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 Published: 08 Aug 2025 | Last Updated: 08 Aug 2025 12:21:12

A new study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) VetCompass Programme has revealed that nail clipping in dogs in the UK is a highly common procedure and recommends additional training and education to further support veterinarians and owners to provide optimal nail care and support animal welfare. The study, which is the largest of its kind, also identified that breeds such as Chihuahuas and Beagles had higher needs for nail clipping than other breeds.

Nail clipping is an essential welfare procedure for dogs, as overgrown nails can cause pain and mobility issues, which can lead to injury or infection and affect their quality of life. Previous ºÚÁÏÉç research has shown that overgrown nails are commonplace, being the fourth most frequently diagnosed disorder in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019¹. Yet, despite this, ºÚÁÏÉç research has shown that nailcare is one of the most underfunded areas of research for dogs².

To fill these gaps, this new paper, led by researchers from the ºÚÁÏÉç, University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College, set out to explore how factors such as breed, body weight, age and sex affect the frequency of nail clipping in dogs.

Using analysis of data from the ºÚÁÏÉç’s VetCompass Programme on a random sample of 2,440 nail clipping cases taken from over 2 million dogs under UK primary veterinary practice care during 2019, 5.64% of UK dogs (over one in twenty dogs) were found to have had their nails clipped at least once as part of their primary veterinary care each year. The nail clipping was the primary reason for attending the veterinary visit for more than half (59.40%) of those dogs, showing just how important the issue of good nail care was to these owners.

The most cited clinical reasons for nail clipping veterinary visits were overgrown and/or ingrown nails (12.66%) and broken claws or dewclaws (8.84%), suggesting clinical nail care is an area that requires more clinical and research attention.

The researchers also identified that certain dog breeds were more likely to require nail clipping. Compared with crossbred dogs, the four breeds with the highest percentage of dogs getting their nails clipped each year were the Chihuahua (13.29% clipped each year), Beagle (12.58%), Greyhound (11.98%) and Pug (9.36%).

Dog breeds with a skull shape that deviated from a typical medium-length skull in either direction also had a higher risk of needing nail clipping. Flat-faced dogs breeds (e.g. Pugs, French Bulldogs, Shih Tzu) were 1.67 times more likely to have their nails clipped, while breeds with long faces (e.g. Greyhound, Whippet) were 1.32 times more likely to have their nails clipped, compared to breeds with a medium length skull (e.g. Labrador Retriever, English Springer Spaniel). Dog breeds with shortened and often twisted legs (chondrodystrophic breeds) were also 1.44 times more likely to have their nails clipped compared to dog breeds with straight legs.

Age and body weight also affected a dog’s chances of undergoing nail clipping. Young dogs aged between 1 to 2 years were the most likely to have nail clipping procedures. Smaller dogs weighing less than 10.00 kg had higher odds of overgrown nails compared to larger dogs weighing 40.00 kg or more.

These findings provide insights into the characteristics and conformation of different dogs and breeds that are more likely to need regular nail clipping to protect their welfare. This highlights the importance of tailored veterinary guidance and breed-specific considerations in promoting optimal nail health and contributing to better overall canine welfare.

The frequency of nail clipping in primary veterinary care also indicates the need for comprehensive teaching of canine nail care in veterinary and veterinary nursing education, as well as proactive veterinary monitoring, nail care protocols and owner education. Together, this may help to reduce preventable complications such as overgrown nails, ingrown claws and associated pain or infections.

Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the ºÚÁÏÉç and co-author of the paper, said:

“This new VetCompass study shows that some dog breeds have more than twice the need to have their nails clipped compared to other breeds. This highlights just how distinct humanity has made each dog breed and suggests we are getting close to the time when we should no longer consider all dog breeds as even being the same species.”

Dr Lavin Ahmed, Veterinary Surgeon, President of Protecting Animals in Kurdistan Organization (PAKO) and lead author of the study, said:

 “When I was first offered nail clipping by ºÚÁÏÉç VetCompass as my MSc research topic, I honestly underestimated its significance. It seemed like just another routine procedure that we all do every day in veterinary practice. However, reading the clinical records made it clear that nail care is more than just a trivial grooming procedure but is a genuine welfare issue that deserves much more attention in both veterinary training and owner education.”

Dr Alison Skipper, Veterinary and Research Advisor at the Kennel Club, said:

"It's easy to overlook nail clipping as a minor intervention, but this study reminds us of the importance of providing good routine healthcare that improves canine lives. It's also interesting to see that some breeds are more likely to need nail care. This confirms anecdotal evidence that some foot shapes or lifestyles may influence nail wear and reminds owners to make sure they keep an eye on nail growth as they care for their pets.”

Notes to Editors

Paper Reference

Ahmed, L.A., Somarriba, M., Brodbelt, D.C., Church, D.B. and O’Neill, D.G. (2025), Epidemiology and clinical management of nail clipping in dogs under UK primary veterinary care. J Small Anim Pract.

To access the full paper, please visit:

Release References

¹ O'Neill, D.G., James, H., Brodbelt, D.C., Church, D.B. and Pegram, C. (2021) 'Prevalence of commonly diagnosed disorders in UK dogs under primary veterinary care: results and applications', BMC Veterinary Research, 17(1), 69, available: .

² Skipper, A., Packer, R. and O’Neill, D. (2025) Planning a better future for canine health and welfare research, Royal Veterinary College: Royal Veterinary College, available: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj//Media/Default/VetCompass/Planning%20a%20better%20future%20for%20canine%20health%20and%20welfare%20research%20ºÚÁÏÉç%20report%20February%202025.pdf.

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