# Toenails? What should I do!



## TJR_125 (Jul 15, 2010)

I have been having problems with my pits toenails, she likes to jump and lay on our laps and her nails have made MANY scratches.. Once I got her about a month ago I took her and got them clipped, but the groomer barley clipped them what so ever! Even after they were clipped, they still hurt and left many marks.. So is this something I will have to deal with because she is a pit or are there options I have to made them not hurt our skin so much?!?!


----------



## aus_staffy (Nov 10, 2009)

If you walk her on pavement it helps a lot. Clipping is pretty easy but it leaves the nails with an edge on it. The walking will keep them short but won't leave a sharp edge on them.


----------



## FloorCandy (Feb 19, 2009)

A dremel is another option, it basically grinds them down, so they are left more smooth, but walking is your cheapest option, and it ften takes a while to acclimate a dog to a dremel.


----------



## Carriana (May 13, 2008)

I use a heavy duty file after clipping. It rounds off all the rough endges and makes the nails look nicer.


----------



## geisthexe (Jan 18, 2007)

Dog toenails grow as do human fingernails and toenails. The nails should be kept in good trim to avoid scratching when the dog paws at a bare human leg and to keep the dog's structure as sound as possible. Long nails can cause the dog to rock back on his paws, causing strain on his leg assemblies and interfering with his gait.

The easiest way is to accustom puppies / adults to having their feet handled daily so they'll sit still for this essential part of good grooming. Adult dogs may be more difficult, especially if they hate having their feet handled or have been "quicked" at some time.

Sometimes, dog nails grind down if the dog exercises on concrete. Otherwise, the nails should be trimmed regularly. Regular nail trimming is important to your dog's health and well being. Never use ordinary scissors to trim your dog's nails. Use trimmers that are specially designed for dogs. Hold the dog's paw firmly, and cut off the tip of the nail with a single stroke. Be very careful to stop short of the quick, the blood vessel inside the nail. Cutting the nails right after bathing will make the quick more visible; applying baby oil will serve the same purpose. Follow up by filing your dog's nails with a nail file. Ask your vet to show you the correct technique the first time, especially if your dog has dark nails.

Dog nails have a blood supply or quick but the end of the nails are dead tissue and can be clipped without pain. The trick is to trim as close to the quick as possible without actually cutting it and causing it to bleed. The quick appears as a dark line in white nails but is almost impossible to see in darn nails. The best way to begin trimming is to clip only the sharp, curved portion of the nail and then work back a bit towards the paw. Clip only a small bit at a time to avoid trouble.

No matter how careful you are, you can accidentally hit a nail quick and cause some bleeding at some point. Don't panic. Here are some things that will stop the bleeding:

Kwik-Stop (a powder) or any styptic powder. This stings, but is highly effective. Take a pinch of powder and press onto the tip of the affected nail after wiping away the blood.

cornstarch or flour can also be used in a similar manner

you can press the affected nail into a bar of mild soap

for minor problems, simply applying pressure to the tip of the nail may be effective

Some dogs have black nails. To tell how to cut these, turn your dog's paw over and look where the nail has a thicker section than the growth area. Use this as a guideline when trying to figure out where to cut the nail. They won't give the appearance of clearer at the top of the nail, so you have to be very careful that you go by the thickness of the nail when the paw is turned over. Any part of the nail that is thick is the "Quick" in this case and should not be cut. This is the part of the nail on the bottom that grows from his paw. The skinnier part of the nail is the new growth, that you can cut without fear of cutting your dog. You can also try using a torch (flashlight) which sometimes shows where the quick is located.

Some dogs do not like having their nails clipped. Take some wooden matchsticks, and cut the matchsticks to get your dog used to the sound, giving her a treat with each cut. Handle your dog's feet several times a day, giving her a scrumptious treat as you touch them. Then take the nail clipper out and put it on the floor near your dog. Give her a treat every time she looks at the clipper. Pick it up and slowly bring it closer to her giving her treats the whole time.

Hold your dog's foot and put the matchstick underneath her foot and cut the matchstick. When she gets used to this, then put the clipper to her nails and pretend to cut them.

After you have trimmed the dogs nails back you can either Dremmel (electric tool) or nail file them (human nail file) to smooth out the ends so they can not cut your skin.


----------



## Black Rabbit (Nov 14, 2009)

:goodpost: 
Both my boys have black nails and it makes me so nervous cause I can't see the quick so I always use a big emery board  Their nails stay pretty short from going skating with me but I do like to smooth out the edges


----------



## Fatadam9 (Jan 18, 2010)

When I first got Brooklyn, I thought the same thing. Her toe nails were always sharp w/ jagged edges, and it seemed to get worse when I cut them! Now, with daily walks and countless hours of fetch, all I can say is... PAVEMENT, PAVEMENT, PAVEMENT!!!

I havn't cut them in months and they are rounded and short! Nothing works better...


----------

