Trimming Dog Nails
(part two)

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Terminology

The 'quick' is a blood vessel that runs down the middle of your dog's nail.  It grows as the nail grows, so if you wait a long time between cuttings, the quick will be closer to the end of the nail. This means more likelihood of bleeding during trimming.

Tools

You will need dog nail trimmers and some styptic powder Kwik-Stop, CutStop Styptic Pads or other product to stop bleeding if you nick the quick (end of vein). You can find these anywhere dog supplies are sold or by visiting 1 800 Pet Meds.com

Basic Trimming Process

1. Seat your dog securely.  Hold the paw firmly and push on his pads to extend the nail. Locate and avoid the quick (in clear nails a pink color indicates where the quick ends).

2. Cut the nail below the quick on a 45-degree angle, with the cutting end of the nail clipper toward the end of the nail.   With dark nails and larger dogs, you may want to start at the end of the nail and make a series of small clips.

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