cutting nails

Question
How do I trim my shitzu's nails?

Answer
A little at a time! Learning to cut a dog's nails without cutting the quick takes repeated practice. Before you begin, make sure you purchase a small vial of Kwikstop (usually in pet stores) in case you go too far, this stops the bleeding and also helps to numb the "smart" of the close cut.

By doing a little a time, then looking at the nail surface you just cut, you can deduce how close you are to the quick (the blood vessel that runs through the nail) by what it looks like. If it looks solid white, you haven't gone far enough, once you see a little dot in the middle (mostly black) you are close to the quick. When you FIRST see it, you can actually go a little more until the black dot looks a little transparent, then you'll know you're as close as possible.

Having the smaller nail clippers are helpful in making these smaller cuts. As you get more comfortable, you'll be able to cut more off before making those refining cuts that you look for the quick. It takes time to get comfortable.

You could always ask your local groomer if they would show you what that middle black dot looks like on YOUR dog so you can recognize it when doing it at home. Your groomer should want to help you maintain your dog's nails via education.

White nails (instead of black) you are able to see the pink of the blood vessel, but don't let that fool you, you still need to cut further in front of it and still look at the cut mark to decide if you want to go more.. just look for the transparent pink on a white nail.

Good Luck!