terrified of cutting nails!
 

I groom my Capone myself but his nails have gotten so long that the quicks have grown out to the end of his nails. Anybody have any good ideas of how to make the quicks recede? I've tried cutting them (way too scary!:eek:). I have an electric nail file, but I haven't used it yet because I'm worried it might file too much and hurt him. I wanted to see if anyone had any ideas for my situation… Plan B) take him to the vet and let them cut his nails.

Electric nail file you mean like a Dremmel or like a PetiPaws? I have one of the nail grinders that I use on Toto. It works great. I prefer the non Dremmel brand bc they don't turn as fast so the nails don't get too hot.

In my experience when they are cut at the vet's they usually cut very short and I think they get the quick. Plus they don't file so the edges are sharp and rough.

Take him to the vet and have them cut them back. Then once a week, snip just the tips off. I do all my dogs and never hit the quick because it's never allowed to grow. If you cut the nails back regularly then the quick recedes. Please get these cut and start over. Long nails are painful.

Yes long nails can be very painful. If left for too long they can grow into a circle and into the pads. Or if they don't curl that much will still keep them from walking properly. I had a foster who I was told didn't know how to walk on a leash. Turns out her nails were over an inch long and she COULDN'T walk. After her teeth were done, they did her nails while still under. Even though they had to cut the quick, and her nails must have been tender, she was able to walk after that.

I'm a chicken, too:)

Be careful with the dremel If the dog has long hair. If the dremel , catches the hair it will hurt.

Oh yeah, that's a good point! I usually do Toto's nails while he's upside down on my lap so his hair goes away from the PetiPaws.

Toto wasn't too bad with getting his nails cut, but once I had him upside down on my lap, I nicked his quick and he screamed and flinched, fell off my lap and landed on his head on the tile floor! I felt SO bad and SO glad he was not hurt, so I never used the nail cutters again after that.

Thanks for all the helpful response. I have a dremmel nail file as well as the scissor and guillotine type of nail clippers. The reason I believe his quicks have grown out is because the one time I attempted to cut his nails I could see the white in the middle and the second nail I tried to trim a tiny sliver off of made him jump back & yelp in pain,but no blood. Tomorrow, I will take him to the vet so she can assess his nails to see if the quicks have indeed started to grow out. Hopefully, she will be able to give me a plan action from there.

A trick someone told me about using the Dremmel type grinder is put a piece of panty hose over the paw and poke the nails out. The hair won't get in the way then.

That's such a good idea!!! Im going to try that for such when its time for maintenance nail trimming. Thanks for the tip.

I took Capone to the vet to get his nails trimmed and to see what they recommended. Unfortunately the vet did clip one of his nails too short and it started bleeding... Which did bother me because that was the whole reason I went to a professional. She said, it didn't seem to hurt him though and she was really nice and helpful.

I have a mush who hates getting her nails clipped, I know the question was about the quick receding, which it will when you cut them regularly. But to those in my little level of hell were they're pulling every stubborn yorkie card in the deck, I swaddle them in a blanket and pull out one paw at a time.
It calms them just like a baby and gives me a better hold on them so they don't jump. It might help while filing too.

I love these threads! Reminds me of the importance to check and clip regularly.

I battled this when I first got Scottie. Prior, I had a maltese who had clear nails. So when I got Scottie and first encountered his little tiny black nails, I was baffled on how to cut nails that were solid black!

In the beginning, I cut into the quick twice and freaked out and bought the qwik stop powder right away the next day, because boy, once it started bleeding, it took forever to stop!

After that experience, I started to trim off half a millimeter (more like a shaving) every two weeks so that I wouldn't go into the quick anymore (and so I wouldn't scare him anymore). I haven't had to use that qwik powder once after I bought it.

The slow trim has been working for me since. He walks around my hardwood floor, free of any tap-tap-tap noises. I'm also slowly able to see or recognize the 'jelly donut' part of the nail, which is the part right before the quick. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...ack-nails.html I also realize that if I get too close to this part, Scottie shrieks in pain, even when there's no blood, so I guess that part is quite sensitive and I try to avoid cutting it near there.

I'm assuming this may work if the nails are too long, that you can trim a little by little every week or two until it's at the comfortable/right length.

I use the scissor style of clipper. I found the guillotine type too big for Scottie's small paws. I've never tried the grinder/drummel type before, but that's a really really neat idea to use panty hose to make sure the hair doesn't get caught. So crafty :)

I have a 14 weeks puppy and I want to cut her nails but I can’t see the quick. How do I know where it ends?