Dogs: Trimming a dog’s nails can be quick and easy as long as you trim the nail to the appropriate length. When trimming the nails, you should try to stay 2mm in front of the quick, which contains the nerve endings and blood vessels inside the nail. It’s easy to locate the quick on a dog with white nails; it will have a pinkish color in the nail. When trimming a dog with dark nails, you should cut several small sections starting from the tip of the nail back. Another way to do a proper nail trim is to place the nail trimmers where you want to cut, and apply a small amount of pressure; if the dog reacts you should trim closer to the tip, if the dog does not react it should be safe to trim the nail.

Cats: The first step in trimming a cat’s nails is to push on the pad of the foot so the nails will extend out. Once the nails are extended, place the trimmers 2mm in front of the quick. It’s very easy to recognize the cat’s quick because of the pinkish color similar to the dog’s quick.

Quicks: If the quick is cut and bleeding occurs, you can use home remedies like flour or corn starch to stop the bleeding. The best product, however, to stop a nail from bleeding is Kwik-Stop, which you can find at your local pet supply store. Dab your finger into the Kwik-Stop (it is a yellow powder) and press it onto the bleeding nail; hold for 10 seconds or until the nail stops bleeding.