Does anyone have any tips on how to cut long nails without cutting the quick? My dog is a black Lab and I’m finding this particularly tricky. I don’t want to keep bothering my vet with a task that I’m sure many dog owners find very simple, but neither do I want to injure my dog!
Thanks.
Christine Stoner, by email
May issue
May issue
Showing posts with label Nail cutting advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nail cutting advice. Show all posts
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Thursday, 14 May 2009
The first cut is the hardest
I am a new dog owner and I have to say the thing I'm most terrified of is the prospect of clipping my dog's nails. I'm getting into such a state thinking about it never mind him! I am just so scared I'll hurt him.
He has black nails so you can't see where the quick is - is that how you spell it?
And how do you know your dog's nails actually need cutting? Do all dogs?
Any tips?
Charlotte Wilson
Hi Charlotte,
I have a confession - it freaks me out, too! Our dog groomer does our dogs for me! The vet might help, too and show you how to do it at home. While some dogs will wear down their claws if they get lots of roadwork you still have to check the dew claws (if they are still in place) as these can grow round in a circle and stick in if not trimmed back.
There's a great device I've seen advertised that grinds down the claws rather than cuts which may take some of the angst out of the procedure!
Don't forget to get your dog used to allowing you to touch his feet and reward him for letting you hold his paw while you pretend to cut - so he starts to get used to the whole thing.
And you really need one of those styptic sticks to hand to stop bleeding in case you do cut through a quick.
Good luck, I think I'd need hypnosis to be able to do it!
Cheers
Beverley Cuddy, Editor
Black claws are a real problem because, as you rightly say, you cannot see the quick (and that is how to spell it). Even six years at vet school with seeing practice, followed by nearly twenty years in small animal practice, have not given me extra powers so that I can see where the quick is. It is simply a matter of taking off a little at a time, constantly re-assessing the length of the claw and whether the centre of the cut surface looks as if it might be going pale which can be a sign of the end of the quick approaching. it usually means that black claws are left longer than white.
It is simple enough to stop any bleeding with a special stick, but no-one likes hurting a dog. I am a notorious coward when it comes to cutting black claws, and always pre-warn owners that black claws will not be cut as short as white claws.
A good clue to whether your dog’s claws need cutting is if you can hear them clattering across a hard floor surface. Some dogs simply do not need their claws cutting because they wear down naturally, although that can change with inactivity as they age. The claws should just touch the ground when the paws are fully weight-bearing. As Beverley said, don’t forget to check the dew-claws. Some dogs have hind dew-claws as well, which can be particularly dangly. It is not unusual to have dogs brought in with claws which have overgrown to such an extent that they have actually entered the pads – now they are sore!
Ask at your veterinary practice whether your vet or a vet nurse will show you how to clip your dog’s claws. Paws are very private to some dogs so if your dog really resents you cutting his claws then ask if they can be clipped at your veterinary practice, or by a dog-groomer. At my practice, the vet nurses hold their own clinics and one of the services they offer is to cut claws.
Above all, you do not want to spoil your relationship with your new companion.
Alison Logan, vet
He has black nails so you can't see where the quick is - is that how you spell it?
And how do you know your dog's nails actually need cutting? Do all dogs?
Any tips?
Charlotte Wilson
Hi Charlotte,
I have a confession - it freaks me out, too! Our dog groomer does our dogs for me! The vet might help, too and show you how to do it at home. While some dogs will wear down their claws if they get lots of roadwork you still have to check the dew claws (if they are still in place) as these can grow round in a circle and stick in if not trimmed back.
There's a great device I've seen advertised that grinds down the claws rather than cuts which may take some of the angst out of the procedure!
Don't forget to get your dog used to allowing you to touch his feet and reward him for letting you hold his paw while you pretend to cut - so he starts to get used to the whole thing.
And you really need one of those styptic sticks to hand to stop bleeding in case you do cut through a quick.
Good luck, I think I'd need hypnosis to be able to do it!
Cheers
Beverley Cuddy, Editor
Black claws are a real problem because, as you rightly say, you cannot see the quick (and that is how to spell it). Even six years at vet school with seeing practice, followed by nearly twenty years in small animal practice, have not given me extra powers so that I can see where the quick is. It is simply a matter of taking off a little at a time, constantly re-assessing the length of the claw and whether the centre of the cut surface looks as if it might be going pale which can be a sign of the end of the quick approaching. it usually means that black claws are left longer than white.
It is simple enough to stop any bleeding with a special stick, but no-one likes hurting a dog. I am a notorious coward when it comes to cutting black claws, and always pre-warn owners that black claws will not be cut as short as white claws.
A good clue to whether your dog’s claws need cutting is if you can hear them clattering across a hard floor surface. Some dogs simply do not need their claws cutting because they wear down naturally, although that can change with inactivity as they age. The claws should just touch the ground when the paws are fully weight-bearing. As Beverley said, don’t forget to check the dew-claws. Some dogs have hind dew-claws as well, which can be particularly dangly. It is not unusual to have dogs brought in with claws which have overgrown to such an extent that they have actually entered the pads – now they are sore!
Ask at your veterinary practice whether your vet or a vet nurse will show you how to clip your dog’s claws. Paws are very private to some dogs so if your dog really resents you cutting his claws then ask if they can be clipped at your veterinary practice, or by a dog-groomer. At my practice, the vet nurses hold their own clinics and one of the services they offer is to cut claws.
Above all, you do not want to spoil your relationship with your new companion.
Alison Logan, vet
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