October ’08 Newsletter
Contents
Why long toe nails are harmful to your dog's health
Some dogs hate nail trimming, others merely tolerate it, almost none like it. Some dogs need tranquillizers to make it through the process without biting, while others sleep through the procedure without a care. No matter what your dog's personal take is on nail clipping, it is something you should do for your IGs regularly to keep from harming their skeletal structure.
A dog's nails are important parts of their anatomy. Unlike cats, dog claws are not weapons, but are used when he runs to grip the ground when accelerating and turning corners. Outdoor dogs run around enough over different surfaces and wear their own nails down. But our house-bound companions don't get that natural wear from carpet, hardwood, or vinyl flooring. And since IGs have nails that grow more quickly than most other breeds, it's easy for them to get too long.
Having long nails changes the way a dog carries himself. The diagram below shows how a long nail causes the bones in the foot to flatten and the Metacarpal, Phalanx I and Phalanx II bones to sit more angled every time the dog walks or stands. The different angle of the bones when pressure is applied causes joint stress and can lead to joint pain and arthritis. It also leads to dropped wrists which make the dog look flat footed. Women reading this article can probably relate if they think about wearing high heels all the time. Long toe nails essentially do the same to dogs by changing the natural alignment of leg bones which adds torque or twisting to the joints. Personally, high heeled shoes wreak havoc on my knees and I suffer from knee joint pain for days after wearing them. I can't imagine the pain a dog goes through whose owner never trims his nails or doesn't trim nails often enough.
Left: proper alignment with short toenail.Right: angled alignment because of long toenail.
Image provided by Dr. Lisa Kluslow
Changing the natural alignment also makes the dog less steady on his feet and can contribute to an increased probability of broken legs. If the dog's joints are out of whack, he can't catch himself from falling or landing as well. Again, if you compare how steady you ladies are in sneakers compared to high heels you can relate to how a dog with long nails might feel all the time. Since broken legs are already such a problem for Italian Greyhounds, this makes keeping your Iggy's nails trimmed even more important.
The image shows how the bones of the paw and wrist angle back when a dog has long nails, but the damage doesn't stop there. All the bones in a dog's body are connected and the leg bones connect all the way up to the spine. Some of you might relate to how an injury on one part of our body can cause us to carry ourselves differently and create pain in another part of our body. Unfortunately, our dogs can't tell us when they have a headache or shoulder ache and many times we miss the slight signals that they are in pain. Since dogs can't trim their own nails, it's up to us to make sure this dog maintenance is performed before the pain sets in.
Where to cut a dog's toe nail.IGs usually need their nails trimmed every two to three weeks, if not more often. Frequent walking (daily, fast paced, long walks) can help wear down nails and increase the time between trimmings. For our dogs, nail trimming is a two person job and my husband holds dogs on his lap with their feet sticking outwards while I clip. The red line in the diagram to the left shows where to cut the nail. The nail comes straight out, and at the point where it starts to bend downward, you should cut at a 45 degree angle. It's always a good idea to have Kwik Stop or another blood stopping product on hand in case you hit the quick. If trimming nails is not your forte, groomers or vet clinics are good alternatives to keep your dogs' nails well groomed.
Some dog owners prefer to grind down (commonly using a Dremel tool) their dog's nails. For comprehensive instructions on how to Dremel your dog's nails, please refer to Tia Resleure's article "The Importance of Proper Nail Grooming to Dogs, especially Italian Greyhounds!".
Unfortunately, it is easy to overlook this basic grooming. Many of the dogs we take in to rescue, regardless of what their situations were before, need a nail clipping when they arrive. Similarly, I've noticed at playdates there are always a couple IGs with very long claws. Remember though, that trimming claws is not merely a cosmetic issue, but it is also a health issue. You and you IG may dread biweekly trims, but it is one of the most basic things you can do to take stress off your pups' joints as they age.
Where are they now?
Kate - adopted September 15th, 2007 and Paolo adopted July 2007 by Sarah and Doug
In your opinion, what are some of the benefits of adopting a rescue, or, why did you adopt?: We were originally interested in adopting Greyhounds. My husband was slightly leery because he was afraid they would be too sedate – too fond of the couch. We started doing research on whippets when I ran across Carol Sumbry's rescue site. I instantly fell in love with Italian Greyhounds. I contacted Carol and after a lot of emailing back and forth and a home visit, I met Paolo. What a sweet-heart!! He is a boundless bundle of energy and love. The satisfaction I have gotten from adopting rescues has been indescribable. I adopted Paolo in July 2007 and Kate two months later. Kate is a black and white IG and I am convinced she is the prettiest and sweetest dog on planet Earth. Providing a loving and healthy home for my two rescues has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I feel like they've been with us for such a long time. I cannot imagine my life without the joy they bring. I feel like the luckiest dog owner in the world because no other dog, especially no other dog outside the IG breed, could possibly have as much personality as my two dogs. I'm a big, bragging Mama in that regard ;) I'm sure I've absolutely bored the tears out of everyone at work talking about my dogs.
What commands does your dog know? Kate and Paolo know "Sit," "Stay," "Wait," "Leave It," "Let's Go Potty Outside," "Let's Go Crate" and the best one of all - "Hugs"
If this is your first IG, was there anything that surprised you about this breed after you brought yours home? I was pleasantly surprised by how much affection they are willing to give and receive. Kate and Paolo are by my side from the minute I get home to when we crate them for the night. If I go to the the kitchen for a glass of water, they get up to follow me. I know that if they are not snuggled up on the couch with me, or at least somewhere within my sight line, they are making mischief.
I was a little concerned at first at how Paolo seemed to potty in his crate every time he spent more than an hour in it. He only had a couple of accidents outside of the crate, but inside was another matter. For the first two months I had him we had his crate in a room in the back of the house, where he only had to go when it was time to go to his crate. When we brought Kate home, we decided to move the crates into one of the main rooms on the first floor. This seemed to help quite a bit, but he still had a couple of accidents weekly in the crate. What really did it was when we made the decision to crate them at night. When they slept with us, the two dogs would wake up multiple times a night. They would flap their ears back and forth and it would wake both Doug and me up. So we decided that for our own sanity, we would crate them. Now both dogs crate like angels, never whining, never scratching to get out. This is huge change for Paolo; he hated the crate. He howled and whined and scratched and rocked the crate to get out - he was a bit of a nightmare at first. Now, we can even crate them when we are home. For example, if we need to mop, we can tell them "Go Crate" and they just hang out until we are done. So I was very surprised at the change in crate behavior in just a matter of weeks when we started crating them at night.
What is your favorite thing to do with your newly adopted IG? Since we no longer sleep with them in our bed, my favorite thing to do is to take naps with them. Paolo curls up behind my legs and Kate likes to sleep in my arms with her head on my neck. I also like watching movies with them. We all climb under the blankets and snuggle. Long walks are fun because the whole neighborhood oohs and ahhs over how beautiful the dogs are.
What is your favorite personality quirk about your IG? Without question my favorite personality quirk for both Kate and Paolo is the dance they do when I come home from work. I'm sure every IG owner knows it. It is like a joyous case of the wiggles, where both dogs will dance around me and jump up and compete for hugs.
What about your IG keeps you the busiest and how do you keep your IG busy? Kate keeps me busiest of the two; she's a bit of a rascal. She likes to shred paper; this little pastime has claimed two library books, three PBS TV guides and countless toilet paper rolls. We have to keep all the wastepaper baskets off the floor or she'll find something in it and shred it. She also loves pulling the inserts out of my fur slippers and chewing on them. Paolo follows Kate around and tries to nab her attention from whatever has her interest. He's like her dutiful little brother. So cute.
