One Important Area Of Your Dog`s Grooming Regimen; Trimming Those Nails!

This is one of the most important areas of your dog`s grooming session, but you should be careful not to hit the quick. This is the name given to the blood vessels within your dog`s nail. This blood vessel runs straight down the center of the nail. The quick will grow in proportion to the nail, so if the nails are long, so is the quick.

It is best to trim your dog`s nails on a regular basis. It depends on how active your pooch is as to how often you should trim them. If your dog digs a lot or runs a lot, especially on hard surfaces, he will not need his nails trimmed as often as an inactive dog.

Many dog owners will trim their dog`s nail every couple of months or so, but actually, trimming them every week or two is recommended. You should try to keep their nails as short as you can because their quick will shorten as well and this in turn, will give you less of a chance of cutting the quick. A dog that has dark nails may be a little more difficult to distinguish where the quick is.

On dogs with light-coloured nails, the pinkish part of the nail is where the quick ends. Cut the nail just below the quick, which has a concave surface. Cut in the area that starts to curve to keep from cutting the quick. If you do cut the quick, apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Treat the cut so it does not get infected.

Make sure you have a high-quality pair of toenail trimmers. Hold your dog steady, however is most comfortable for him. Try to keep him from making sudden movements so you don`t cut him. You should trim the area below the quick at a 45-degree angle. It is very important to keep your dog`s nails trimmed, so if you can`t or don`t feel you can do it, have a professional groomer do it for you.

Tip: use some baby oil under the nail and it will highlight the area making it easier to cut especially if the nail is light-coloured.