Unhealthy dog nails will look like they are brittle, split, cracked or overgrown.
When a dog's nails are unhealthy, they may also show signs of discoloration, like dark spots or yellowing and the dog's paws and there may also be pus, bleeding or oily discharge around the dog's nail bed and when a dog's nails are unhealthy they may also lick or chew on their paws excessively and may even limp or avoid walks, which can indicate they have pain and underlying health issues.
Yellowing, browning or dark spots and streaks on a dog's nails or nail bed or paws can indicate infection or other issues and irregular growth or direction and nails which peel away from the nail bed are signs that the dog's nails are unhealthy.
Also if you notice any redness, swelling, pus or discharge or crusting of the nails, then it's a sign of unhealthy dog nails and they should if possible see a vet.
A dog's nails should not click on the floor when they are walking normally.
If a dog's nails are clicking on the floor when they are walking normally, then it's a sign that the dog's nails are too long and overgrown and in need of a trim.
Normally a dog's nails should not be touching the floor when the dog is standing, although very active dogs might have their nails worn down naturally.
If your dog's nails are clicking on the floor when they are walking normally, it's a sign that the dog's nails should be trimmed.
Overgrown nails are often painful for dogs and can lead to issues like pressure on the dog's toe joints, cause pain while walking and even result in a higher risk of injury to the dog from being torn or broken.
overgrown nails on dogs can cause long term health issues, like joint strain, altered posture and even arthritis.
When a dog's nails are overgrown and too long, the overgrown or long nails on dog's can put pressure on the dog's toe joints, which can result in pain and discomfort and arthritis over time.
Dog's with overgrown nails, may also change how they walk to avoid pressure, which can also misalign the joint's in the dog's legs and back.
And dog nails can curl and grow into the dog's paw pads and cause pain and also potentially an infection.
Long and overgrown dog nails are also more likely to become stuck in things and can break or even tear and be extremely painful for dogs.
The signs of pain from a dog's overgrown nails include.
Barking, whining or whimpering.
Irritability or withdrawing.
Changes in their posture or gait.
Licking or chewing at their paws.
Reluctance to walk or play.
And clicking sounds on hard floors.
If your dog's nails are overgrown or too long, they should be trimmed using a dog nail trimmer.
Just be careful when cutting a dog's nails as they have blood vessels in their nails and what's called a quick that when cut can lead to pain and bleeding.
Having a vet do the dog nail trimming is best when you don't know how to properly trim a dog's nails.