This article was co-authored by Lancy Woo. Lancy Woo is a Certified Pet Groomer and the Owner of VIP Grooming, a pet grooming salon based in San Francisco, California. VIP Grooming has served San Francisco for over 35 years. Lancy received her pet grooming certification from the WWPSA (Western Word Pet Supply Association). VIP Grooming has been voted "Best in the Bay" in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019 and won Bay Woof’s "Beast of Bay" in 2014. In 2018, Lancy's work contributed to VIP Grooming's acceptance onto San Francisco's Office of Economic and Workforce Development's Legacy Business Registry.
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Trimming a dog’s nails can be intimidating for any pet owner, but it’s even more challenging when your dog has black nails. How can you find the quick when it’s impossible to see? Unless you’re lucky enough to have x-ray vision, you’ll need a good strategy to avoid cutting the sensitive quick. Never fear: we’ve rounded up 4 ways to find the quick on your pup’s black nails, plus some helpful trimming tips. Get ready to clip with confidence!
Things You Should Know
- Shine a flashlight through your pup's claws to reveal the shadowy quick within the nail.
- Check the underside of the nail to find the quick; it's above the nail tip's triangular, hollow groove.
- Trim safely by making small, 45° cuts with dog nail clippers until you reach the dark circle (or pulp) in the middle of the nail.
- Use a nail file or rotary grinder to trim nails without nicking the quick.
Steps
Ways to Identify the Quick
- Shine a flashlight beneath your dog’s nail. Using a small flashlight or your phone light, extend your pup’s nails directly over the light. Hold the nail between your thumb and pointer finger where the nail curves. Look for a dark mass inside the nail. If your pet’s nails are thin enough, you’ll see the quick as a shadowed area.
- Locate the groove beneath the nail. Examine the underside of your dog’s nail; notice how the thickest part of the nail is closest to the paw, with the nail thinning and hooking towards the tip. Look for a grooved, hollow triangular area close to where the hook begins. This hollow segment of the nail tip can be safely trimmed; the quick begins above it.[1]Advertisement
- Try a test squeeze. Gently squeeze the clippers against the nail, applying pressure without cutting it. Gauge your pet’s reaction: the quick contains sensitive nerves, so if your dog tries to pull away, you’re likely pinching the quick. Move the clippers further down towards the nail tip.
- Clip tiny portions of the nail. Check the cut surface of the nail after every clip. Look for a dark spot (called the pulp) in the center of the white surface. Stop cutting when you see the spot because you’ve almost reached the quick.
Expert Q&A
Tips
Warnings
- Have an anti-bleeding agent on hand when trimming your pet’s nails, such as styptic, cornstarch, or a bar of soap, in case you cut the quick.Thanks
- Filing and rotary grinding cause a lot of friction and heat. Keep the tool moving and frequently switch between nails.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/trimming-your-dogs-toenails/
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/vets-corner/trimming-dogs-nails/
- ↑ https://www.greymuzzle.org/grey-matters/health-and-well-being-wellness-care-mobility/so-long-lisa-rodier
- ↑ https://www.greymuzzle.org/grey-matters/health-and-well-being-wellness-care-mobility/so-long-lisa-rodier
- ↑ https://www.greymuzzle.org/grey-matters/health-and-well-being-wellness-care-mobility/so-long-lisa-rodier
- ↑ https://olddoghaven.org/13252-2/
- ↑ https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/resource/kitty-claws-dog-paws-pet-parents-guide-nailing-nail-trims
- ↑ https://hospital.vetmed.wsu.edu/2022/03/10/how-to-clip-a-dogs-nails/
- ↑ https://hospital.vetmed.wsu.edu/2022/03/10/how-to-clip-a-dogs-nails/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/YWOkW8wLiSk?t=36
- ↑ https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/resource/kitty-claws-dog-paws-pet-parents-guide-nailing-nail-trims
- ↑ https://www.vetbabble.com/dogs/grooming-dogs/trimming-dogs-nails/
- ↑ https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/trimming-your-dogs-toenails/
- ↑ https://www.greymuzzle.org/grey-matters/health-and-well-being-wellness-care-mobility/so-long-lisa-rodier
- ↑ https://youtu.be/2fEOUsxKR3Y?t=89
- ↑ https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/resource/kitty-claws-dog-paws-pet-parents-guide-nailing-nail-trims
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