How far should I trim my pet’s nails?
Before trimming your pet’s nails, you will need to identify the quick. The diagram below shows the basic anatomy of a pet’s toenail. The outer nail is hard and has no feeling because it has no nerve endings. The core of the nail is the quick. It is made up of tiny blood vessels and nerve endings and is very sensitive. The quick is a vein that “feeds” the toenail. Should you cut the quick while trimming a nail, the nail will start to bleed. Light colored nails are often transparent enough to allow you to see the quick’s pink core. Dark colored nails may not allow you to see where the quick is located. Pets may have both light and dark colored nails that allow you to estimate the length of the quick. The diagram also shows an estimate of the proper angle at which to trim a pet’s nails. A rule of thumb for the proper angle is 45 degrees upwards from the bottom of the paw. This angle is what the guide on the attachment provides. The proper angle may vary according to the pet owner’s wishes or the pet’s unique anatomy. Trim nails so that they almost touch the ground when your pet is walking.