How to Avoid the Quick when Trimming Your Dog's Nails

How to Avoid the Quick when Trimming Your Dog's Nails
For many dogs, nailing seems to be a necessary evil. Cutting nails can be even worse for your dog if you cut through the fast, ie the blood vessel that runs through your dog's nails. The fast also contains nerves, so the cutting can lead to bleeding and pain. [1] If in certain situations (dark nails, long scars) you quickly avoid and follow general prevention strategies, nail cutting becomes a little more pleasant for your dog.


Cut small quantities at once. For light but dark fingernails the fast is easy to recognize. If your dog has dark nails, you have to be extra careful to avoid being quick. Take a small nail cut with your dog in a comfortable nail cutting position. If the fast is not long, you will need to make some small cuts before you approach the fast. [2]
A small cut is a few millimeters or less.
If you make small cuts, you can be sure that you will not cut fast.
Cut the nail from top to bottom and not from the side. This helps to maintain the natural curve of the nail. [3]
Pay attention to the speed after each cut. Stop at every small cut and look at the underside of your dog. In the cut part of the nail the underside is light and the top dark. The beak looks like a small gray or pink oval in the upper part of the nail. [4]
Depending on how you hold your dog back, you may need to turn your foot slightly to see the bottom of the nail.
Stop trimming when you see the speed. With every little cut you get closer to the fast. When you see it, stop trimming. [5]
File the nails of your dog. Sometimes the fast can get longer as the nail grows. [6] Over time, the faster can reach the nail tip, making trimming a challenge. If your dog's nails are at or near the nail tips, file the nails instead of cutting them. You can use an emery board for people (available at your pharmacy) or a pet-specific nail filing tool. [7]
File around the top and sides of the fast without really touching the fast. [8th]
File your dog's nails every day for three weeks. This allows for quick retraction enough to trim the nail tips and avoid the fast. [9]
Pumice stones are also good for filing nails of a dog. [10] They are available in health and beauty stores.
Nail grinders are also available. [11] However, not all dogs are familiar with the noise and vibration of nail grinders.
If your dog has dark nails, you can not see the fast until you start trimming. If you can only make a small cut before you see the fast, you should file the nails for several weeks until the fast returns.