Dogs nails? How can u tell where the quick of the nail is on a dog with black nails??

i clipp my dogs nails, my boxer has clear nails, and is very easy to clipp, my bullmastiff has black nails, i clipp them, but have never had a problem. my vet said i'm doing a great job, i just forgot to ask her how to find the quick so i don't hurt my baby.Dogs nails? How can u tell where the quick of the nail is on a dog with black nails??
I use this thing from PetSmart- they make it for cats and dogs. It's a nail clipper that has a light that flashes green when you can cut, yellow when you should use caution, and red when you aren't supposed to cut. It works great to make sure you don't cut them too short.Dogs nails? How can u tell where the quick of the nail is on a dog with black nails??
It's called the Quickfinder Nail Clipper- it's usually in the cat grooming section of PetSmart, but can be used for dogs and all animals.

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First get a powder that is called ';quick stop';, just in case you cut into the quick. This powder will help stop the bleeding.


Just clip a little bit at a time til you see a little white spot in the middle of the claw. Behind that spot is the quick. Make a vertical cut rather than a diagonal cut. Once you have established where the white spot begins you can cut the other claws to the same length. If you cut into the quick, use the quick stop and press it into the quick.
A dog's nail is constructed of a hard outer cover, which protects the quick which is the inner soft part containing blood vessels and tender nerve endings. In dogs with light coloured nails, the quick can often been seen as being faintly pinkish in color and is thus easy to avoid cutting into.





In the more common black nailed variety, the quick is totally invisible. Therefore, knowing exactly how to cut a dog's nails in this case is imperative. In these cases, trimming off little nibbles instead of large slices is more advisable.





Keep checking the clipped part of your dog's nail and look out for a dark spot in the middle of the newly clipped area - this shows the start of the quick. Stop there - or else you are likely to hurt your dog.
B/c the nails are black, there is no sure way to tell where the quick is and the nail isn't. My daughter takes her little min pincher with black nails to the vet to have it done just in case. I didn't think of it until now but you may want to try a non-toxic nail color and paint the end where the nail starts, after you clip. We can't with our little dog, she is literally a nail biter/chewer :) Good luck
When I had a dog with black nails I just cut to about where they start to curve. You can kind of see the fleshy part if you look at the inside part of the nail on the bottom. (Of course, depending on the dog that is not always an option lol) You can kind of get a feeling for where they are comparatively by looking at your other dog and adjusting for size also.
Cut a little, little, little at a time until you see the little red circle peeking out. Buy some stypo powder just in case you make a mistake and that will stop the bleeding. You can get stypo at any petstore.
easy
When you clip them, look underneath and clip where you can tell there is only nail, then slooooowly (I am actually shaving) clip a little away at a time. When you get to the ';meat'; of the nail there will be a black outer edge(the nail) and a white center (';meat';). If your trimming slowly you will usually see a black pinprick in the middle of the white, thats the quick. That's the only way i've been able to find it on black nails. The all time best way to trim nails though, is with a dremmel!
Cut at the natural curve in the nail.
Always cut the nail very little at a time. On the black nails it will be white as your cutting until you see the quick which is a black gel looking in the middle of the nail when viewing it from the bottom. That black gel is where you stop otherwise you'll cut it too short.
It's hard to find the quick on black nails. Most of the time if you'll just cut off where it begins to curl, you'll be safe but it depends on the regularity of your trims. If you wait too long the quick grows down further and you may hit it even though you cut the same length off as the last time. It's best to cut small bits off at a time and keep some styptic powder handy just in case.


I usually give my black labs a Kong with peanut butter inside to keep them busy while I'm trimming nails. Works like a charm and makes the job pleasant for the both of us.


The more you keep the nails trimmed the more the quick will stay back where it's supposed to be and not move lower into the nail. I try to cut just where the nail is solid..when it starts to split a bit and have that hollow in the middle..that's usually where the quick starts.


Hope this helps!
Just do the tip, a little tiny bit at a time. When they look about as blunt as the boxer's (I suggest doing the boxer's first), I'd think it's about right.