# Nail trimming



## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

I have a new to me three year old long coat (she has been with us just over a month). How short should her nails be trimmed? I know too short will make them bleed but how short is too short? The vet trimmed them the first time but they still looked long to me even after they were trimmed. They need trimming again because you can really hear her nails when she is walking on the hardwood floor. I am going to trim them this time.


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

They can be trimmed up to the quick. If you did clip the quick, it's good to have the stop bleeding powder that you can find at any pet store. As long as the quick isn't clipped they are not too short. Many times at first they don't trim it too short and then they trim a bit shorter to try to gauge where the quick is.


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## KritterMom (Mar 17, 2012)

I just did Daisy nails this week. I trimmed a couple centimeters from teh quick. Warning she might be scared. Which Daisy was so I wrapped her in a blanket, stuck one paw out, did that one, rewrapped, got the other paw out and did this till all four were done. I also recommend filing if you can which also is according to the clippers you use. I got these scissor like ones that are easier to hold, especially if you have very shaky hands. And their great for small animal nails. 

Good luck.

Here are a few links to help. 

Clipping a Dog's Claws

ASPCA - Virtual Pet Behaviorist - Trimming Your Dog


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

My chi has white nails which makes it easy for me to see the quick. If they were black, don't know if I'd be brave enough to cut myself. You have to be super careful, because the 1st time you hurt them, they will become really hard to trim after that. I, too, have to cover Midgie's face with a blanket while I struggle to trim her nails.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

When dogs nails get long, the quick gets longer too. That is probably why your vet only trimmed a little bit off. As you trim the nails shorter, the quick recedes, so very long nails need trimming gradually, as it would be impossible to trim them to the correct length without cutting the quick. If you just take the tips of every week you should be able to get them to a nice length. As has been said, it is so much easier on white nails! If she has even one white nail, use that as a guide as to where the quick ends.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

You can see the quick if your Chi has clear nails. It will be a pink/red vein inside the nail. I'm too fearful of cutting nails so I'm going to have to get Gemma's done professionally. She squirms and screams too much when I try, and with my shaky hands I'm worried I'll clip her quick.

The girls here told me I could use human nail clippers for Gemma's nails and the first time I tried I did and they worked perfectly. Gemma was just being too uncooperative for me to finish and I'm not very good at cutting nails to begin with. On a squirming, screaming puppy, I just don't trust myself!


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## Bianca00 (Nov 20, 2011)

Wicked Pixie said:


> When dogs nails get long, the quick gets longer too. That is probably why your vet only trimmed a little bit off. As you trim the nails shorter, the quick recedes, so very long nails need trimming gradually, as it would be impossible to trim them to the correct length without cutting the quick. If you just take the tips of every week you should be able to get them to a nice length. As has been said, it is so much easier on white nails! If she has even one white nail, use that as a guide as to where the quick ends.


Exactly  
I've never cut the quick on my dogs. I've read you can also use cornstarch as an alternative to the commercialized stuff that stops the bleeding.


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## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

I used the nail clipper we use on our cat and it worked great. Lady tolerated it quite well too. I cut her nails a little shorter than the vet but didn't make her bleed thankfully. She no longer tap dances on the floor . Someone mentioned clear nails....Lady's nails are deep black!


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## ggtina (Jun 24, 2012)

Tyler is a pain in the but to cut his nails ... he squrims so much. I am thankful he has one white nail on each of his front paws makes it a little easier to cut I cut the white one first and base the rest of his nails off that one.


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## ShmilyNMe (Nov 12, 2012)

Calleigh freaks out when I cut her nails (and I have never cut into the quick). She squirms and literally screams if I even get close with clippers in hand. This last time I decided to try trimming the while she was in the tub getting a bath and she did a lot better. Still didn't "like" it, but I guess either the warm water calmed her down, or she was more afraid of drowning than she was of the clippers.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


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## AurorasMom (Nov 23, 2012)

I did Aurora's nails just the other day and thankfully she only has one black toe nail on each paw so that made it simple. I keep cornstarch or flour near by in a small cup. Working with a vet previously having a small cup near by was much easier to use as you place the dogs paw in the small cup rather than trying to put the flour/cornstarch/quik stop on the nail.

Thankfully I haven't nipped Aurora's quick, nor any previous pets, but I've seen a vet do it! 

Years ago when we had a large breed with black nails the vet clipped him too far after his neuter, and he didn't start bleeding until he was in the car on the way home!! Man can the quick bleed!!


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