Canine Podiatry

CANINE PODIATRY

Written by Stacy Jessen

Have you ever noticed the sound of your dog’s nails tapping on the floor as they walk through the house?

Would you be surprised to know that this sound is a sign of inflammation in your dog’s body?

Long toenails push your dog's posture back which in turn pushes every joint from toes to tail out of alignment. Joint misalignment creates stress and inflammation in our dog’s entire body. If we can prevent stress in our dog’s body, we can increase the length and quality of their lives!

The majority of us live in and on an artificial environment in our modern society. Our trails and dirt roads are now asphalt and concrete. Our dirt floors from the past are now hard woods, vinyl, carpet and tile. As we have evolved, so have the lives of our canine companions. We humans have developed shoes to help us remain in proper posture on artificial surfaces but our dogs are still running around on these same surfaces with their natural feet. Our dogs also live in our homes as part of the family when in the past they mostly lived outside. Dogs would dig in search for grubs, roots and to bury re-mains from their prey for future meals. They used their claws for traction when on the hunt or for defending their territory; those really sharp claws on the inside of their front feet, the dewclaws, were essential for catching prey. They no longer have to hunt or scavenge for food yet their claws still grow as if they are needed for survival. Dogs are toe walkers. They use every part of their foot including their toes to walk and run. Also, the reflexology points on every part of the paw promotes circulation and balances the flow of the subtle energies of the body. Now that most dogs live on artificial surfaces and do not have their nails worn down by past natural behaviors, their pos-ture is being pushed back off of their toes and towards their heels as the nails grow. Once their posture is pushed back even just a little, every joint in the body is pushed out of alignment. This chronic misalignment causes inflammation in EVERY joint from toes to tail! This joint misalignment can lead to things like ACL injuries or tears, arthritis, herniated discs and even stress to the adrenal glands which leads to inflammation in every organ of the body. In order to help our dogs in this modern world, it is our job to keep their claws at a length that promotes proper joint alignment. How do we help our dogs? Nail Trims! I am not talking about just trimming the tip of your dog’s nail either. There is a unique way of trimming or filing through the spine at the top of the nail and exposing the quick or live part in the middle of the nail. Every time the quick is exposed, it will regress. I call this technique Canine Podiatry Nail Trims. Over time this technique will shorten your dog’s nails and will put them back in proper posture! This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your dog’s inflammation. What could it mean for your dog’s health and well being if their chronic inflammation was reduced? A longer, healthier life! A lot of people are nervous to trim their dog’s nails. This is understandable. It can be scary. Most dogs don’t love having their paws touched let alone their nails trimmed. They wiggle, pull away and can even nip reacting to our hesitant attempts. One reason our dogs can become so reactive is because every time their nails are trimmed pres-sure is applied to the entire nail including the nerve that runs along the very bottom of the toenail. Experiencing pain every time their nails are trimmed can create a behavioral response. The Canine Podiatry Nail Trim technique avoids pressure on the nerve more than traditional techniques and over time the dog becomes more accepting. I am here to tell you that you CAN learn to confidently trim your dog’s nails! My goal in life is to help pets and their people live happier and healthier lives! One way to do this is to teach people and other pet care professionals the Canine Podiatry Nail Trim technique. If you would like more information on the Canine Podiatry Nail Trim, workshops offered, or to schedule an appointment for your dog please visit CrescentMoonHappyHealing.com