Quick and easy ways to prevent nail infections
Give your dog regular nail trims — It’s always a better idea to have a professional clip and file your pup’s nails, and your vet or groomer should be able to provide appointments! Never try to trim your dog’s nails unless you have proper training, experience, and the essential tools (dog-friendly nail clippers or grounders especially).
Go on outdoor walks — Pavement and other hard walking surfaces are some of the greatest natural nail filers out there. Regular activity is not only vital for a happy pup but crucial for optimal paw health.
Handle your dog’s paws a lot — This is the best way to check your pup’s nail health regularly and get them used to their paws being handled in future groomer and vet appointments.
Try to prevent too much licking and chewing — This can be hard, especially during those hours of the day and night when you’re not around to watch your pup. But the biggest key to preventing any type of infection, especially after trauma or injury, is making sure the area stays dry, healthy, and clean of bacteria.
Address any skin allergies as soon as you can — The earlier you catch allergy-related issues causing contact dermatitis, the better chances it won’t affect the nails.
Why do nail infections commonly occur in dogs’ paw areas?
Nail and nail bed infections are defined as any abnormality or disease that affects a dog’s claw or the areas around it. Infections are common in paws because paws are in constant contact with everyday surfaces and germs. Canine nails are situated above the paw pads. They only touch the ground when your pup is on the move, but because your pup is probably walking around a lot, it leaves plenty of room for exposure.
Although nail infections in dogs have a variety of causes, they usually have an excellent treatment prognosis and take a short amount of time to heal. That said, any suspected nail infection should always be seen by a vet before it worsens or spreads.
Add an extra layer of protection!
There are some great remedies out there for paw health. But remember to always consult your vet before introducing a new product to your dog’s health regimen.
Nailbed Infection Boxer
Infection-causing bacteria and fungi are always hovering around dogs. As soon as a nail bed is exposed, these pathogenic organisms tend to develop a claw infection. Similarly, the dogs that chew and lick their nails can also suffer from these infections. This is because they transfer the bacteria from their mouth to their claw which speeds up the infecting process. For these reasons, nail bed infections are fairly common in dogs.
Whether the infection is caused by an illness or it developed due to trauma, it is always a secondary problem. Having said that, it is extremely dangerous and can lead to a number of critical issues, including bone infection. Although there are different types of nail-bed infections, yeast paw infection is one of the most widespread ones. Treating nail bed infections in dogs should always be done with the help of your vet.
Important: If you suspect your dog has an infection in their nail bed, always work with your vet on treating the nail bed infection. They can be dangerous and you should not try to take this on without appropriate medical care.