If your dog has black nails, then trimming your pups toenails is considerably more challenging since it’s harder to find that quick.
That’s because with black dog nails, the quick is also black instead of pink.
The reason that this is a potential problem to worry about is because if you accidentally clip the quick when cutting your dog’s toenails, then it will result in excessive bleeding and pain for your doggo.
To help you find the quick before you accidentally trim it, use our suggestions below.
How To Cut Black Dog Nails
Cutting black dog nails is no different than non-black toenails, except that it is more challenging to find the quick.
As a result, you have a higher risk of trimming the quick and causing your pup’s paw to bleed excessively.
With our tips below, you should be able to safely trim your dog’s black nails and find the quick before you cut it.
Start With Good Dog Nail Clippers
It is important that you are using quality dog nail clippers that are not dull when cutting your dog’s toenails.
Nail clippers with a sharp blade gives you a nice, smooth cut that makes it easier for you to identify the quick before you accidentally clip it.
We recommend these high quality dog nail clippers at Chewy.
Trim A Little At A Time
The worst thing that you can do is to speed through cutting your dog’s black toenails.
If you go too fast or try to cut too much of the nail at once, you risk accidentally cutting the quick.
Instead, take things slowly and only trim a small amount of each nail with each clip.
Ideally, try to only trim about 1/16th of an inch of the nail per clip.
This way you have greater control over the process and you don’t risk hurting your dog.
Find The Pulp
As you start trimming your dog’s black nails, the first thing you need to do is locate the pulp in the nail.
The pulp will be easy to recognize as your clipping the dog’s toenails.
It is located by the quick and it looks like dark circle part of the nail.
The reason it is important to locate the pulp is because it means you are almost at the quick.
As you’re trimming the nail, if the cut surface still looks whitish, then you have not yet reached the pulp.
So, you should continue carefully trimming the nail until you do see the black spot in the center of the dog’s nail.
And in some instances, it may even look pink right before the quick.
When you see a small dark spot directly in the center of the trimmed nail, you should stop cutting because you are at the start of the quick.
What To Do If You Cut The Quick
The worst case scenario here is that you accidentally trim the quick before realizing that you have reached it.
When this happens, there will be a lot of blood that you should be prepared to deal with.
We recommend that you prepare for this worst case scenario so that you can stop the bleeding ASAP.
Miracle Care Kwik Stop Styptic Powder is what you should keep on hand to stop the bleeding.
No matter how careful you are, anyone who has ever trimmed their dog’s nails has at some point, clipped too close to the quick.
Be prepared to stop bleeding fast with Kwik Stop Styptic Powder containing pain relieving Benzocaine.
The addition of Benzocaine eases pain and itching in minor wounds and allows for healing with minimal discomfort.
If you don’t have any styptic powder at home, then use corn starch or even a bit of flour to stop the bleeding.
If you need to bandage the area, then use bitter apply spray to keep the dog from messing with the bandage and injury area.
Final Word
As you can see, trimming a dog’s black nails can be a challenge since the quick is also black.
However, by following our tips above you’ll be prepared to locate the quick without trimming it.
Does a dog’s toenails retract each time you trim them?