Problem with dog's nails

I took my dog to a grooming shop the other day to get its nails clipped, but the person said I’d waited too long and that the veins had grown out to the end. She clipped a little bit but said she couldn’t clip anymore. Does this mean my dog can never get her nails clipped? Can I file them down? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Long walks on concrete can help wear them down, especially if your dog pulls.

Having your dog’s nails clipped isn’t that important as the nail will eventually break. My dogs are 11 & 12 years old and have never their nails clipped once they became big enough to put up a fight.

Here’s a funny story:

We let the beagle sleep on the basement couch. One evening I sat down on the floor in front of the couch with clippers in hand, and watched TV until he began snoring.

I carefully placed the clipper over one nail, clipped it, and pulled my hand away quickly. His eyes opened, he raised his head and looked at me. Soon, he put his down and went back to sleep.

I did the same thing again. Again, he raised his head and looked at me. This went on until I had all the nails on one paw clipped.

Finally, the beagle realized what I was doing. He stood up, then laid back down - with all four paws tucked under him.

Did you know - if the fur around a claw is white, the claw will be transparent and you can see the quick. Clip a little beyond the quick and the dog will feel no pain. If the fur around the claw is any colour other than white, the claw will be black so you can’t see the quick. You can judge where the quick ends by using a transparent claw (on the same or similar dog) for reference. Play safe by clipping the claw well beyond where you think the quick ends.

A friend of mine had a dozen adopted stray dogs that all had greatly overgrown claws. Some of their claws had grown so far around that they were growing into their paw pads. None of the dogs allowed me to clip their claws. Eventually I solved that problem by getting them drunk on a mixture of milk and rum. A drunken dog can be a sorry sight - bumping into things and wetting itself.

As Zoid said, giving the dog adequate exercise on hard, rough surfaces will stop the claws from overgrowing again.

If you cut just a little bit off the nails every couple of days, the quick will recede again.