When we take our dog out for a walk, we usually go out in the countryside or to a park, and even the beach. 

These three places are very attractive to our pet as it can run safely, ease muscle strain and although there is greater impact on the joints, there is very little risk of injury. Like everything, these surfaces also have its inconveniences. Due to their soft and moist nature, these terrains do not wear out our dog’s nails and they grow out of proportion, becoming weak and breaking easily even from the inside. This may cause a sudden lameness due to the length of the nail, causing great discomfort and pain.

If we add situations such as infections or poor nail care, our friend can suffer excruciating pain in its paws and although most claw problems are minor and can be treated at home, sometimes the problem deepens, affecting their pads and even the bone. Therefore it is essential for their  wellbeing to do a periodical revision of their paws and claws.

Hence the importance of consistent hard surfaces like asphalt that although not as interesting, are the most accessible and easy to find, requires less expenditure of energy than soft surfaces and wears out our dog’s nails, filing them and strengthening them. On the other hand we cannot forget that the asphalt is one of the toughest surfaces that exist, so the impact on its joints is increased and we should not overuse it. Also we must keep in mind that if it's a busy street, traffic can be a problem and we must therefore exercise extreme caution.

So we encourage you to include in your regular walks with your dog, firm, compact surfaces like this to keep its nails in good condition with little effort and remember this is only a small part of the essential care that you need to include into the fundamental care list for your pet.

LUPOSAN - IBERICA (Spain) (Notes) on Monday, May 6, 2013 at 15:47