You want to trim just enough so that the dog is not "clicking" when it walks across a tile floor.
Snip off the tips, then let the dog walk around. If you hear clicking, you need to trim again. Wait a day or two, then snip a little bit more, and do a test walk again.
I use a cordless Dremmel drill with a sandpaper bit. I can now trim by feel, but a Dremmel works great if you just have one or two nails that are clicking. You can lift a paw and sand for 2-3 seconds, without risk of clipping too much.
2006-06-13 08:20:50
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answer #1
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answered by WannaRideQuietly 7
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Gently hold and squeeze your dog's paw, which will help extend the nail. Find the "quick" by looking for the pink line coming from the base of the nail. The quick is a vein in the nail that feeds the nail bed; this, you do not want to cut.
Wait until your dog is still before you make a cut.
Start conservatively. It's better to cut a little twice than cut too much and hit the quick.
If you cut a nail and it bleeds, immediately apply some styptic powder and a small amount of pressure to the end of the nail.
On darker nails, it can be a bit more difficult to detect where the quick begins.
Always praise your dog for holding still.
2006-06-06 08:31:44
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answer #2
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answered by 2bizy 3
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First, get yourself in a place with good light so that you can see the vein that is visable on the back of the nail. You want to clip the nail about an 1/8" above this vein. The vein is kind of a brown color. It is always best to clip less at first until you gain the confidence and experience and can clip more off without hitting the "quick". Keeping doggy's nails properly clipped is important
because super long nails over time can contribute to arthritis.
Be patient and take your time. Accidents happen less often when you and doggy are relaxed and happy.
2006-06-06 08:25:34
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answer #3
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answered by Rumer 1
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My dog has black nails also. The best thing to do is just cut a little bit off at a time. If you do get one that bleeds, they sell this great gel at most of the pet stores. You put in on a tissue and hold it to the dogs nails for 3 seconds and it hardens on the end of the nail and stops the bleeding.
2006-06-06 08:18:08
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answer #4
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answered by Beth 2
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Black nails are tricky!
The site below helped me learn how far back the quick goes in my dog's nails. Part of it was that I used a Dremmel to learn this, but you certainly don't need to. Look at the underside of your dog's nails. There will probably be a part that is thick and lighter colored/white, and the tip will be more hollow looking. The thicker white part is the quick. You can cut back only the hollow part. Depending on your dog's nails, the quick may very well be grown out right to the end on some or all of the nails. In this case, you need to take only a sliver very regularly to encourage the quick to recede.
2006-06-06 10:05:36
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answer #5
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answered by FairlyErica 5
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You can trim black nails a little bit at a time. You will see the inner core is white and sort of crusty. When the core turns to more of a solid black , you are just about to hit the quick - it will bleed if you cut past that point. You can get a product called Kwik Stop from a pet store - it's a powder that will stop the bleeding instantly if you do cut too far.
2006-06-06 11:02:57
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answer #6
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answered by Danger, Will Robinson! 7
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lrumer is correct too, the person who answered up a few people, good light is key!!!! and the rest of what they said plus mine.......good team.....lol
et the vet do them, or go to pet smart, they have a vet right there if the person cuts them too short, they could bleed to death if cut too short, i think, and it hurts!!!
i have the same exact problem, my beagles nails are so dark i can not see the vein in the nail, so i let the groomers do it, they have done hundreds of dogs, get the same girl one you like and ask for her/him. always tip the girls, they do a great job
i give the 2 dollars.the cut costs 8 dollars, so 10 bucks every month or two
also if you do it your self only cut a small 1/8 of an inch every 2 days for three times.....for a beagle it works, but every dog is different....the person above said get a nail file,a woman's one works great only use what you would use on your nails..not those brown ones, too rough...i think........OH, DON'T FORGET THE SEPTIC THING you get it at pet co or pet smart and it stops bleeding if you cut the nail too close........buy it anyway, keep it in a safty kit in the place you keep the leash to walk the dog.....in case the nail gets broken or cracked....comes in very handy(ask your vet first before doing anything!!)
my beagle needs a muzzle for the clippers, but lets me file his nails.......remember they can have sensitive feet....mine does, so if you file their feet.....hold the nail between two fingers and then file them, it cuts down on the vibration, some dogs will go nuts...mine hates the file if you do not hold the nail then file........it is all about being loving and making your baby feel safe
if he/she knows he/she can trust you to do anything to them, they will let you, so good luck with your baby!!!!!!!!
2006-06-06 08:46:22
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answer #7
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answered by mybeagleboy 3
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Dogs with black nails are best done by the vet. If you insist on cutting then just cut only about the thickness of a dime
2006-06-06 08:16:01
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answer #8
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answered by jshepard17 5
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Feel beneath the nail to see where the dogs nails meet the bed and make sure you don't cut them any shorter than that. It's better to leave them a little longer and cut more often. It's terribly painful for the dog if you nip their nailbeds and of course, it could get infected.
2006-06-06 08:16:39
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answer #9
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answered by butrcupps 6
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Either let your vet cut them, or just trim very little at a time. usually if you look under the nail, you can see where the flesh part is. you can buy nail cutters that has a nail guard that only lets you cut little at a time. i have 7 dogs...nail cutting is a big deal at my house. one of my smallest dogs wiggles so much, i take her to the vet and let him cut her nails. good luck! :)
2006-06-06 08:18:17
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answer #10
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answered by Lilypie99 3
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