{"id":16560,"date":"2021-09-24T07:00:38","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outwardhound.com\/furtropolis\/?p=16560"},"modified":"2022-02-03T14:06:06","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T21:06:06","slug":"dog-split-nail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outwardhound.com\/furtropolis\/health-wellness\/dog-split-nail","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid a Bloodbath When Trimming Your Dog’s Nails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’ve ever torn or cut your fingernail or toenail down to the quick, you know that can be painful. Just like in your nails, your dog\u2019s nails have blood vessels feeding the nail bed, so if the broken nail or dog split nail is too short, it can cause bleeding as well. That can cause dog owners to become quite frightened. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don’t usually think of nail injuries as being that serious, but even if they’re not, <\/span>they can be painful for your best friend<\/span><\/a>. Of course, the nail will regrow but it can be painful for a few days as it does. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s not something you want for your dog if you can avoid it, so let’s look at some nail care techniques pet owners can use that can prevent broken toenails and what to do as a pet parent if your dog does have a nail injury. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Dog Toenail Care Is Important<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Before we discuss toenail care, it’s important to understand the anatomy of your dog’s toenails. There are actually five toes on your dog’s front foot, and normally only four on the back foot. The extra nail on the front foot is called the dewclaw, and it’s located a little higher on the foot. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Except for the dewclaws, all of your dog’s nails get worn down as the dog walks on hard surfaces like the sidewalk. The dewclaws are non-weight bearing so they don’t come in contact with those same hard surfaces. That makes them likely to become longer than the other toenails. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The longer a dog’s nails become, the more likely they are to split, break, or crack. Just like human nails, they can also become ingrown. How often your dog needs a nail trim depends on how much exercise they get. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dogs that are doing a lot of walking or running on hard surfaces may not need to have their nails trimmed as often as those who get less exercise. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without trimming, a dog’s nails can become long enough that walking is uncomfortable which only compounds the problem. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Long nails also can easily snag on items like carpet, upholstery, or clothes, and these snags can then lead to a tear in the toenail that can bleed and <\/span>be very painful<\/span><\/a>. Dog owners are often afraid to do nail trims themselves since they fear cutting the so-called ‘quick’ which is just your dog’s nail bed. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nail quick is what bleeds and hurts because it is full of nerves and blood vessels. In dogs with white nails or clear nails, you can see the blood vessels and where they end, so it’s easier to avoid the nail bed, but if your dog’s nails are black nails or dark-colored, it’s more difficult to see. Still, you can usually cut the longer, narrower part of the dark nail safely without cutting the nail bed. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do cut the nail bed, there are easy ways to stop the blood flow, promote coagulation, and decrease the pain. Read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Trim Your Dog’s Nails<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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To trim your dog’s nails, you want to make sure that you have help restraining your dog and your dog’s feet if possible. That way you can keep him from moving around. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that’s not possible, you can also do it by yourself, you’ll just need to set your dog on your lap or sit next to him on the floor and reach across his body to keep him from moving around too much. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you’ve got him stabilized, you can grab the paw on the opposite side of his body and press on the nail to expose it, and position the dog nail clipper on the nail. Then, only clip when you’ve got the clipper in the right position and you can keep him from moving suddenly. <\/span>During dog nail trimming, have a paper towel handy to collect the clipping debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for clipping your dog’s nails: <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n