Dog Care guide

How to trim your dog's nails without hitting the quick

Trim a little at a time, look at the cut end after every clip, and stop well before the pink quick. Dark nails get only the tip. If your dog is stressed, stop and try again another day; your vet can show you how.

Written with AI; sources checked by automated review on ; not reviewed by a veterinarian. How we write and check these pages

A calm reclining dog beside a parked nail clipper.

Stop and call your vet if

  • A nail has grown round into the paw pad, or a toe is red, swollen or bleeding. 23
  • Your dog is licking or chewing a paw, or holds a foot up and limps: have the vet look before you trim. 24
  • A nail is torn or broken: wrap the foot in a towel, press gently and go to the vet. 4
  • A cut nail keeps bleeding after you have pressed it with styptic powder or cornflour. 24
  • All the nails are dark and you cannot tell where the quick is: ask your vet to show you where to cut. 1

In a hurry? Pet emergency: who to call now

A calm reclining dog beside a parked nail clipper.

What you need

  • Dog nail clippers (guillotine or scissor style), sharp 134
  • Styptic powder, or cornflour or flour 31
  • Small treats 13
  • A helper to hold and reassure your dog 13

Don't use

  • Scissors or human nail clippers: they squash the nail and can make it split. 1

Where to cut

Light nail, seen from the side

Dark nail: the very tip only, in thin slices

  1. The quick (pink core with blood vessels and nerves)
  2. Trim here: the pale tip in front of the quick
  3. Stop: the quick
  • Light nails: the quick shows as a pink core. Leave a clear margin of pale nail in front of it.
  • Dark nails: take the very tip only, in small slices, and look at the cut end after each one.
  • Compare with a light nail on the same dog to estimate where the quick sits in the dark ones.

This diagram has not yet been checked by a vet. It is drawn from the sources below. 123

Step by step

  1. Settle your dog

    A dog resting beside a hand, treats and parked nail clippers.

    Start when your dog is calm and relaxed, with treats ready and a helper to hold and reassure; if your dog gets stressed at any point, stop and try another day. 13

  2. Hold the paw

    Two hands gently supporting a resting dog’s forepaw.

    Hold one paw gently but firmly in a position comfortable for your dog, and press the pad slightly so the nail stands out and you can see it clearly. 12

  3. Find the quick

    Look for the quick, the pink core inside a light-coloured nail; plan to cut only the pale tip in front of it, leaving a clear margin, because the quick bleeds and hurts. 123

  4. Clip a little at a time

    Take a small piece off the tip, look at the cut end, then take another small piece if needed; aim for about where the nail starts to curve and stop sooner if the quick comes close. 32

  5. Dark nails

    On dark nails, where you cannot see the quick, trim only the very tip in small slices, judging from a similar light nail; if every nail is dark, ask your vet to show you first. 31

  6. Do the dewclaws

    Check for dewclaws higher up on the inside of the leg, front and sometimes back; they never touch the ground, so they can overgrow and curl into the pad. 123

  7. Reward

    Give a treat during and after the trim so your dog links nail care with something good; one or two nails a session is fine while your dog gets used to it. 13

If something goes wrong

  • If you nick the quick and it bleeds, stay calm: press styptic powder, cornflour or flour onto the tip, or hold cotton wool on it until it stops. If it keeps bleeding, call your vet. 132

How often

Most dogs need a trim about once a month. Dogs walked a lot on pavement may go longer; dogs that rarely walk on hard ground may need it more often. Nails touching the ground or clicking on hard floors are a sign they are long. 32

Clippers or a file

A hand file or grinder smooths the nail and can suit a nervous dog, but keep long hair away from a spinning tool and work outside because of the dust. 32

Puppies

Start handling paws and trimming early, gently and with treats, so trims stay easy as your dog grows. 32

A dog who hates it

Go at your dog's pace: first just touch the feet with treats, then one nail per session, building up over several weeks. If the nails need doing now, ask your vet or a groomer, then keep practising at home. 3

Sources

  1. How to clip your dog's nails, PDSA (UK veterinary charity; written by vets and vet nurses). Checked .
  2. Vet Q&A: How do I cut my dog's nails safely?, PDSA (UK veterinary charity). Checked .
  3. How to Trim a Dog's Nails, VCA Animal Hospitals. Checked .
  4. First Aid for Broken Nails in Dogs, VCA Animal Hospitals. Checked .

Written with AI; sources checked by automated review on ; not reviewed by a veterinarian. How we write and check these pages

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