Nail trimming can be an emotional event for not only yourself and your dog, but certainly for your groomer, veterinarian or whoever else you rely on to trim your dogs nails. If you have ever drawn blood while trimming your dog's nails, you know very well that each attempt afterward becomes increasingly difficult.

The "kwik" is that area inside the dog's nail where the blood supply to the nail is maintained. As the nail grows longer, the kwik also increases in size, thereby providing blood near the tip of the nail. One of the reasons accidental nipping of the kwik occurs is because the nails have been allowed to grow too long. What many people don't know is that the size of the kwik can be reduced by gradually and steadily trimming the nails until they are at the optimum length.

The diagrams below illustrate how this can be done:

Relationship between the "kwik" and the rest of the dog's nail

A properly trimmed Nail

Excessively Long Nail

Note that the kwik grows with the nail.
A cut too long will cause bleeding and the nail will still be too long.
A shorter trim will avoid the kwik and cause the kwik to begin reducing in size.
Receding kwik

As the nail gets shorter so does the blood supply
Receding kwik

By clipping or filing a little off a long nail every few days, the blood supply will continue to recede.

People who viewed 'Some truths about nail trimming' also found interest in following articles . . .
Category:

• Grooming & Training

• Home
• Educational Library
• FAQ
• Hospital Listings
• Submit
• Contact