Nail Dilemma: A "Kwik" Guide on Nail Cutting

People are always asking me about nail cutting. It can be one of the scariest things for nervous owners and even more...their nervous dogs! Most often, it's a former bad experience with toenail trimming that the pet has at one time experienced that causes him to fight and be fearful about having his toenails trimmed. I always recommend to owners and groomers that you don't try to get the nail as short as possible with these very fearful dogs. Instead, have them get their nails trimmed every couple of weeks (more often that the usual once per month) so that:

A. They will get used to the process and begin to trust the groomer. (It helps to have the same groomer every time for consistency and a pleasurable familiarity between dog and groomer.)

B. Take a little off each time, so as to not cut too low, into the painful kwik. The more you can avoid accidents, the more likely the dog will develop a trust for the process.

People usually complain about dark or black toenails, which are harder to judge. Face it, you can't see the kwik through the nail at all...so you have to get to know the dog's nails, have an idea of how long his/her kwiks grow within the nail, and just be very practiced at doing it. That's why, if you're unsure or uneasy about trimming your pet's nails yourself, have a professional groomer or veterinary technician do it instead. Clear nails are much easier to locate the kwik through, as it visible as a pink piece of flesh.

If you should happen to accidentally cut your pet's kwik, you'll want to clot the bleeding using baking flour or even better, a product we groomers use called "Kwik Stop". It's a styptic powder that not only clots the bleeding, but also takes the sting away from the pet's nail.

Just take a small pinch of flour or Kwik Stop, and pack the powder into the opening of the nail where it is bleeding from. If you've cut low into the kwik and it seems to bleed profusely, you will have to use more powder and even apply pressure for a little bit.