What Is the Cuticle on a Dog's Nail Called?

It̵7;s often easy to mislabel parts of a dog̵7;s anatomy based on similarities to your own. One such example is the dog̵7;s nails. Dogs' nails are different to your own in a number of important ways. Although it may appear that your dog̵7;s nail has a cuticle, it actually doesn̵7;t. There is an area of contrasting color on the dog̵7;s nail that resembles the human cuticle, but that̵7;s where the similarity ends.

  1. The Quick

    • The quick is often erroneously referred to as the cuticle. This is most likely because the quick is a different color to the rest of the nail, as the cuticle is in humans. However, while the function of the human cuticle is to protect the delicate nail, the quick has a much more important job. The quick contains blood vessels and nerves, making it very sensitive to pain and also a source of bleeding.

    Difference Between Human Nails and Dog Nails

    • The main difference between human and dog nails is that people's nails contain no blood vessels. A chipped or broken nail may be painful, but there is no risk of blood loss unless the nail cuts through the skin of the nail bed. In dogs, however, the quick runs the majority of the length of the nail. There is only a small section of nail at the end into which the quick doesn̵7;t reach. Naturally, this section extends as the nail grows, but since the act of walking wears down a dog̵7;s nails, it is rare that this section achieves much length.

    Safe Grooming

    • When cutting your dog̵7;s nails, it is imperative to avoid cutting the quick. To keep the quick intact, closely observe the nail before cutting. If you look close enough, you̵7;ll see where the pink of the quick ends. Aim to trim just below the quick.

    Dealing with a Cut Quick

    • If you accidentally cut the quick of a dog̵7;s nail, use a styptic pencil or silver nitrate to stem the bleeding. The dog will likely experience a high degree of pain if you cut his quick, so do your best to calm him. You may need to allow him to calm down before you apply the styptic pencil to the quick.