Nail Trim
My dog has
black nails, and because of this I cannot see the vein that runs trough
them and am afraid to hurt her by trimming her nails improperly. Our
daily walks, on cement, seem to keep them filed: however, her dew claws
never reach the ground and I'd like to learn how to properly trim
them. Any suggestions?
The focus
of proper nail trimming is on choosing the correct length, and not on
the vein. The blood supply grows out as the nail grows. When the nail
is trimmed, and blood is drawn, the vein recedes. This makes subsequent
trims easier. If you avoid the vein on an overgrown nail, you will not
gain ground, and will inevitably have to face cutting the vein in the
future. Although the precisely correct length is subject to personal
preference, and does vary between breeds, a nail length equal to the
toe width is generally sufficient. Another rule of thumb (or rule of
dewclaw) is to trim the dog's nails so they are just above touching
the ground when he stands straight. Then, the dewclaw should be trimmed
the same length as the nail on the neighboring toe.
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