score:
0

If my dog has dark nails, how can I tell where the quik is?

I don't want to cut in to the quik and have him bleed.

4 Answers

Sort by » oldest newest most voted
score:
0

A "dremel tool" style sanding tool might be a great thing to try! http://www.amazon.com/Furminator-1040...11?ie=UTF8&qid=1449513863&sr=8-1&keywords=FURminator+Nail+Grinder+For+Dogs+and+Cats

Comments

Are these pretty loud? My dog is a bit of a wimp and scares easily, but I've heard these are easier thank clipping nails for certain dogs.

score:
0

Black nails and white nails both have a point to where they have a wider darker section in the nail where you are getting close to the quick. If you are skilled enough to dremel them, I highly recommend it. You can get the nails shorter faster and get the quicks to recede much faster. If you haven't used a dremel on them, it may take some time to get them conditioned to it.

score:
0

Groomer here; You will have to take small clips at a time until you see a grey-white dot in the center of the nail, and the surrounding area will look kinda like a jelly bean that's been bitten into. A Dremel works wonders for difficult nails, but not all dogs like the sound or the feel of it on their nail. A good way to help your dog get used to it is to let them sniff the Dremel while it is off, and give treats, then turn it on its lowest setting, about a foot or two away from the dog, give more treats, then bring it in a bit closer, and allow the dog to sniff some more. Keep giving treats, and then try picking up a foot while the Dremel is running. If the pup is tolerating that well, try to grind one nail. Remember to keep giving treats and praise. If your dog seems too nervous after the one nail, then stop for a while and try the whole process again on another nail a little later. Going slowly and giving lots of treats and praise will make this a positive experience for your pup.

score:
0

Black nails are a little more challenging because the quick is not clearly visible from the side. If you happen to have a young dog with hooked nails, you can safely trim off the hook, essentially making the nail flat across the bottom, without risk of hitting the quick (see the first photo in this article to see the correct cutting line). If your dog doesn’t have hooked nails, you need to pay very close attention to the cut surface of the nail to know when you’ve trimmed close enough. Initially, the cut surface will show a white or gray center, but as you get closer to the quick, this center will turn black and eventually pink immediately before reaching the quick. Take of just a tiny bit of nail at a time to see this change, and stop when the cut surface shows a solid black center. See the slide show below to see how to trim black nails.