That is why trimming the tip of the nail is not painful for your pet but exposing the quick is uncomfortable. The quick is also attached to the bone, so any damage to the quick can lead to an infection in the bone, which is very serious.
If you mistakenly cut into the quick – or vein and nerve that runs into every nail – a bloody mess could happen that damages carpets, furniture and, most importantly, your dog's much-needed trust in your home grooming capabilities.
That said, if you do cut the quick, it usually isn't too serious after the initial shock. Ensure you always cut conservatively so that you never slice too deep. A bit of pressure with styptic powder or corn starch will stop the blood. After that, you can disinfect and take your dog for a gentle walk.
Cutting the quick can hurt a dog severely, but luckily the pain does pass quickly. In most cases, your dog will have forgotten all about it within 30 minutes, so long as you stop the bleeding, disinfect, and distract them with a treat. A more severe nail break will need the vet to prevent infection or permanent damage.
Use a clean cloth to apply gentle pressure to stop the bleeding. This is a good time to bring out the heavy artillery – your dog's favorite treats – to keep them still. If the bleeding doesn't stop after five minutes, apply styptic powder to the exposed quick. Keep your dog as calm as possible.
After trimming that little bit of nail, generally, within a few days, the quick should have receded enough to allow you to trim off another little bit of nail. Each time you trim that nail, the quick should slowly recede farther and farther up into the nail bed.
A. Fortunately, nails will grow back after they break off, just as they do in humans. But a fractured nail can be painful, so if your Jack Russell is limping around, he would probably benefit from some pain medication.
If your dog's nails are overgrown or black, it's harder to identify the quick and avoid it. The key is to trim the nail slowly in small sections. "You're going to clip a little bit, a little bit, a little bit," Oliver says.
Treatment of a broken or fractured nail
The most important thing to do straight away is to stop your dog from licking its foot or nail. Dogs and cats have bacteria in their mouth, which can cause an infection if they lick a broken nail.
For maintenance, cut every two weeks. To shorten, cut every week. Once the insensitive nail is thinned out and isn't supporting the quick, the quick will dry up and recede. This will allow you to cut your dog's nails even shorter.
It might take awhile for your pup to get comfortable having his nails trimmed again if you've cut into their quick, but they will forgive you. Be sure to give him lots of treats and praise every time you get out the nail clippers; that will help make the experience more positive.
Not only does cutting a dog's nails too short cause them pain, but leaving them to grow too long can be even more painful. For instance, long nails can cause a dog to lose traction in their paw, making it easier for them to slip and fall, causing additional pain than that from the nail alone.
Small cuts and scratches will usually heal in 1-2 weeks, while larger wounds may take 2-3 months, or longer. Open wounds tend to take longer to heal than closed wounds. Large or deep wounds will heal faster if treated with sutures, so surgical wounds usually take less time to heal than other wounds.
Limping can be a sign of nailbed damage, muscle or tendon issues, or even arthritis.
To start, you'll need a clean cotton cloth that you'll place and press directly on the bleeding nail. You'll want to hold that cloth there, once again gently pressing down, for about 2 minutes. For dogs, it takes about 2-4 minutes for their blood to clot, so you might have to hold the cloth for up to 4 minutes.
Your goal is to cut the claw within approximately 2 millimeters of the quick. Ultimately, nails should be trimmed so that when dogs step down, their nails don't touch the floor. If you accidentally cut into the quick, the claw will bleed and your dog will experience some pain.
A bleeding or broken toenail is a very common injury in dogs. It often requires a visit to the vet, immediately, if serious. Left untreated, a bleeding or broken toenail can result in blood loss, pain or infection, though it is rarely a life-threatening condition.
The quick within a dog's nail is a “vascular structure,” meaning it has nerves and lots of blood vessels within it. So when it sustains an injury, it is painful for the dog—and there tends to be a lot of bleeding. Cutting your dog's nail too much and seeing it bleed can be a traumatizing event.
Your veterinarian will likely sedate your dog, remove any broken portion of nail, clean the area thoroughly (many dogs can tolerate this without sedation), and place a fresh bandage over it. Most dogs go home on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pain medications.
Keeping your dog's nails trimmed consistently is very important, because a lack of regular nail trimming can cause an overgrown quick. Without regular nail care, the quick will advance inside the nail and may even advance enough to match the end of the nail's outer shell!
Taking your dog for regular walks, including on hard surfaces such as pavements, will help to shorten their claws, but may not be enough to keep them as short as they should be.
Step three: Locate the quick
Before you take the clippers or grinder to an overgrown nail, look at the nail in the light to identify the quick. On dogs with light-colored nails, the quick will appear as a darker, pinkish section within the nail.
Nails that are too long can cause a dog to slip and fall more easily. Long nails cause a dog to place their feet differently, in a “plantigrade” position. In other words the nails “push” the dogs toes up and the “heel” comes down to balance, placing strain on the muscles and ligaments in the legs.