Medical: Nail Clipping
Most dogs wear down their toenails by activity such as walking and running. It they are indoor pets, like most Pugs are, they wear them down enough naturally. If this is the case, they can grow to become extremely long and damage carpets and furniture. They can also splay the toes and interfere with traction by preventing the foot pads from making contact with the ground if they become excessively long. Long toenails should be trimmed.

In this diagram, you can see the internal view of a dog's toenails. Within the nail is a segment called "The Quick". The quick is made up of tiny blood vessels and nerve endings.
For many pet owners, trimming the nails can be a fearful experience, not only for their beloved pets, but for themselves as well. The reason this is so is because many times, they accidentally, cut into the quick which causes the the dog to experience a bit of pain and the nail tends to bleed for a long time.
If nails are trimmed twice a month, the quick actually recedes toward the base of the nail and the nail will remain permanently shorter.

Dogs with Dewclaws must have these nails looked at frequently. Dewclaws
are remnants of the 5th toe and are found high on the inside of each foot.
Since these nails don't come in contact with the ground, they can grow around
in a circle as is seen in the photo on the left.
If left unclipped, it can eventually pierce the skin and set up the dog for
a bad infection. It is important to get your puppy use to having his nails
trimmed, even though trimming may not yet be necessary.

 

Dog nail clippers come in two types: Scissors like and Guillotine. Either is satisfactory. The picture to the left shows a dog getting his nails clipped with the scissors type clippers.
Begin by lifting the dog's paw and extending the nail. Identify the quick
(this is the pink part). If the toenails are white it is easy to see it. Be sure to trim the nail in front of (but close to) the quick. When using the guillotine cutters, the blade should slice the nail upward from the underside of the nail.
*If the toenails are dark and the quick is not visible, a good rule is to cut the nail parallel to the toe pads, so that the nails just clear the floor.

What To Do If You Accidentally Cut Into The Quick:

  • Hold pressure over the end of the nail with a cotton ball. (The blood will clot in a few minutes.)
    • If bleeding persists, pack the tip of the nail with styptic powder or use a styptic pencil.
This was an excerpt from the book, "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" 3rd Edition by James M. Giffin MD & Liisa D. Carlson, DVM.

 

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