My dog's dew claw hurts after snow play. Should I take her to the vet?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend taking her in to the vet to have this cut back so that the nail does not snag on anything and tear. She may need an antibiotic as well as a pain medication. Angel will be ok and it does not appear that there are any other concerning changes where the broken nail is. This should be quite simple for the veterinarian to address. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can be quite painful. I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can consider removing the dew claw to take the source of pain away or it can be treated with pain medications and antibiotics for instance. In the meantime, keep him from being able to reach it as he will likely want to lick or chew at it which can make it a lot worse. You may use an e-collar for that purpose. Good luck!

Hello. Ouch! Morty did break the nail at the quick. Honestly, it would be best to take Morty to your vet & just clip the nail off. It will hurt for a second, but leaving the nail like this will cause constant pain, & may lead to an infection up the nail bed. Your vet can dress this properly & send Morty home with some antibiotics & pain medication that will help this to heal quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Harley! Torn toe nails (including dew claws) are common injuries, and thankfully are not medical emergencies so she should be ok until morning. If you can see a nail that appears broken, sometimes soaking in an epsom salt bath for 5-10 minutes twice daily can a bit. You can either soak the affected paw in a little bucket of epsom water, or you can fill the tub 2-3 inches and have her stand in it. However, if any of this causes her stress or she resists it, then I wouldn't push it - she could get more hurt if she's struggling against you. Otherwise, I recommend keeping her on level ground when she needs to go outside, so she's not accidentally bending that nail, and keep her as quiet as possible until she can be seen by your vet. I do NOT recommend giving her anything for pain. None of our human medications are going to be safe or effective, and anything you give her could interfere with a better medication that your vet may want to prescribe. Hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is unfortunately nothing you can give for pain that is over the counter. What you can do though that may help prevent further injury and pain is to keep her as quiet as possible and to try to keep her from licking at it until the appointment as that in itself can help with pain. Other than that, your veterinarian will do the rest tomorrow. Have a good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Poor Molly!! It sounds like she may have ripped it off somehow. Dogs don't need their dew claws; in fact, some breeders have them removed them from their puppies. If it is not bleeding, I recommend monitoring Molly's toe for now. You can gently clean it with warm warm and antibacterial soap. Keep it clean and dry, and keep her from licking the area. Use an Ecollar if necessary. Monitor the area for redness, swelling, and heat, which are signs of infection. If you see any of those signs, she has an infection, and she will need to see a vet right away for antibiotics.

There are two choices: 1) take your dog to the vet and have the ripped claw removed. 2) Observe and it may heal, but it also may get infected and then you would need to take your dog to the vet to have the claw removed.