I just finished up watching a movie on Netflix during my #coronacation and decided to go to bed a little early because, hey, staying home 24/7, watching movies and cleaning house for the umpteenth time in recent weeks is – exhausting! One thing I didn’t think about during my long quarantine at home was the dangers of overgrown pet nails…but I soon would start thinking about it.
Just as I drifted off to sleep I heard a loud thump and then a gut-curling bark. I jumped up, grabbed my glasses and ran into the other room to see what happened.
Sonny, my 3 1/2lb, 2 legged chihuahua laid on the floor wrapped in an afghan, like a mummy.
He let out a high-pitched whimper and shook just a little bit so I pulled the afghan off and found a toe nail on his right back foot, split and snagged on some yarn!
Sonny was shaking and scared. Luckily he didn’t break it or snag it far enough back to make it bleed. After snipping the yarn and releasing his foot, I picked him up and gave lots of cuddles, then trimmed the frazzled nail off.
I felt horrible and was so glad I was home when this happened. How many dogs (and cats) go through similar situations but no one is home to help them?
This Story is Common
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard similar stories from my clients.
A client told me once that her chocolate lab got one of his nails wedged between two deck boards and unfortunately, broke it off. He bled forever, and limped for quite some time.
On a pet sitting visit I noticed one of my client’s cats limping. I picked her up and saw that one of her dew claws was embedded in a paw pad. And three nails on that same foot also were embedded.
After trimming all of her nails she walked better and on my next visit she looked totally normal.
Regular pet nail maintenance will help your pet in many ways. Don’t be a bad pet mom like I was! Don’t let your pet’s nails grow so long they curl or twist or corkscrew.
It’s so easy to get sidetracked and just not pay attention, I know because I do it myself, but after Sonny’s incident I try to set the first or last day of the month to check nails. If you have pets, maybe you can get on a schedule like I have…
Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and hedgehogs are just some of the pets I take care of at my nail trim events in Muncie, Anderson and New Castle, Indiana and I’d be happy to help you and your pet.
These monthly events make it super easy for pet parents. If you have questions, call Kelley at 765-744-5688 or send an email to kelley@sit-stay-play.com.
Dangers of Overgrown Pet Nails
My affordable pet nail trim events are designed to help all pet parents, as a result, you’re able to keep up with your pet’s nails.
My events are convenient because I host several each month. You don’t need an appointment at these events, all you have to do is show up, sign in and wait till your name is called.
Here are some things that can happen to our pets when they have long nails:
Discomfort
Pain
Deformity
Poor posture and uneven gait
Nails get caught in blankets or rugs which can cause the nail to be ripped out or broken
Overgrown nails can grow into the paw pads causing a lot of pain
Overgrown pet nails will often cause arthritis, hip dysplasia and other body ailments to hurt worse.
Regular nail trims will keep this from happening. Come and see me at one of my events or book an in-home service today.
Want to Learn How to Trim Your Pet’s Nails Yourself?
Want to learn how to keep up with your pet’s nails yourself? Great, I can teach you.
Just visit one of my events or make a house call and I’ll walk you through the process. I’ll show you what tools to buy specific to your pet and things to watch out for.
Thanks for reading this article,
Kelley Stewart, CEO|Pet Sitter
sit-stay-play In-home pet sitting & more.LLC
“Your pet sitting, dog walking, poop scooping specialists!”
P.S. Have a vacation coming up? Have you thought about who will watch your pets? sit-stay-play is here and would love the chance to help out. Call us today to talk about our pet care options 765-744-5688 or request pet sitting, dog walking or other services here https://sit-stay-play.com/book-visits