How Do You Cut a Dog’s Nails That Are Black | Clipping Dark Nails

When your dog is roaming around in your house, and you hear his nails clicking on the floor, it is time to cut them down. Nail cutting is essential for any pet. Long nails that rest on the floor may affect the dog’s posture negatively. They may cause pain in the feet and make the dog’s movement uncomfortable. So, cut your pooch’s nails as soon as possible once they start clicking. 

Cutting black nails is quite tricky than trimming or cutting any other dog’s nails. When the nails are black, sometimes one cannot find the sensitive quick and cut it down by mistake. It is the primary reason why dog owners are not confident enough to cut the nails. This article is to guide you on how you can trim black dog nails with ease.

How To Clip Dog Nails That Are Black?

The process of trimming and grooming is quite uncomfortable for dogs as well as dog owners. The best way to avoid your anxiety is to read blogs and watch some videos that can help you to cut the nails without hurting your beloved furry friend.

1. Learn The Proper Way To Hold a Clipper

Each breed has different sizes of nails, and cutting them is undoubtedly a task. When you ask pet grooming experts, they will tell you to cut the nails at a 45-degree angle. If you have some smaller breeds with shorter nails, then even a 90-degree angle would be fine to trim the nail perfectly.

You can also use two methods at once. First, cut the nails at the angle of 45 degrees and then grind or trim the top of the nail. This process will serve both purposes. It will minimize the nail impact on the floor and also helps the quick recede.

2. Know When To Cut a Dog’s Nail

Many dog owners, especially the newbies, don’t know when to cut the nails of their pets. Even if you are one of them, not to worry. You can make a simple rule. Trim your canine’s nails as soon as you hear the sound of clicking. Listen carefully when your pooch is running on the floor. If you get a clicking sound, that means it is time to cut the nails as soon as possible. Generally, once a week or twice a month, you will find such clicking. It depends on the dog’s breed.

You don’t have to make the nails super short. Think about the time when your furry friend explores the grass and wants to dig. Don’t take the stress and only cut the portion of the nail that touches the floor at the time of running.

3. Know When To Stop Clipping Nails

Convince yourself that you are not going to hurt your cutie! Once you start cutting the nails, you will get the experience, and then you will know when to stop. If the nails are super black and you can’t differentiate between the nail and quick, watch videos of some groomer explaining the nail cutting process. You will see that he stops at the time when he sees the pulp.

Sometimes, the dogs have quicks that are too long. In such situations, you have to cut the nails often to help the quick recede. It is recommended to trim the nails once a week of the dogs who need their quick receded.

4. What To Do When You Cut The Quick

No one is perfect when it comes to cutting the pet nails, not even the professional groomers and vets! Even if you try harder and harder to avoid cutting the quick, you will never get a 100% success rate. It is probably something that will happen sooner or later. At such difficult times, make sure to have a bottle of Styptic Powder at the time of clipping dark nails. You can get it from any pet store.

It is easy to stop the bleeding. You just have to apply the powder to the bleeding nail. You can also use turmeric powder as an antiseptic if you don’t have Styptic. After that, give moderate pressure on the nails. This process stops the bleeding pretty fast.

Final Verdict
Decide one day of each week to cut the nails. This way, you can remember to trim black dog nails from time to time. If you have older dogs, they may have long quicks and hardened nails. If you face such problems, then try to cut their harder nails after giving them a good bath. Bathing can make their nails softer. You have to be patient at the time of clipping dog nails that are black. Also, remember to arrange some tasty treats for your dog while trimming his nails. Make an excellent and memorable experience for your beloved pooch.