The quick will begin to recede within days. Continue grinding the nail regularly every 2-3 days until the quick recedes to an acceptable length. Be patient. If your dog's feet have been neglected for months or years, it might take months to shorten those nails to a healthy length.
After trimming a small portion of an overgrown nail, generally, within seven days, the quick should have receded enough to allow you to trim off another little bit of nail again, according to The Everything Puppy Book: Choosing, Raising, and Training Our Littlest Best.
What is this? In most cases, after a dog's nails are trimmed the quick will start to recede after about 7 days. Depending on how long your dog's nails and quicks are, it might take a few months before you can get their nail to the desired length.
The second way to cause quicks to recede is by trimming the nails every week. These weekly trims will “train” the quick to recede, but it's the consistency that matters! You'll likely use either scissor- or “guillotine”-type clippers. Scissor-type clippers are similar to the scissors you probably use every day.
Dogs need their nails clipped on a regular basis, approximately every 3-4 weeks; however, it is common for owners to wait too long in between trimmings which can lead to a number of health issues for the animal. For cats, a routine claw trimming every 10-14 days will keep your pet healthy.
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.
How do I train the quicks to recede? If cutting even small bits of nail makes your dog bleed, your goal would be to grind down the nails to get as close as possible to the quick. The easiest way to accomplish this is with a grinding tool (such as a Dremel). The quick will begin to recede within days.
When you fail to trim your dog's nails on a regular basis, the quick grows with the nail. In some cases, when the nails are extra long, the quick may lengthen so much that it reaches the tip of the nail. When this happens, you won't be able to trim much of the nail without risking cutting through the quick.
You can usually walk your dog within an hour after cutting the quick. Provided it was only a small cut, and you stopped the bleeding, there is no reason not to walk your dog. The only matter you want to keep in mind is how deep the cut is and whether you take some precautions.
Ask for a sedated nail trim.
Unless there is a medical reason not to sedate your dog, your vet should be able to do a sedated trim. Being sedated should make the nail trim process less traumatic for your pup.
Benadryl: This mild antihistamine sedative helps calm your pet when it is nervous about clipping its nails. Melatonin supplements: Help regulate body rhythm and help calm down your dog. Natural sedation methods: Herbs like California poppy, chamomile, rosemary, or valerian are natural relaxants.
Your dog's nail quick can be exposed due to a trimming issue or lack of nutrition. Nail quicks may also become overgrown, making nail trims stressful. If a dog nail quick is exposed, clean and wrap it to prevent infection. If the bleeding does not stop, visit your vet immediately.
If you accidentally cut into the quick, immediately compress the wound for at least two minutes with a clean cloth or paper towel. If the bleeding is minor, try rubbing a bar of clean, scent-free soap over it.
Dog's nails should extend enough to be seen, but should not go past the paw. If your dog has long hair, you may not be able to easily see the nails. But if the nails extend over the bottom of the paw pad you'll know your dog's nails are too long.
From a top view, it is virtually impossible to see the quick. However, it can help to look at the bottom of your dog's black nails; there may be a groove on the underside that separates the hard nail from the soft cuticle. You will want to avoid trimming into the soft cuticle because it contains your dog's nail quick.
IDENTIFYING THE QUICK IN DARK NAILS
This is more difficult. Your best bet is to use a focused light source, like a flashlight or torch to shine on the dog's nails. It's possible to use your phone's torch function for this purpose if it's powerful enough.
A good rule to follow is that if you can hear your dog's nails clicking on the floor, they're too long. "When the dog is standing up, the nail should just barely touch the ground or doesn't touch the ground.
As you get closer to the quick, the center of the nail will appear black, and may eventually look pink right before the quick. The trick is to trim a very short bit of nail at a time and stop as soon as the cut surface shows a black center. If you get to the pink, definitely stop!
Many dogs naturally wear their nails down by walking and play, especially if the walk involves hard surfaces. An inactive dog may not wear their nails down.
Long walks can wear down your dog's nails naturally over time. In the wild, wolves and coyotes keep their nails short through digging and running after prey for hours.
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.