs’ nails, so if your puppy spends most of her time on soft surfaces like grass, or smooth surfaces like tiles, the nail will need to be trimmed more regularly.
Clumsiness When Your English Springer Spaniel Runs
You may notice that your usually agile boy starts to move a bit differently. Signs of discomfort will start to show, and one of the first signs will be that your puppy will slide across the floor.
While it may seem silly when she takes a corner too fast, slipping across the floor, her clumsiness may be the result of her paw pads being able to grip the floor anymore. When a dog’s claws get too long, it forces the toe upward, which prevents the toe pad from touching the ground and providing enough grip.
Her toes raised in this position will become extremely uncomfortable and will eventually affect how she moves. If you notice your dog starting to limp for no apparent reason, her overly long nails might be the cause.
It may start as an awkward, clumsy walk, but if left unattended, it could result in significant pain and damage to her paws. She may start to lick her paws incessantly, which indicates that she is experiencing severe discomfort and pain.
Your English Springer Spaniels Paws Start To Bleed
Once you notice bleeding from the paws, the situation has reached a critical level; you should never allow your baby to suffer in this way. Bleeding, swelling, or redness at the nail bed may indicate an infection and will require attention from your veterinarian.
Benefits of Trimming Your English Springer Spaniels’ Nails
The health risks of leaving your dog’s nails untrimmed for too long may seem insignificant at first, but it can result in painful situations for your dog. On the flip side, regular pedicures have long-term benefits for you and your best friend!
Firstly, keeping your English Springer Spaniels’ nails at the correct length will result in better posture. Your handsome fur baby is already a beauty, but well-kept nails will give him that added boost in confidence. With unimpeded movement, your English Springer Spaniel will have improved agility and range of movement.
Well-trimmed nails mean fewer injuries for you and your family during playtime. English Springer Spaniels are naturally affectionate and playful, which means that you may also receive some nasty scrapes and scratches once she decides to jump up on you for a hug.
Trimming your puppy’s nails will make playtime safer, especially if you have children. It also prevents your puppy from getting her claws snagged on your favorite threads. Furniture and clothes can bear the brunt of her overly long nails.
Equipment Used To Trim Your English Springer Spaniels’ Nails
Before grooming your dogs’ nails, ensure that you have all the necessary tools you may need. Make it a joyful experience, treating your puppy to treats whenever she allows you to cut her nails.
- Lamp
- Trimming Scissors
- Low Noise Grinder
- Grinding attachment for grinder
- Smoothing/buffer attachment for grinder
- Clippers
- Treats
How To Trim Your English Springer Spaniels’ Nails
English Springer Spaniels’ paws are notoriously furry. So, start by neatening up the fur under her paws. Keep her paw lit under the lamp to avoid cutting the skin or the quick of her nails.
Use this time to inspect the spaces between her paw pads and remove any dirt or obstructions. You can also check for any abnormal growths between the toes.
Use clippers with a ten blade that are ideal for removing the fur until you can see the paw pads. Switch to a 30-blade to remove the hair around the nails. Gently cut away excess fir until you can easily see the nails. Be extremely cautious so as not to cut your puppy accidentally.
You can now use trimming scissors to cut away any excess fur and neaten her paws. Keeping your English Springer Spaniels’ paws neat makes it easier for you to see when there are problems with her nails.
Gently hold your puppy’s paw and use your thumb to push up and backward on the first paw pad. Use your forefinger on the top of the toe to push forward. This will extend the nail so that you can clip it. Reward your puppy with treats to make the experience pleasant.
Use a pair of sharp clippers to clip off the tip of the nail, avoiding the pink section or quick of the nail. The blood vessels and nerves are situated in the nail’s quick, and cutting into this section will result in bleeding and possible infection.
If your puppy has a darker nail, you can identify the quick by the lighter, chalky, white ring. If your dog has lighter, clear nails, the quick will be the less translucent section of the nail.
Use a grinding tool with a grinding band to trim each nail. Once all the nails are the proper length, use the finishing tool to smooth and buff the nail. Don’t forget to trim your puppy’s dewclaw. This is the tiny claw situated further up from your puppy’s paw.
Keeping the fur on your puppy’s paws trimmed makes it easier to keep an eye on her nail hygiene. You can take some time each week to gently file her nails. Small regular grooming sessions are always preferable to attending to a major problem further down the line.
Allowing your puppy to get used to regular nail grooming will help to reduce her nerves around the grooming session, making it more pleasant for both of you.
Conclusion
Regularly grooming your English Springer Spaniel will help to keep your best buddy happy and healthy. Checking to ensure that your dogs’ nails don’t exceed the edge of the paw and do not touch the ground when she walks will help prevent significant discomfort and injury. There should always be about 1mm between the edge of the nail and the ground.
