West Highland White, Nails

The nails should be kept in good trim, long nails can cause the dog to rock back on his paws, causing strain on his legs and interfering with his gait.

Sometimes, dog nails grind down if the dog exercises on concrete. Otherwise, the nails should be trimmed regularly. Nail trimmers are available at pet supply stores for the job.

Dog nails have a blood supply or quick but the end of the nails are dead tissue and can be clipped without pain. The trick is to trim as close to the quick as possible without actually cutting it and causing it to bleed. The quick appears as a dark line in white nails but is almost impossible to see in darn nails. The best way to begin trimming is to clip only the sharp, curved portion of the nail and then work back a bit towards the paw. Clip only a small bit at a time to avoid trouble.

Not a job you should do, unless you can clearly see the quick, and are confident..

Better still, use a nail file not a cutter