Why Clipping Dog's Black Nails is Tricky


WHY CLIPPING DOG'S BLACK NAILS IS TRICKY

 

             Comparing human nails to dog nails 


Trimming human nails is straightforward – the pink is sensitive and the white part can be cut painlessly. Imagine that a human fingernail, instead of being flat is like a curved macaroni tube starting at the base of the nail. This curved tube contains the bone of the end of the finger, skin, blood vessels and nerves. The tube is painted black so the sensitive pink area is not obvious. 



How would you approach keeping your nails trimmed? Would you go to the nail salon and have the manicurist take a best guess and boldly cut them quite short so you didn’t have to come back too often? If you’re lucky she would avoid the sensitive part of the nail. If she accidentally cut the sensitive area there would be pain, blood, a few expletives and no 5 star review.

 

Would you go back the next time your nails needing trimming and hope for the best? Chances are you wouldn’t be keen on a repeat of that experience. What might be a better approach than the bold chop? A more conservative approach, taking off little amounts of nail and gently approaching the sensitive area so you don’t overstep the mark and there is no pain, discomfort or bleeding.

 

This scenario is similar for dogs and explains a common reason why some dogs develop an aversion to having their nails trimmed. Black nails are tricky to cut because it is difficult to see where the quick ends. There is more chance of cutting black nails too short – making them bleed and causing discomfort.


Next blog - how to keep dog's nails trim 

 



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