It's very easy to quick a nail, especially black nails where you can't see the quick. Add to that a dog that jerks its foot, and you have a recipe for a boo-boo. Quicked nails do hurt and can bleed quite a bit. If you quick a nail, take a damp paper towel and apply pressure to the cut part of the nail for a few minutes. If that doesn't stop the bleeding, take a pinch of styptic powder and pack the end of the nail with that and hold pressure on it for a few more minutes. The bleeding should stop.

Another way to fix a quicked nail is to use silver nitrate sticks. You take the end of the stick with the medicine on it and dip it in water — just enough to wet it briefly — then apply it with some pressure to the cut area. You can use a scraping motion to get the medicine on the wound. Silver nitrate does burn, so expect the dog to put up a fuss, but it will clot the bleeding quickly. Most wounds won't need more than one or two silver nitrate sticks.

What if the dog's nail snagged something and it broke off at the base, but now it is just hanging there? In this case, you have to remove the nail. Usually, you can grab the broken nail with hemostats or your fingers, and the dog will inevitably jerk her foot and the nail will come off. Sometimes, you may need to use nail trimmers and cut it off, trying hard not to cut the quick underneath the broken nail. Will it hurt? Yes, so be quick about it. Will it bleed? Probably, so be prepared with styptic powder. It's not pleasant, but it happens. Sometimes you have to be the bad guy and finish the job. Don't worry; it will hurt a lot less after the nail is gone. Keeping your dog's nails short and filed generally prevents this from happening. Keep an eye out for a potential infection at the base of the nail, too. A broken nail can lead to an infected toe in a worst-case scenario.