This week Papi came in. I knew I hadn’t seen her for a while and this was evidenced by the size of her nails, which had grown so long that they had turned inward and pierced her toe pads.

Papi is a 13-year-old half-Persian blue, with a beautiful, round face, large, grey eyes, and full coat and mane. She is the last remaining of a small group of mature cats that had been brought over by an American couple who moved over here four years ago from Iowa in the US.

She was nine years old at the time and has since been lucky enough to live a happy and tranquil life in her new Maltese home. Despite Papi’s name being the familiar Spanish term for daddy, she is actually a female cat and there was some confusion as to her gender when she was adopted and the name stuck.

We’ve all heard the expression ‘to pull your claws in’. Although it alludes to cats’ ability to retract their claws when they’re relaxed, domestic cats still need to have their nails regularly trimmed to prevent problems, particularly when they spread their paws to scratch or knead with extended claws.

With Papi, the problem was a familiar one: she simply does not like having her claws trimmed and any attempt to persuade her results in injury to her owner. But it is not only cat owners who encounter this problem.

Claw or nail trimming is a common reason for dog, cat and bird owners to visit the vet – either because the nails have grown too long and are hampering the pet’s mobility, or else to have a broken toe nail attended to. Broken toe nails are all too often the result of claws or nails that have grown too long; the outcome can be infection in the paw.

I am frequently told by dog owners that they have brought their dog in because they can hear their nails tapping on the floor as they walk about. While this is a good signal that indicates that your dog’s nails have grown too long, it would be more comfortable and safer for your dog if you do not wait until they get so long, since overly long nails can impair your dog’s gait.

The need to trim dogs’ nails generally depends on their level of activity and the terrain they frequent. Active dogs that exercise in the countryside hardly ever need to have their nails trimmed, while house dogs such as lap dogs that do not venture out need to have their nails trimmed frequently.

Puppies too young to be allowed out near other dogs will similarly need to have their nails seen to. In dogs, one thing to look out for is nails that grow very long very quickly, since this can sometimes be a symptom of ill health, such as in the case of sandfly disease where accelerated nail growth is a well-known phenomenon.

Cats with outdoor access can perform their natural instinct of scratching their nails on tree barks. This is beneficial to exercise their shoulder muscles. It is also a form of territorial scenting and it keeps their nails sharp and clean. With indoor cats it is important to be able to provide a cat scratcher that is well fixed for the same purpose.

Birds are as much at risk from having overly long claws since they will find it increasingly difficult to stand on their perch, as well as fly from one end of the cage to another without catching their claws on the sides.

It is not unusual to have birds in this condition getting trapped on the side of the cage while in mid-air and toe amputations are sometimes necessary as a result of the injuries sustained.

To avoid discomfort, infection or serious injury to your pet, it would be good to learn how to trim nails yourself and teach them how to behave and cooperate. There are two types of nail clippers: the scissor type and the guillotine type.

Whichever you prefer, the important thing is that you do use a purposely designed nail clipper of the right size for your pet’s claws or nails. Do not use nail clippers or cuticle trimmers designed for human use. Firstly, because you can hurt your pet and, secondly, because if you do, your pet will never forget it and will always protest whenever you or your vet go anywhere near their paws.

In both dogs and cats, you also need to pay extra attention to the dewclaw which corresponds to the human thumb

Ideally, you should start practising when your pet is still young. Your vet will be happy to explain to you the anatomy of the nail and help you understand how to recognise the nail hook, which is the part of the nail you can trim and where the kwick starts, which is the part you should avoid – this being the sensitive part of the nail anatomy.

If your pet’s nails are pigmented and the kwick not so visible, your veterinarian will demonstrate how to tell the difference between the nail shell and the kwick.

In both dogs and cats, you also need to pay extra attention to the dewclaw which corresponds to the human thumb. This is found on the inner side of the lower limb and does not come in contact with the ground.

In both dogs and cats, the dewclaw is located on the forelimbs (front legs) and not the hind legs. However, certain breeds such as the Italian Bracco also have a dewclaw on their hind legs; this is accepted as a characteristic of the breed. In active dogs, the dewclaws are usually the only nails that need clipping since they do not touch the ground and therefore never benefit from natural erosion.

When dogs and cats get old, they need to have their nails trimmed more often. Dogs get stiffer and slower in old age; therefore their nails encounter less friction. Elderly cats retract their nails less effectively. Nails become larger and thicker and need to be kept in check more often. This happens to be the case with Papi.

As she ages, she needs to have her nails trimmed more often. In Papi’s case though, her owners prefer a vet to do the nail trimming. Apart from radically clipping her nails, Papi has also been given a new cat scratcher, which has been securely fixed for maximum effect.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.