Begin trimming your Pug’s nails when she is two- or three-months old. Her first few weeks with you is a training period during which you should routinely snip off the nail tips once a week. Cut only the tips because you do not want to risk causing pain and bleeding by getting a nail too short. From youth until old age, her nails should be quickly examined every time she is groomed and should be trimmed when necessary.

As Pugs ages and becomes less active, she will undoubtedly require more frequent nail care. If you see her chewing her nails or hear her nails clicking on the tile, they need attention. Carpet and soft lawns cause very little nail wear. If she spends the majority of time on those surfaces, her nails may need trimming once a week. If you routinely take her walking on concrete sidewalks or asphalt trails, her nails may require trimming once a month or less.

Nail Trimming

Pugs’ toenail is a horny, layered structure that grows outward and downward from the last digit of each toe. The quick or nail bed is very sensitive and contains several tiny blood vessels and sensory nerves. Pug nails are black, and the delineation between nail bed and insensitive nail is nearly impossible to see. If cut too deeply, pain and bleeding result. If toenails are trimmed regularly, the quick will remain significantly behind the tip of the nail. If nails are not worn off or trimmed, the quick gradually grows toward the tip of the nail.

Small wooden sticks coated with silver nitrate solution are best for stopping nail bleeding and are usually available from veterinarians, pet supply stores, or pharmacies. Numerous other blood stoppers are available as well, including a styptic shaving stick, which is the least expensive. Groomers often drag the bleeding nail across, digging it deeply into, a bar of soap. After stopping the bleeding, put your Pug in her crate or pen for an hour to prevent recurrence.

No special training is required, but don’t begin the project unless you are committed to finishing it correctly. If she squirms and whines, speak gently, assuring her that she isn’t being sacrificed. Proceed with the task, following the directions carefully. Nail trimming takes a steady hand and an easygoing technique. It is easy to cut a little too deeply, but a few drops of blood do not constitute an emergency. Have your styptic products at hand and hope you won’t need them.

• Place your Pug on a table covered with a bathtub mat.
• With your helper steadying her, pick up a foot and grip it in your left hand, not too tightly but with authority and tightly enough to prevent withdrawal.
• Spread her toes with slight pressure from the thumb of your left hand.
• Examine the underside of the nail under a bright light. Her toenail appears somewhat like a slightly curved letter “V” lying on its side. The pointed tip of the “V” is hollow, and the base of the “V” is solid and sensitive.
• Start at the tip and snip off a thin slice of nail. Then snip another slice. Closely watch the cross-section of each slice as you proceed.
• In the first slice, the underside of the nail is hollow. As you continue to snip toward her toe, each slice will become more solid. When you near the quick, the slice is nearly filled. Stop trimming at that point. One more slice and the nail will bleed.

If you accidentally cut into the quick and your Pug cries out and yanks her foot away, don’t despair. No permanent damage will result, and your Pug will forgive you if you promise to try not to repeat the error. Don’t panic or cry out. If you get excited, she will recognize your discomfort and fidget even more. Instead, catch hold of the injured foot, locate the bleeding nail, and apply a moderate amount of digital pressure to the toe to stop the bleeding.

With your free hand, apply a styptic stick to the bleeding nail for a minute or two. (If you are using powder, dampen a cotton swab, roll the swab in the powder, and hold it to the bleeding nail.) The hemorrhage will stop, and you can proceed with the nail trimming. If it continues to bleed, repeat the treatment.

Supplies for Nail Trimming

• Sharp, well-made nail trimmers. Do not buy a bargain brand. Two varieties are found in pet supply stores, a guillotine-type ($6) and a scissor-type ($8). Many Pug owners prefer the scissor-type, but either will perform the task quite nicely.
• A styptic shaving stick from the drugstore ($2.50) or styptic liquid ($10) from a pet supply store.
• Cotton swabs.
• A helper to hold your Pug puppy quiet while you are trimming the nails.

Note: A canine nail file available at pet supply stores ($3.50) may be used with excellent success instead of a nail trimmer.