How Long Will The Bleeding Last?
When the quick has been cut the nail will normally bleed for a few minutes but it ultimately depends on how much of the quick has been cut.
Sometimes a dog’s quick will bleed a lot and leave a pool of blood which can be scary but that’s what any blood vessel does when it’s cut.
If the bleeding doesn’t stop after 20-30 minutes you should contact your veterinarian.
Depending on the severity of the nail injury, most dogs are fine after a few minutes but some quick injuries might take up to 24 hours.
A dog’s quick rarely gets infected from trimming it too short but it is possible.
The quick is attached to a bone in the dog’s paw and if the nail is injured it can lead to a bone infection which can be trouble.
These types of infections usually happen due to a broken nail that has been broken to the base and hasn’t been treated.
Signs that the quick is infected can be:
Infected nails need to be treated by a veterinarian and can not be treated at home.
Keep an eye on those toe beans!
Why do dogs need their nails trimmed short
This is not just an aesthetic issue, it is also a functional one. Long nails compromise your dog’s weight distribution, balance and natural alignment. It can make walking and running difficult and painful. Nail maintenance is especially important in arthritic senior dogs because long nails can exacerbate issues. It can throw a dog off-balance, causing unnecessary strain.
When long nails touch hard ground, the hard surface pushes the nail back into the nail bed creating pain. This puts pressure on the toe joints and may force the toe to twist to one side. Long term, this can realign the joints of the foreleg and make the foot look flattened and splayed.
How to treat a broken nail.
Please contact your vet before attempting to treat your dogs broken nail.
Some people claim to have used pet nail clippers to snip off a hanging portion of nail just above the broken or torn tip. This may result in a clean incision in the nail, increasing the likelihood of the nail growing back properly.