# I KNOW this sounds awful, but I've always wondered..



## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

So there's those people that come into the salon to get their dogs nails done every three months or so, I can hardly stand to go three WEEKS without getting my dogs nails grinded (I do it myself, she's an angel for it)

And of course, due to the neglect of these dogs nails, their quicks are really grown out, so you can't take much off the nails. When I'm doing these dogs nails I'll find myself wondering that if you cut all the nails to the length they SHOULD be, cutting the quick in the process, would it quickly make their quicks grow back to the length they're suppose to be at?

I've only been grooming for a year, so I don't know everything, and I myself would never do this to my animals because it would be painful and I'm good at keeping my dogs nails short. (I see white and bring her in, lol)


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

Oh gosh I dread this if I ever groom other people's dogs. I'm bad about Harry's nails because they grow so quickly. His breeder said his sister's are like that too so it's just one of those things that might be genetic? I am teaching him to grind nails now after the last time I hit the quick and he bled like I cut a toe off. I don't want to cut anymore.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

With quick stop it stops the bleeding pretty fast normally (unless you cut it REALLY REALLY BAD)

I work at Petco, and one of the parakeets got it's toe bit off by a cage mate.. they used our quickstop to stop the poor babys bleeding too.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I keep meaning to place an order with KVpet to buy those small things I need like quickstop. I don't cut now though but it's always good to have it on hand.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I'm pretty sure you can buy some at any local pet store.


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## Poodlepal (Nov 1, 2009)

Fluffy...please NEVER attempt to cut a dog's nails back to a much shorter length if they are very overgrown. This is a veterinary procedure, usually done while the dog is sedated. The dog is then put on antibiotics. It is a messy, bloody procedure and quite painful if the dog were to be conscious. It would create a lifetime of anxiety and fear around the nail trim.

As a groomer, you should only take the nail back as short as you can without it bleeding if possible. If you want nails to get shorter, the quick will naturally recede if the nail is grinded back to the quick on a weekly basis. You can't make on overgrown quick shorten on a dog that comes in less often than that. If clients complain that the nails are still too long, you must explain to them about the quick and that you trimmed the nails as short as possible without causing pain to their dog.


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## Purple Poodle (May 5, 2008)

I believe if they are very long you can have a vet cut them back and cauterize them to stop the bleeding. It is painful but I have heard of it being done in extreme cases. 

I just cut the nail as far as I can and grind it back to the point where I see a tiny dot of blood and by the next visit they have receded. I am having to do this with my moms dog Jack.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

We had Harry's nails cut back when he was getting neutered. He did just fine but I wouldn't do that without him being under and I don't want him sedated for anything unless it's important. Grinding weekly does keep their nails short and the quick stays short too.


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## PonkiPoodles (Feb 25, 2009)

Fluffyspoos said:


> So there's those people that come into the salon to get their dogs nails done every three months or so, I can hardly stand to go three WEEKS without getting my dogs nails grinded (I do it myself, she's an angel for it)
> 
> And of course, due to the neglect of these dogs nails, their quicks are really grown out, so you can't take much off the nails. When I'm doing these dogs nails I'll find myself wondering that if you cut all the nails to the length they SHOULD be, cutting the quick in the process, would it quickly make their quicks grow back to the length they're suppose to be at?
> 
> I've only been grooming for a year, so I don't know everything, and I myself would never do this to my animals because it would be painful and I'm good at keeping my dogs nails short. (I see white and bring her in, lol)


I hear you... but I have a question... one of our dobes came from a local rescue. Her nails were so long when we got her that I don't think they have ever been cut at all, with result her quicks are extremely long. How do you get those quicks to recede? I mean even cutting close to or grinding the nail to the quick as we've done since we got her has not helped in getting the quick shorter. I've kinda ran out of options, so we grind them every few days without any noticable results.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I think the only option is sedating and having the vet do it. Does she need her teeth cleaned? Could do both at the same time.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Poodlepal said:


> Fluffy...please NEVER attempt to cut a dog's nails back to a much shorter length if they are very overgrown. This is a veterinary procedure, usually done while the dog is sedated. The dog is then put on antibiotics. It is a messy, bloody procedure and quite painful if the dog were to be conscious. It would create a lifetime of anxiety and fear around the nail trim.
> 
> As a groomer, you should only take the nail back as short as you can without it bleeding if possible. If you want nails to get shorter, the quick will naturally recede if the nail is grinded back to the quick on a weekly basis. You can't make on overgrown quick shorten on a dog that comes in less often than that. If clients complain that the nails are still too long, you must explain to them about the quick and that you trimmed the nails as short as possible without causing pain to their dog.


Oh I would never do it myself, I was just wondering if it was a possible procedure. It looks like, with some of the posts in here, that it is! And I do explain that to clients, some still don't understand that if we cut them too short and it bleeds.. it hurts the dog. Or when they come in with a dog with white nails that're all pink, they don't understand that we can't take them down anymore because they're already as short as they can go.


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## Harley_chik (Nov 7, 2008)

I think if it needs to be done, it should be done by a vet. I believe I've heard that vets acually cauterize (I know I mispelled that) the nails instead of using styptic or silver nitrate. There is a difference between cutting the very tip of the quick on one or two nails (that happens to everyone) and intentionally cutting the quick further back on every nail.


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## taxtell (Sep 17, 2009)

Yep, it's called doing a 'cutback' and we only do it under sedation. And we do cauterize the nails afterwards. It is bloody, messy and painful, they are tender for a few days afterwards.

Grinding helps the quick receed, so it's a good idea all around.


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I have to admit that this topic is making me feel queasy, but I have a question. What's the best thing to use to grind the nails? I've seen the ads for Peticure, but I don't know anyone personally who has used one.


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## Poodlepal (Nov 1, 2009)

The Peticure is very weak. Most people use grinding tools such as the Dremel.


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks. I should have also asked which is safer for an amateur like me to use?


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Yeah, I don't like the pedipaws, it don't have the power that other grinders have.


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

I use a dremel - I got a cordless one and it is fantastic. The guys get their nails done weekly. I can't even imagine waiting weeks and weeks between grinding. YUCK. I hate long nails!!


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

I have a Pedipaw, and it is so annoying to use. It is incredibly slow, and really only works on Perry's nails like it should work.

I need to buy a dremel, but I'm afraid of going too far too fast and messing it all up... or grinding at a pad (I do this sometimes on accident with the pedipaw because I take off the guard because it is pointless.) 

Any advice on dremels? I'm sure a lot of people would appreciate some guidance on the subject.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I'll tell you that I'm still scared of my dremel but the thing I noticed is that when you use the sandpaper it doesn't really grind super fast so you have more control over it than you think. Dremels are super super loud so you might need to give your dog time to get used to the sound too. I still sweat a little when I use mine but hopefully over time I get used to it. Get one at WalMart.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Hey how much did you pay for the one at walmart? I really need one for my grooming supplies.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

Fluffyspoos said:


> Hey how much did you pay for the one at walmart? I really need one for my grooming supplies.


It was like $34.99 for the one speed I think but it came with stuff and I didn't think I needed to get all creative with speeds since I'm just using it to grind nails. I don't think I'll get into engraving and all that.LOL


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

This site is pretty good, for those of you who want a tutorial on dremmeling. I discovered it on another forum I'm a member of. 

http://http://homepages.udayton.edu/~merensjp/doberdawn/dremel/dremel.html


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

Yes, you can cut them back all the way to the paw if you wish to accomplish what you are thinking. However, I will second Kpoo and say that the only opion for that is to have the vet sedate and do it. Not only does that avoid the trauma of you doing it with the dog awake but cutting into those vessles like that *can* lead to infections. It's not common but it can happen. Plus you're cutting so far back that the powder may or may not be able to stop the bleeding. It's only intended for light bleeding remember and if you were to clip a nail all the way back like that the amount of bleeding may surprise you. I had a bather try this at the vet clinic I worked at... I turned around to see what the problem was (dog was screaming) and see blood EVERYWHERE. I wanted to kill her!


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

if you're *really* trying to get nails back, you need to be grinding every second day, and you need to be going right TO the quick, and then *rounding* the end of the nail around the end of the quick. Trust me, with the quick so 'exposed', without it actually being exposed, it quickly pulls back, BUT you do have to really get at it every second day, cos it'll only receed a little, and the nail will be growing a little, and without getting right into it you'll be back where you were. I did this with Paris before the groomalong and got her nails back nice and short! I don't worry about them being super short now, so they are longer again, but not super long anymore


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## Harley_chik (Nov 7, 2008)

I have a pedipaw too and I hate it. (I didn't buy it, it was a gift.) It is very weak and something I didn't see mentioned is it's hard to use on small dogs. I use mine on my Rottweiler and it works, but it takes forever. The cover for the sandpaper is so big and the whole thing is so long that it's almost impossible to use on my Maltese. If you have a toy or mini, you definately want to go w/ something else. The sanding bands also wear down quickly, you have to buy more from the company and they aren't cheap. Last time I got mine out, the sandpaper popped off the plastic, so that whole head wen to waste. I've been looking at nail grinder from Petedge that's very reasonably priced and turquoise, they have two other models to choose from and the Dremel brand one too.


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## Aidan (Mar 4, 2009)

I would never try to quick a dog on purpose but I have heard that if you are using a dremel and you go right up to the quick, pretty much where it's turning pink but not bleeding if you do that every few days, keep filing the nail to that point it will recede, at least that's what i've heard. 

I've never had to try i as my dogs get their nails done weekly.


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## plumcrazy (Sep 11, 2009)

This is plumcrazy's daughter, Katy. I used to work in the grooming salon at PetSmart and I can't even begin to count how many times dogs came in with their nails way overgrown. It's a sad truth, but a lot of pet parents don't understand that this pretty simple maintenance is super beneficial to their pooch pals. When I first started reading this post, immediately a dog came to mind. 

Roscoe was a six year old Basset with a heart of gold. I have a soft spot in my heart for Bassets, but can you blame me? Who could resist those sad droopy eyes and long floppy ears? I know I can't. Roscoe came in for just a Bath, Brush and More package, which consists of ear cleaning, nail clipping, a bath with a kiwi strawberry shampoo, blow dry, and a fifteen minute brush out. Extras could be added per owner preference, but Roscoe's mom just wanted the basics. 

I just worked as a bather, so Roscoe was mine for the night. I took him back and plopped him up on my table. I got started cleaning his ears, and then reached for my clippers. I grabbed hold of one of his paws and almost started crying. His nails were so long that they were literally growing curled under and pressing into his paw pads. One of his dew claws had grown so long that it actually punctured the pad. I did the very best I could for him, got the pressure off his pads, getting as close to the quick as I could without making him bleed. That claw that was inside his pad was embedded about a quarter of an inch in. 

I flushed the wound and rounded the edges off his nails with my Dremel (grinding the nails is usually an extra charge, but I'm of the school of thought that if there's anything more I can do to make a suffering animal more comfortable, I'm right there). Though I know he was in pain, he stood perfectly still while I trimmed his talons down as far as I could. I couldn’t have asked for a better patient.

When Roscoe's mom came to pick him up, I showed her the pieces I had gotten off Roscoe's nails, as well as the owwy on his paw pad. I explained to her that it's extremely important to keep up on nail trims to keep them from growing out that long again. Unfortunately it all seemed to float right over her head, but such is the way of the world. I convinced her that it would be a good idea to bring Roscoe back regularly so we could work on getting his quicks to recede.

I guess that doesn't really answer the question of if it's possible or not, although others have answered it before. I just thought I'd like to share my experiences with overly long nails. Although it would seem to be quicker and "easier" to do the cut back, I prefer just taking the long road, and clipping a little back each time. 
And for all those other people wondering about nail grinders, Dremels or something similar is going to be your best bet. When PetSmart got the Pedipaws in stock, they threw one back in the salon so we could give our advice to customers, and maybe use them instead of Dremels. It's awkwardly shaped and cumbersome to use. The plastic guard is kind of a bad idea, because I wasn't able to round as well while it was on. I much prefer the Dremel, and mine has two speeds, although I always use it on the high setting. 

I'm going to stop creeping on my mom's account and get my own set up soon. See you all under a different name in the future!


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Yeah, I actually got the blue two speed dremel today! How funny to have this threat bumped up again just as I get it.


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## Mister (Sep 10, 2008)

I have thought about that too but the people who own these dogs with really long nails dont care so you should just get them to the length they are able to and thats that.
Oh a worse note my sister has a staffie and her nails are always just horrible (long and just ugly)....she never trims them regularly and when she used to work in a vet clinic as a tech they would knock her out for them because she used to be bad. While she was under they would quick every nail to a porper length and they would stay that way unfortunately my sister never kept up on it so they grew back out to the nasty length....
She still isnt good about it and has all the tools. A dremmel and the clippers. She likes me to do it though because im the groomer type persona dn i never quick mine or her dogs. Lots and lots of experience.


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