Trimming your dog’s nail is not the best part of the grooming routine if you are one of the pet owners who groom their dogs at home. A lot of pet parents get troubled when they reach the nail cutting, especially if their dog has a black nail. How to find the quick on a black dog nails is a nightmare!
Knowing that you may cut through the quick and cause bleeding for your dog because you can’t see the vein is frustrating. It makes us as pet owners wish we don’t have to cut our pooch’s nails ever. Check, The Best Dog Grooming Shears You Can Get in 2020 – Buyer’s Guide
Let us give you the ideal way to find the quick on your dog’s black nail and ease the process of nail trimming so you don’t have to leave your dog’s nail too long. More on, Matted Dog Hair: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention.
So, let’s start our article with how to find the quick on black dog nails guide with why you shouldn’t leave your dog’s nail long.
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Long Nails, Long Series of Problems
You may think that leaving your pet’s nail long won’t be a problem. The way his paw will look or the ticking sound on the floor is not a big problem, right?
In fact, Not trimming your dog’s nails will cause so much harm to your dog’s overall health than you imagine. Injuries to his joints may occur due to leaving his nails long. Dogs nails are connected to a bone in his paw. With excessive pressure on the nail, it causes pain and discomfort for the dog and in the long run will harm his joints and the way he moves.
Older dogs are more prone to serious injuries because of long nails than younger dogs or puppies. In many cases, the damage requires veterinarian medical intervention. Check, 10 Dog hair Brushes to Create the Perfect Hairstyle for Your Dog
Never leave your dog without trimming your dog’s nails to avoid all these problems in the future. There are a lot of options found for cutting your dog’s nails: Clippers, grinders, files or even scissors. Choose the best fitting way for you and your dog and start right away.
How to Find The Quick on Black Dog Nails: Finding The Quick
The quick is the blood vessel lies on the center of any dogs’ nails. This vein is responsible for supplying the nail with blood. It is not a hard job to find the quick on a dog’s light nail. It will appear in pink color in the middle of the nail. The problem is with the quick of dogs with black nails.
Black nails have the quick in their color too, so you are looking to a black nail with a black quick. In a black nail you shouldn’t be looking for a pinky colored thing in the middle of the nail, but look for the pulp.
The pulp is a soft tissue that you could see inside of the dog’s nail when you are about to reach the quick. It will visible to you as a lighter shade of black than the original black color of the dog nail.
So, your cue is the pulp, when you find it while you are trimming your dog’s nail you should know it’s time to stop.
How to Find The Quick on Black Dog Nails: Cutting Through The Quick
It is common for accidents to happen while trimming your dog’s nail and for that reason, you need to have styptic powder on hand.
You will need the styptic powder if you cut the nail too short or didn’t notice you reached the quick. Don’t panic when you see blood coming from your dog’s nail. Bleeding in these cases is normal as you cut through a blood vessel, you won’t need a veterinarian visit, just treat it with a styptic powder or any home remedy like cornstarch.
With the styptic powder you have, put some on the bleeding area and press slightly until the bleeding stops. Try to be calm and reassure your dog until you get out of this situation, so your dog won’t get more scared.
When to Cut Your Dog’s Nail and How To Let Him Get Used to It
Whether you have a dog with light nails or black, you will need to keep in mind that nail trimming should be a part of your grooming routine. There are a lot of dog breeds so it is difficult to set a specific duration to set for cutting any dogs nail.
When you see that your dog’s nails are touching the ground and hear the ticking sound becoming too loud whenever your dog is marching, this is your signal.
Try to make your dog get familiar with you and other people touching his paws. To make him comfortable with you holding his paws while trimming and others for you if you considered to take him to a groomer. For more information about how to trim your dog’s nail at home, check How to Trim Black Dog Nails Step by Step
If you are going to use clippers or a file, give your dog the time he needs to inspect it and after that begin to work with it.
Don’t forget to praise and treat your dog after every trimming session, and remember , you could stop at any point if you felt like you or your dog are not relaxed enough.
Share with us how often do you trim your dog’s nail, whether you seek a professional grooming service or you are doing it at home.