My dog drags her paws, has worn nails, exposed quick. Is she in pain?

Poor Chia - yes she has pulled the hard part of her nail off and the photos show she must be painful as she is holding her foot off the ground. I expect she'll try to lick the area which can make things worse so try to prevent her doing this by putting a sock over her foot, using an e-collar or cone if you have one. For first aid you can apply/ clean the toe by soaking it in a bowl of warm water with a couple of teaspoons of salt in - which is antiseptic. You can cover her foot with a dog shoe or boot which are sold at pet stores. For pain I recommend taking her to see her vet tomorrow. Please do not give her any human pain medicines which can be toxic to dogs. The nail will grow back slowly but the red area will be sensitive and sore for a few days until it dries up.

Hello. Mopsy is definitely in pain, otherwise she would be using the paw. She may have somehow sprained her foot/leg. or she may have torn a nail close to the quick. It may be best to have Mopsy examined by your vet so that the origin of her pain & discomfort can be found. Usually these things are pretty simple, but do require some investigating to find the source of the pain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While it is hard to say exactly what is going on without seeing a photo, it is possible that Devon somehow broke his nails. The blood you are seeing may be due to the quick, or the small blood vessel that runs through each nail being exposed. This is pretty painful and can be why Devon is constantly licking. I recommend getting him an E-collar or “cone” to prevent him from licking and causing further trauma and having him seen by a vet who may prescribe pain medication. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Ouch, poor Naria. If the nail is completely removed and exposing the nail bed, keep the toe as clean as possible to try to prevent infection. For my patients that have done this, I typically will place them on oral antibiotics and analgesics (pain medication) to prevent infection and keep them comfortable while the nail regrows. Some nails will not regrow normally if the nailbed was also injured. If Naria is limping on the affected paw, or the toe becomes swollen I would recommend having her seen by her veterinarian for appropriate medications to be dispensed.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. It is worrisome that he is dragging his paws. This can be indicative of a neurological problem. He may have damaged his neck or back during the fight. He may need x-rays as well as medication to decrease inflammation around his spinal cord, muscle relaxants and pain medications. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs and interfere with ones prescribed by his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Please don't give any over-the-counter pain medications; they can be toxic to dogs at even low doses and giving them will confound your vet's ability to treat the pain with appropriate medications. The reality is that most of these nail injuries end up getting infected, and even if there's no infection they are exquisitely painful. You can compare it to losing your fingernail completely, but then having to walk on the uncovered cuticle. Patch likely needs to have the area numbed and the remaining nail pulled, then have a very soft/cushioning bandage placed, followed by antibiotics and pain medication. Please take him in to see his vet as soon as you can for this.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Meatball. Her toenail looks like it just needs to be trimmed back. Unless it is split or broken somewhere that I can't see from the picture, it is unlikely related to her recent bout of lameness. If she is seems to have problems with that limb after trimming her nails, then she see needs to see her veterinarian. I hope this information helps!