Nails cut too Short?

notamamayet · 07-19-2008, 12:41 AM

Our vet cut the puppy's nails when he was in for his neuter on Tuesday. I had commented to my husband that they look like a bit of a hack job, quite short, and didn't think anything of it. Neither him nor I have a lot of experience cutting nails. Since he came home, he's been paying a LOT of attention to his paws, constantly licking and grooming them, just at the end. We thought it was just his way of "cleaning up" since his whole belly area and back leg are a mess right now but he's not allowed near them.

But I'm not so sure... I'm wondering if it's possible that the nails were cut too short, and now they're bothering him? I don't know whether or not they cut to the quik, but I would assume not, being that it was the vets, and I hope they know how to cut nails. But they all are very short, and I was wondering if it's possible that since they're shorter, the rest of his paw is making more contact with the ground and bugging me. We used to hear his little click click click against the floor constantly, and now we don't. I didn't even realize it until just now. He just seems very distressed by the end of his paws, even the one that is bandaged, he kept going for, and we thought he didn't like the badage, but left alone, he really just bites at his toes, not the bandage.

Just wondering if it's possible, and how to help him as they grow back? And also, for next time we cut them ourselves, how do we know how short is too short (other than if we cut the quick)?

Twinney · 07-19-2008, 01:56 AM

I believe I had the same problem you had with the vets office. Shunka got spayed, and came home, and pulls paw now. Before, she never did.
Remember, it might not of been your vet trimming the nails, but a tech or even receptionist.
If your dog has light colored nails, then you can see the quik because it's darker than just the nail itself. Otherwise, I have the dogs stand and then I carefully take off little by little of the nail, and stop when can't hear the nail against the ground anymore. (When you can hear the nail it's too long.)

lovemygreys · 07-19-2008, 07:45 AM

If they clipped the nails while he was under, they may have intentionally cut them back behind the quick...esp if they were way too long to begin with. Ask them if they quicked him or trimmed them awake. You can't usually get too much length off with a regular clip b/c the quick tends to grow with the nail (unless the nails are severely overgrown). We keep our dog's nails short...if I hear click click click it's time for a trim.

If a dog is quicked while under anesthesia, their feet may be tender for a day or two, but not much beyond that.

sillylilykitty · 07-19-2008, 08:00 AM

Thats entirely possible. At the clinic I work at as an intern if the dog is going under anesthesia we always clip the nails then. It's just so much easier, and so far I havent seen anyone intentionally cut the quick. I cut into a dogs quick while under anesthesia and his heart rate shot up on the ECG machine

I didnt mean to do that but Im knew to cutting black nails and learning. Hopefully your dog will get used to the feel of his short nails. I know if I let my nails get real long and then cut them real short it does feel weird.

notamamayet · 07-19-2008, 08:59 AM

He does have ery dark black nails, so we know it's going to be harder than usual. I was reading the other thread going on right now about how to clip a dogs nails when they are exceptionally long, about just doing it all at once, and it *does* kind of look like that's what they did- except that we were at the vets 2 weeks ago and asked him if he would show us how to trim them, and he told us that they actually didn't really need to be done...

Except now I may be exagerating, but it almost looks like they took 1/2cm off his nails!

Ok so we have laminate flooring- am I understanding correctly that basically anytime I can hear a clicking from his paws, the nails are too long? Also, what is the end of the nail supposed to look like when you are finished cutting, assuming you HAVENT cut into the quick? The vet was telling us about it when we were there last time, but his people skills suck, and we couldn't hear a word he was saying, just something about white- when I can see the white, is that good, or bad?

briteday · 07-19-2008, 09:43 PM

Here is a good website with excellent pictures and directions for cutting dark nails...

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dog_nails.aspx

notamamayet · 07-20-2008, 09:25 AM

Thanks! That looks fantastic!

Patt · 07-21-2008, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notamamayet

Ok so we have laminate flooring- am I understanding correctly that basically anytime I can hear a clicking from his paws, the nails are too long?

Yes, when they are clicking on the floor they are way too long.
I have my dogs nails trimmed every 3 weeks. They are trimmed and dremeled.