Clipping a dog's nails on a regular basis is an important part of home dog grooming. But many dog owners get nervous when it comes to clipping a dog's nails, and even the most careful and cautious pet owner may accidentally cut a dog's nail too short, causing pain, bleeding and even a nail infection that can spread up into the toe and paw.
Clipping a dog's nail too short is something that happens to many dog owners at one point or another. Understanding how to clip a dog's nails properly is key to preventing nail injuries that result from cutting a dog's nails too close to the quick - the live nerve-rich center of the dog's nail.
How to Stop a Dog's Nail From Bleeding
When that inevitable mistake occurs and a dog's nail is cut too short, causing pain and bleeding, try the following tips to stop the dog's nail from bleeding. The following nail clipping tips for dogs also include advice on how to prevent infection and pain in a dog with a broken, bleeding nail.
- Before starting a dog's nail trimming, get some styptic powder - a powder that promotes blood clotting, thereby stopping the flow of blood from a dog's broken nail or a nail that's been trimmed too short. Keep the styptic powder nearby, just in case of a nail trimming mishap.
- If a dog's nail breaks or if the dog's nail is trimmed too close to the quick, bleeding will occur almost instantaneously. Dip the dog's bleeding nail into the styptic powder. In the absence of styptic powder, use corn starch. If corn starch is not available, try flour.
- Once the styptic powder (or styptic powder substitute, like corn starch) is applied to the dog' broken nail, keep the dog quiet and do not allow him to walk. Distract the dog and do not let him lick the injured paw.
- If the bleeding from the dog's nail is heavy, apply additional styptic powder.
- After the bleeding slows (it usually takes a couple of minutes), get a clean paper towel and apply pressure to the dog's injured nail.
Be aware that nail injuries in dogs can be very painful and the dog may cry out, snap or bite. Use of a muzzle is strongly recommended to avoid injury to the dog's caretaker.
How to Prevent Infection in the Dog's Toe and Paw After a Nail is Trimmed Too Short
Once the bleeding has largely stopped, the dog's injured paw will need to be washed and bandaged to prevent infection from invading the quick of the injured nail.
- Use an antibacterial soap to wash the dog's injured paw. Rinse with lukewarm water and beware that very warm or very cold water will be painful to the exposed quick of the injured nail.
- Pour a bit of Betadine over the nail that was trimmed too short or broken. Allow the Betadine to air dry.
- Dab a bit of antibiotic ointment onto the exposed quick at the tip of the dog's injured nail.
- Wrap the dog's entire foot and ankle with a couple layers of sterile rolled gauze using a "figure 8" pattern, and be sure to wrap over the dog's toes. Do not wrap the foot too tight, as this will cause discomfort due to poor circulation. The dog's ankle must be wrapped too in order to keep the bandage in place.
- Use a self-adhering Ace Bandage or similar wrap as a protective covering for the gauze. Self adhering bandages are more suitable for walking, whereas the gauze will quickly degrade. Only apply a couple of layers of self-adhering bandage to the foot and ankle, as a bulky, large bandage will tempt the dog to bite or chew at the bandage.
- If necessary, place an Elizabethan collar (also known as an e-collar or lampshade collar, available at the pet supply store or veterinarian's office) on the dog to prevent biting and licking at the bandage.
The dog's injured nail and exposed quick must be washed, disinfected, dressed and bandaged twice daily for several days. The more serious the damage to the dog's nail, the longer it will take the dog's nail to grow over the exposed quick.
If the dog's toe or foot becomes red, swollen, painful or does not appear to be improving in appearance, a visit to the veterinarian will be necessary, as it's likely the dog's broken toenail has become infected.
One key method to avoid cutting a dog's nails too short involves knowing which nail trimming tools are the best for the dog. It's important to use the proper equipment and tools for dog grooming, even if it's just a dog brush or nail trimmers.
Traditional scissor-style nail clippers are suitable for many dogs, but nail clippers should not be used on dogs who have black or dark colored nails, since it's impossible to determine where the nail quick is located. For these dogs, opt for a dremel tool designed for pet nail trimming, like the Peticure pet nail trimmer.
Also check out How to Trim a Dog's Nails for more tips on how to clip a dog's nails - even a dog who is difficult about nail clippings.
Readers may also want to learn more about how to stop dog nail bleeding using styptic powder and home remedies.
Mia Carter - Mia Carter - Journalist, Producer/Editor & Web Writer. Carter's work has appeared on CBS and CNN.com.
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