Figure 1a. Overgrown, the nails extend well past the paw pad and curl noticeably. Overgrown, untrimmed nails are one of the most common—and most preventable—sources of discomfort we see in the exam room. Trimming your dog's nails looks simple enough, and most of the time it is. But it is also one of those small routines where getting it slightly wrong can turn a two-minute job into a fearful, bloody ordeal that neither of you wants to repeat. A 2025 review of primary-care rec