Bleeding toenail

[kiddingru]

I cut my dogs nail and accidently cut one of the hind paw nails too short. I tried flour, soap, and finally one of those nic fix sticks to no avail. my husband dabbed on some ozonol ointment and it did stop the bleeding but I am concerned. Is there a really good way to avoid this in the future and is there a quick and easier remedy? I even invested in an expensive pair of nail clippers with a safety guard that stops you from cutting to much.

[kobieeli]

I hate it when I do that to my dogs, too! Makes you feel so bad...

I'm not familiar with a "nic fix stic," but one thing that works great to stop bleeding is styptic powder or a styptic pencil. You can get this in the grooming section at any pet store. Dab it on and the nail will stop bleeding. That, combined with the safety-guard clippers, is probably all you can do!

If your dog has dark nails, that makes it particularly hard to trim them to the right length. If my dogs had black nails I'd be too paranoid to cut them myself and just have the vet's office do it!

What kind of dog do you have? Feel free to share pictures (hint hint)!

[Dixieland Dancer]

You need to purchase some Stop Quik powder at the Pet store. There are other brands available but I have found they get as hard as a brick and not usuable in a short time. Stop Quik is the best! You just dab some on your pets nail and it stops the bleeding immediately.

[Corinna]

I have to watch every penny so nothing fancy just good ole fashison baking soda . Little messier but a whole lot cheaper and you always have it around.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Does anybody know what's actually IN a styptic pencil or powder? What is the active ingredient or how do they work??

Dad's purdy careful when he's "choppin feet", but SmokeMan and I are often kinda jerkey and sometimes help to make a "klose kut" which results in sum "leakage" . We usually get a biskit and then get sent on an "outie" to disperse the red stuff onna grass instead of the carpets.

Another dog person once said she used Super Glue to stop nail bleeding - but we've heard that the glue can "sting". There is a medical version of Super Glue which is often used in place of stitches for humans - anybody ever tried that?

[kobieeli]

Does anybody know what's actually IN a styptic pencil or powder? What is the active ingredient or how do they work??

Hi Cinder & Smoke!

Our little vial of Kwik Stop brand styptic powder lists the following ingredients: ferric subsulfate, aluminum chloride, diatomite, bentonite, copper sulfate, ammonium chloride, iodophor. I'm certainly no chemistry Nobel laureate here, so what exactly these things are or how they work is pretty much beyond me. Still, many of the chemicals look similar to other recognizable ones I know (like iodine and diatomatious earth). Weird stuff, but it sure works!

[Logan]

I am such a wimp.....this is exactly why I don't do my dog's nails myself, but have them trimmed every 2-3 months by the vet or the groomer. Plus, they walk often on asphalt and their nails don't seem to get very long, thank goodness!

[TheAntiPam]

The duty of a styptic product is to shrink the blood vessels at the injury site so they stop bleeding. There are many chemicals that can do the job which occur in nature and are not harmful. They just sound intimidating when you spell out their chemical compounds. Potassium aluminum sulfate is one of those chemicals, which can come from alum, a common household compound.

Some styptic products also contain an antibiotic and/or a pain killer which works through the skin (like sprays used on sunburn).

In the list of chemicals on the package, some of the items may be fillers or used to keep the styptic powder from clumping or the liquid from separating.

Better living through chemistry, huh?

[kobieeli]

WOW! Professor AntiPam will be giving all of us a midterm exam on chemical compounds next week, so pay attention class!

[Dixieland Dancer]

Originally posted by Logan:
<STRONG>but have them trimmed every 2-3 months by the vet or the groomer. </STRONG>

Every 2 to 3 months I cut Dixie and Dusty's nails every week or two I like them short and I just love Golden paws that are groomed to have the club looking effect.

As for AntiPam's test.... I think I would fail. I'm not any good with chemistry but I was also impressed by such a thorough and knowledgable explanation. Way to go AntiPam


[ October 12, 2001: Message edited by: Dixieland Dancer ]

[Cinder & Smoke]

Wow! is rite . Kobie listed enuff "stuff" ta make a *bomb*. An Mis Pam kud teach a kemistree klass .

Last time Dad tried to use our lil jar of styptic powder it comed out as a solid klump. He dint unnerstand why - wuz ownlee 25 years old!

Bad news ~ Dad's packin the toe chopperz inna pocket . Means we've been "klikin" too much onna hard floorz. He alluz waits for a rainey day so we soften em up and they're easier to chop. We jest *hate*it* when that happenz!

[TheAntiPam]

*taking a bow*

I have to give credit to my former roommate, who went by the computer name Chemist. Just living in the same house let me absorb some chemical stuff, er knowledge.

As you might guess, someone named Chemist always got asked about how to make bombs and drugs - as if we don't have enough of those already! Fortunately, Chemist knew about good things like soap and cleaning solutions which make our world better.

Good luck to all your toe-clickers out there! Remember, your human doesn't like to trim nails any more than you like having it done!

P.S. For your mid-term test, I expect you to hold your fur baby close and say "STYPTIC" 10 times fast!

[carrie]

A hypo allergenic kids plaster (I have no idea if you guys have another name except Band Aid??!!) wrapped over the nail and left on for long enough works well.

[Logan]

Originally posted by Dixieland Dancer:
<STRONG>

Every 2 to 3 months I cut Dixie and Dusty's nails every week or two I like them short and I just love Golden paws that are groomed to have the club looking effect.

As for AntiPam's test.... I think I would fail. I'm not any good with chemistry but I was also impressed by such a thorough and knowledgable explanation. Way to go AntiPam


[ October 12, 2001: Message edited by: Dixieland Dancer ]</STRONG>

Well, Dixieland, I certainly would cut their nails more often if it was necessary, but mine must be "slow growers".....instead of growing long nails, they get fat...which is a whole different problem! LOL!

A more diligent mom never existed, so believe me, if more frequent nail clippings are in order, those girls have them!! In the winter, they go to the groomer to be bathed every month, and they are clipped then, but I bathe them myself in the summer months, thus the delay.