If your dog's nails grow too long, don't try to cut them all at once. Instead, ask your vet or hairdresser for help. The nails will most likely need to be trimmed little by little to allow them to be removed quickly. Fortunately, it's quite rare for an infection to occur from a toenail cut that is too short, but I would still try to prevent your dog from licking his nail if possible.
From your description, I'm not sure if this is the case or not, but if the nail is broken or cracked near the base, it can be quite painful (even if your dog doesn't show you that it's painful). To trim your nails at home, make sure you use a nail clipper suitable for your dog's size or you could cut a large part of the nail too quickly. In most cases, the nail will continue to bleed when you meet your puppy, although the vet will apply a powder to coagulate the nail and stop the bleeding, along with a wrap to prevent infection from entering. It seems that your puppy was not carried away by the experience, but if he seems wary of cutting his nails in the future, be sure to combine holding the paw, holding the trimmer and then trimming his nails with positive things such as treats, toys or attention.
Accidentally trimming a toenail that's too short is easy to do, but thankfully the risk of infection is low in most situations, so there's usually no need to take special precautions to control infections, such as antibiotics or aggressive scrubbing the nail. Hi Donna, I wouldn't expect a dog to lift a leg from a fingernail being too short a day or more after the experience. To use the powder, apply it to the bleeding nail with your finger or throw it on the lid of the container and immerse your dog's nail in it. Your dog can lick his paws for a variety of reasons, including pain, but if you check his nails and see that they are too long, a cut could solve the problem.
If the piece of nail that was cut too short is too small, once the bleeding has stopped, you can allow your dog to return to normal activities. Some people claim to have used a pet nail clipper to cut a hanging part of the nail just above the broken or broken tip. Your main “recovery” goal is to help your dog relax to cut his nails in the future and associate it with positivity, not pain or fear. I ended up finding information to apply pressure to the nail with a clean cloth or cotton ball and then packing the injured nail with cornstarch, flour, or baking soda.
