Dogs are the best to keep as a pet due to their infectious positive attitude, and they are the men’s loyal and best friend. Dogs take care of their masters, and it makes them happy to please their masters.
Dogs demand care too, and they also need to be protected and guarded against the changes in seasons and diseases. It is stressful to look at your dogs in painful situations.
They require care like any other human being. Extreme care is needed while embellishing, washing, and cleaning the dogs.
The most common incident that occurs at home is dog nail bleeding during its trimming.
In this article, we will discuss why dog nail bleeds? And learn about the different ways to stop a dog’s nail from bleeding effectively.
Why do Dog’s Nails bleed?
Nail bleeding in dogs is generally caused by 3 factors which are explained below:
- Nail Cutting
- Nail Trimming
- Nail Injuries
Nail Cutting: The most common practice that results in the dog’s nail wound is nail cutting. It becomes very challenging to cut the nails of a dog when they start wriggling.
The dogs have soft tissues beneath their nails, so nails should get cut carefully to avoid causing injury to tissues. The toenail has a quick (blood vessel) and the nerve, and if the nail is cut too short, the bleeding occurs.
That for sure draws blood out of the toenails. This nail bleeding is not only distressful for your beloved pet, but it may stain your favorite clothes or furniture too.
Nail Trimming: Sometimes, it happens that nails might pull out while trimming. If the nail is pulled out, the new nail regenerates within months. If the roots of cracked nails are badly damaged, then regrowth of the new claw may not occur.
The trimming of the dog’s nails must get done meticulously to avoid any severe bleeding. If the dog’s nails get wounded, you must know how to handle the injury, at least to give first aid.
Nail Injuries: Dog’s nails can also bleed because the nails are too long, often resulting in toenails injury. They love to roam around places, which leads them to nail accidents, toe fractures, and severe toenail injuries.
How to stop nail bleeding in dogs?
Now we will discuss several ways to treat and stop a dog’s nail bleeding. You must be prepared in advance in case of emergency because this bleeding happens too often.
7 Ways To Stop Dog Nail Bleeding
Below are some proven-and-tested ways that will help you to aid your dog if your dog is suffering from toenail bleeding. Just remember, your dog trusts you a lot and you’ve to ease out their pain.
1. Stay calm
When you accidentally cut the nail of your dog, the dog yelp and runs away. The most crucial solution for this situation is, that you do not get panic; stay calm, and make your dog calm too. That is the wise move to treat the dog wound further.
2. The wound cleaning
If you do not have any tools in the home, the first thing to do is clean the wound.
Wrap the foot with the help of a clean towel or cloth and apply minor pressure for at least two minutes. If the blood flow is steady and moderate, then use the ice wrapped in the fabric or towel. It will be enough to stop the dog’s nail bleeding.
3. Styptic Powder or the Styptic Pencil
Styptic powder or pencil use is the quickest way to stop the dog’s nail bleeding. Put the dog’s nail in the powder gently, repeat the process in case the blood does not clot. Styptic powders are antihemorrhagic substances that help in the constriction of blood vessels. Styptic pencils are available in pharmacies.
Homemade Styptic powders
In case you do not have styptic powders, you can use cornstarch, baking soda, or a soap bar. These powders must get applied with slight pressure on the nail; little pressure on the nail helps clot quickly.
These homemade remedies are not fast, but they are helpful in the case of an emergency.
4. Apply Ice Cubes
Ice cubes can also help in slowing down dog’s nail bleeding to a great extent. The cold temperature contracts the toe blood vessels and results in lesser bleeding.
The best way to apply ice to a dog’s toes is by wrapping the ice cubes in a towel and slowly absorbing the blood. This will numb their pain as well.
5. Removal of damaged parts
Sometimes the nominally attached silver part of the nail is clipped away. The veterinarians mostly remove this damaged part to avoid further infections. The removal of the silver part is excruciating and sometimes needs sedation of the dog or nerve blocking of that specific area.
Proceed only with this solution, if you’ve practiced this in past.
6. Prevention from infection
If the bleeding does not stop even after 20 minutes, then call a veterinarian. The veterinarian may apply some ointments or antibiotics to stop the dog’s nail bleeding and prevent any infection. Quick is attached to the bones, and if it is contaminated or gets infected, bones too get infected, which may further aggravate the situation.
Don’t Miss: How Do Vets Analyze Your Dog?
7. Keep the dog at rest
After all the treatment, make sure that your dog takes enough rest and does not use his feet at least for 30 minutes. The vet may prescribe some medication to control the pain, give them regularly.
If you do not keep the dog off his feet, then it may bleed again, and it becomes more difficult to stop the dog’s nail bleeding.
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.”
Josh Billings
How to avoid the cutting of quick/blood vessels?
The quick is an area rich in blood vessels, and that is why it bleeds profusely. In white nails, the quick is easily visible as it is somehow darker and pinkish shade. In the black nails, quick identification becomes problematic.
So, in this case, to avoid the cutting of Quick blood vessel, cut the nails in small steps. A Dremel is a nail clipper that cuts the nail in stages, and you do not need to worry about cutting of Quick.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, the above methods will soothe down the pain of your dog at the time of nail bleeding. It’s best and recommended to consult your veterinarian, in case the toenail bleeding continues in your dog.
Let me know in the comments, how’re you treating nail bleeding problems in your dogs and what all steps you’ve taken!
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