# How to Cut Black Nails?



## aznVampire (Jul 20, 2010)

How do I find the quick on my puppy's black nails? I use nail clippers btw.


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

aznVampire said:


> How do I find the quick on my puppy's black nails? I use nail clippers btw.


You find it by going very slowly  Loki's nails are black too and it's hard! We cut the quick once and that was the end of clippers for us - we've used the dremel since. 

Probably not overly helpful.. sorry!


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## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

I use a dremel because I'm afraid of quicking my dobe since his nails are black. It's much easier if you ask me.


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## jenneses (Aug 1, 2012)

If you have a patient dog, you can test where the quick is, light pressure with the clippers (a pinch) where you plan on clipping. If he/she pulls her foot away, try moving toward the end a little and testing again. Usually, I clip before the apex of the curve. It means I have to clip more often, but I can do it faster without having to test.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

I agree with the dremeling. I snip the tips first to cut down on sanding time - just a very small bit. Then I sand the rest.


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## Hitchington (Jun 11, 2012)

I am so afraid of hurting Hitch, so I drop by the vets office and have them do it. He is a little nervous at the vets, so this is also working out to get him used to the vet's office. They usually do a quick weigh and temperature check while he is there, it feels nice that Hitch gets looked over by a vet tech so often.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

If you look into the tip of the nail, the quick is visible. Just clip off the part at the end that looks like an empty tube. I use a dremel too because her nails grow so fast I need to be able to get them shorter each time than clippers allow (without hitting the quick).


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

I cut off a miniscule amount, and ended up letting Aidan's nails get too long due to an excess of caution. I let the vet tech do it a few days ago. Aidan's nails are a lot shorter and the tech didn't accidentally cut into the quick.


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## odiesmom (May 31, 2007)

I have my groomer cut the nails, she charges 5 bucks for each dog, well worth the money !!


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## Roloni (Aug 5, 2011)

odiesmom said:


> I have my groomer cut the nails, she charges 5 bucks for each dog, well worth the money !!


 I agree 100%..


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## aznVampire (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately I can't buy a dremel. ): I guess there's no easy way to find out where the quick is, huh?


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

If your dog is patient (and you are too), you can take off very little with each clip and try to see the quick the same way you would with a dremel. After a while you kind of just get the hang of it. If your dog's nails aren't too long and you aren't trying to reduce the quick, you don't really need to get anywhere close to the quick.

My dog has black nails and I started on clippers. I had to switch to a dremel mainly because he hates having his nails done or even having his paw held, despite treats and what not. So with a clipper, I would get ready to clip and he'd kick I'd have to react and not cut his whole nail off. Cutting his nails with clippers was taking too long and was being way too stressful.

Oh and you can use a wood file by hand if you want, but really a dremel is just much easier.


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## Fade (Feb 24, 2012)

I cut nails daily at the vets office. and they way I do it is a little at a time.( and this works for any color nails! ) if you shave a little at a time when you get near the kwik a dot will appear in the middle of the nail that is the safest place to stop. you can then dremel it to smooth the edges and go a little farther. to do it this way use http://www.petmountain.com/product/dog-nail-care/11442-504928/safari-professional-nail-clipper.html that style clippers. just a little at a time literally just shave small slices off the nail. some nails will have a lighter color inside the nail. sometimes they do not but once you get near the kwik there will be a spot in the middle . it is not difficult to do, once you know what to look for. and sometimes even the professionals get the kwik because some dogs nails are impossible. >.<

some dogs nails are even easier. sometimes the nail will grow out really nicely from the last cut and leave you a perfect place to cut. like in this picture. right where the nail notches.


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## Deaf Dogs (May 28, 2012)

I've been trimming my dogs, and various foster's nails since I was 8 years old, black, brown, white... I'm thirty now, and for the first time EVER I cut a quick a couple of weeks ago... I felt HORRIBLE! Ollie didn't care though LOL. I do all my dogs nails once a week or more, so as to keep them very short, esp. the Doxies, as they have such funny shaped feet, long nails really affect their walking. You get the hang of it, just cut a little at a time.


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## stanwatt (Aug 21, 2012)

If you want to cut the nails you have to go it by slowly first of all you have to trimming his nails then only you have to cut it down. Some times its too hard to cut off and some times easier also which can be effect with their walking. Some times professional can also get nervous because some dogs nails are impossible to cut out.


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

aznVampire said:


> Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately I can't buy a dremel. ): I guess there's no easy way to find out where the quick is, huh?


If cost is the issue, look into getting one from Harbor Freight, which is where I got mine cheaply. It's a knockoff, but has 3 speeds and works great! The replacement sandpaper rolls can be found at Home Depot/Lowe,s or any other hardware store probably, pretty cheaply. 

Here's a link for learning how to dremmel, for those who are newbies at it (see the link on the left side of the home page): http://homepages.udayton.edu/~jmerenski1/doberdawn/index.html


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

aznVampire said:


> Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately I can't buy a dremel. ): I guess there's no easy way to find out where the quick is, huh?


It's really not very expensive to buy a decent dremel. I bought mine off of amazon for $30 and it's paid for itself may times over at this point. Local groomers charge $10-20 to do nails, price can go up if your dog is a pain to manage. My guy really did NOT like the clippers but adjusted pretty quickly the the dremel and it's very easy now.


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## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

I have an old nail file- mine- that I've wrapped sand paper around. It works well. 


aznVampire said:


> Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately I can't buy a dremel. ): I guess there's no easy way to find out where the quick is, huh?


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