Nail grinding and the quick

[Paula]

Have any of you that use a dremel knicked the quick? I knicked Roo's the other day and have knicked Pip's in the past. Very minor and it was only a tiny tiny speck of blood, but I felt sooo bad. They didn't really fuss much so it couldn't have hurt thankfully. Roo does sometimes let out a little cry just in general when I'm doing them though. I guess when it gets close so I always stop then.

My question is how the heck do you get the quick to retract? I would still prefer their nails a little shorter than they are, but the quick seems to retract sooo slowly. The nails grow like weeds it seems. I do them weekly and sometimes even twice a week just to take a little bit more off.

When I first got them their quicks were grown out somewhat, not horribly so, but longer than I'd like them to be. Then when they went under for other procedures I asked them to cut their nails as short as they could without going into the quick. That helped, but they still have a couple of nails each where the quick is still too long. Will they eventually recede over time?

[Kristi]

You have to do them about every 3rd day to the point of almost seeing that tiny spec of blood on most of the nails, to really get the quick to go back in my experience. I've had to do this for all the 'show' pups but am not as anal about nail length on my pets. I imagine it stings somewhat.

I know a few people have had 'quickectomys' on their dogs, if they are going under for another procedure. It's around $75 and they basically snip the nails extremely short and cauterize the quick. This keeps the nails much shorter and they grow more slowly as well. But, in about 6 months, the maintenance is up to you as it seems that's about as long as the quickectomy lasts. My friend had three of hers done and told me about it; I'd never heard of it before.

[Sarah]

I just go right to the quick and they retract but never seen blood

[mchis]

I have gotten the quick a couple times on Mari & Matilda...I've never even realized I'd gotten them...just happen to see the spec of blood. It never did bother them though when it happened. You do pretty much have to get the quick every time for them to get shorter. I could do that to Matilda & Milo as their quicks are long but I don't find it necessary. It doesn't bother them at all...I just trim them every week as short as I can.

[Paula]

Oh boy. I was hoping you didn't have to knick the quick to get them to retract. I thought maybe if you went very close to the quick they would retract. Although it really doesn't seem to hurt them when you knick it. They have never cried the few times I have got a speck of blood. I was totally unaware and they seemed to be too so I was shocked when I saw the blood.

Oddly they have let out a wee cry other times when I haven't knicked it. I personally would not put them under solely to have them shortened more. They really are quite short now it's just a few of them that I'd like shorter. All of the ones on their front paws are short now, there's just a few in the back that seem to have longer quicks. I'll try doing it every 3 days and see if I can get them down a little more to the point where they might retract a bit. I really hate to have to knick the quick though even though they can't seem to feel it.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

[brodysmom]

You can also try angling the dremel so that you take off the edges on both sides. Like this: \ / Instead of doing them blunt across the center. Then come back in about 3 days and take it back a little more. That angling seems to irritate the vein into receding a bit.

Kristi, I've heard of that quickectomy being done on baby puppies at about 4 days. They just take little nail clippers and cut the pups nails all the way back. They are so tiny that they don't really even bleed. Maybe a drop. It helps to blunt the nail so they don't grow as fast and you can just keep them super short. I bet their mama appreciates it too when they are nursing!!!!

[Paula]

Oooh that's interesting. Will give it a try! Thanks Tracy.