What to do for an injured toenail on a dog

The Humane Society of the United States recommends basic first aid if your dog tears a nail. If you leave the nail your dog may snag it and youll be treating another injury.

If your vets not open give your local animal hospital a ring for advice.

What to do for an injured toenail on a dog. If your dog yelps in pain and suddenly begins to limp or hold his paw up check his foot for a broken nail and follow this treatment protocol. Safely restrain your dog. Have someone hold your pet while you tend to the nail.

Remember that even the nicest pet may bite when in pain. A muzzle may help avoid injury. If the nail is cracked the dog should be given a sedative because the nail should be trimmed.

If the crack is vertical you should visit the vet because the crack may extend as the nail grows. If the nail is torn or broken it should be trimmed until the point of the injury. The Humane Society of the United States recommends basic first aid if your dog tears a nail.

With a clean cloth or gauze square apply pressure to the nail for about five minutes. You can also put some styptic powder on the site. Wrap the paw with cotton gauze.

Wrap the entire paw including the toes with the cotton gauze. Go up below the wrist when wrapping the paw leaving about 2-3 inches of the tape uncovered by the gauze. You want to have a thick layer of padding with the cotton gauze so wrap the cotton around 4 to 5 times.

Maintenance nail-trimming is imperative for dogs who have dewclaws to prevent them from growing too long and predisposing them to injury. In the case that your dog does injure a nail it is best to see your veterinarian for assessment and treatment to prevent a. Reduce the risk of injury by keeping your dogs nails trimmed so they do not catch on grass twigs or other objects.

Trim the hair between the pads to prevent slipping. Never surgically remove your dogs dewclaws. Treatment of Torn Toenail in Dogs.

Treatment for a torn toenail in dogs takes several distinctive steps. First the veterinarian will inspect the area after which damaged portions may be removed. Upon carefully inspecting the toenail sedation may be needed.

Cover up the injured claw until it can regrow and persuade your dog to leave the homemade dressing alone. That may be the real challenge and we recommend a bitter apple spray or other tart wound-dressing of choice to deter them from chewing on it. Treating a Broken Toe in a Dog.

Depending on which toe in the foot is broken a splint or cast may be used to keep the broken bone isolated until it can heal. 1 On rare occasions surgery to place a pin in the broken bone may be needed. Pain and anti-inflammatory medications are usually prescribed to help a dog with a broken toe feel better.

Toenail problems specifically torn or broken nails are common in dogs but rarely life-threatening. Nevertheless they are quite painful. Nails often get snagged on fabric or carpet fibers and in an attempt to dislodge the attached material your dog might pull away tearing the nail in the process.

Wash the paws of your dog with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. This will keep him away from licking his injured nail bed because dogs are not fond of vinegar. In addition to this purpose vinegar being an excellent antiseptic is also useful for the healing process.

The Bottom Line on Treating Nail Bed Infections in Dogs. Call your vet and explain the situation. He may ask you to come in or instruct you to keep an eye on the wound.

If your vets not open give your local animal hospital a ring for advice. If for some reason you cannot get the bleeding to stop your vet or. How to Prevent Broken Toenails on Your Dog.

Prevention starts with keeping your dogs toenails short which means getting him accustomed to having his feet handled and examined for toenail trims. Typically this is done by pairing the process with high-value food such a small pieces of liver chicken or cheese. If so using your fingers remove the claw with a quick pull.

If you leave the nail your dog may snag it and youll be treating another injury. If yanking the dew claw prompts more bleeding apply gauze and styptic or your clotting paste. Clean the injured site with a.

If you think your dog has a nail injury take the time to closely inspect the paw. Stop any bleeding and clean the area if your dog will allow you. If only the keratin part of the nail was injured you should be able to trim off any sharp edges and then monitor the paw.

April 2 2008 643pm CST. So my dog is thoroughly enjoying her huge backyard and the fact she doesnt need a leash anymore. She came in today bleeding profusely and I noticed one of her nails was ripped in half lengthwise and almost right down to her pad.

Most of the nail was hanging off at an odd angle. I called the vet and she said to cut. Major Nail Bleeds Nail Breaks in Dogs A toenail that breaks near the base will bleed profusely so apply gentle and steady pressure to the area and immediately take your pet to your family veterinarian.

You should also take your pet immediately to the vet if bleeding does not stop or if the toenail remains partially attached. Why Dogs Dislike Nail Trims. Youll need to visit your vets office if the nail is cracked more than 25 percent of the way.

A cracked dog nail is extremely painful and can take weeks to heal and grow out which can cause your dog unneeded pain. Once at your vets office theyll sedate your dog and clean up. The dogs nail is cracked or broken but is loosely attached.

The dogs nail is cracked or broken but remains firmly attached. Heres what to do if its a. When the nail is fully broken off and theres some mild bleeding its a best case scenario if the bleeding continues though that may be worrisome.

The use of harsh roadside deicers the dry winter air and cold inclement weather can encourage this problem with dogs who have brittle nails. To keep this from developing we recommend regular grooming with toenail trims and nail care at home. Or allow the professionals at ULPS help you assess the health of your dogs nails.

If you allow your dogs nails to grow too long it can hurt their paws when they walk and run. Overgrown nails can happen to dogs who dont spend a lot of time outside. It also happens to dogs who spend more time on grass than on concrete or hard surfaces.

Harder surfaces can naturally file down your dogs nails.