idk if this is just worrying about nothing but every time i see those scratch boards people use to get their dog’s nails down i think about sandpaper perches and how those can fuck up your bird’s feet and i cringe immensely. there’s no way they’re not also scratching up their paw pads doing that but i guess dog paw pads are thicker than the skin on parrot feet?? do you know anything about those?
I know a bit!
In general when a dog is using a scratch board to file their nails they’re “clenching” their paw to dig at it! This causes their nails to extend past the paw pads so only the nails are contacting the board - even in a healthy length nail. If you use a half-pipe tube you can more easily get the side nails without risking rubbing at the paw pads as well.
Standing flat- paw pad contacts the ground, none of her nails do
Digging- nails contact the surface, paw pad is raised
I’m sure the occasional paw pad strike happens especially during the learning process but with proper usage it’s unlikely to do damage.
In terms of comparisons between dog paws and bird toes- dog paw pads (when exercised on terrain regularly) are intended to be strong and resistant against rough terrains whereas bird toes are virtually always soft which is why sandpaper can really damage sensitive bird tootsies (alongside things like them having scales which shed and leave more sensitive skin underneath vs very small and thin skin cells in a paw pad and scales being more prone to catching sand granules leading to infections, paw pads being quite thick vs bird skin being craaaaaazy thin). In this scenario a dog paw pad is equipped to handle some degree of friction and the action of digging itself typically triggers the dog to raise their paw pad and target the nails to do the actual digging, keeping the paw pad safe from damage.
Obviously be aware of things, check over their pads during and after using a scratch board to ensure your dog is using it correctly and experiment with angling the scratch board to promote less paw pad contact. But overall the minor risk of misuse is definitely far less than the risks of overgrown nails causing lifelong chronic pain and joint issues. Certainly a very useful tool for those struggling with regular nail care or just looking for a way to prevent the nails from getting too long while trying to work on cooperative care nail filing/ dremeling/ trimming
