Is my dog's exposed nail quick dangerous after breaking and licking?

If it's not bleeding it may not have injured the quick but I can't tell from the photo. The broken part of the nail needs to be removed and of the break is behind the quick, Loki needs to be sedated and clip behind the break (which is painful so they get sedated). Since you are unable to tell how severe the break is, I recommend to have Loki examined first thing tomorrow morning. Here is a helpful link: https://www.petcoach.co/article/bleeding-torn-toe-nails-in-dogs-puppies/ Tonight have Loki wear an elizabethan collar so he does not lick at it. Restrict the activity today and do not allow him to climb up and down on the couch. He should only be outside on a leash. Tomorrow the vet will access how significant the break is and will remove the broken part of the nail. I hope this helps.

One of our biggest concerns with a broken nail where the quick is exposed is that the dog will infect the area by licking it. In order to prevent that, I will sometimes recommend an e-collar or a having the dog wear a bootie to prevent licking. Some owners decide to bandage the area, but you have to be very careful to keep the bandage clean and dry or it will worsen an infection. If a dog has already licked a quick, I will usually recommend soaking the foot in Epsom Salts (following the instructions on the box for making it up) for 5 minutes then just drying it well. Some dogs are so painful that they will not leave a quick alone and will require pain medications. If at any time the quick is red or has a discharge or odor, then it might be infected and your veterinarian should examine it. The nail should regrow normally and should not need further treatment after that. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Sunny heals quickly. 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!

Yes, it will probably heal on it's own but you must stop him from licking at it. I suggest you use an E-collar and apply this wound spray to the affected nail area until it heals. The top portion of the nail may fall off as it looks like it is separated from the nail bed. Remember, the cone collar must be long enough to go past the end of his nose or he will still be able to lick so be sure to buy the correct size. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-e-collar ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-wound-and-skin-care-for-dogs )

Ouch, poor Rupert! The quick itself should be left alone, but it appears in the picture that there is a long skinny piece of tissue or retained nail on the inner aspect of the quick. If that's the case, it will need to be trimmed back. If you're comfortable taking care of this yourself, you can trim that part back with a dog nail clippers (make sure you are comfortable with what you're doing and know what should and should not be trimmed - do NOT trim the quick itself as that would be very painfu for Rupert!). You can apply a gob of neosporin over the quick, and it may be helpful to cover that area with a clean sock for a few days, as the quick will be very tender, and will bleed easily. If you're not confident to do this yourself, bring Rupert in to the vet and they'll trim back any remaining nail tissue, and will likely apply medicated ointment and place a soft bandage. Monitor Rupert's nail bed over the coming week or two and make sure it is not getting red, swollen, or having discharge, which would indicate a nail bed infection requiring a vet visit and antibiotics. Hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It may be split deeply and hurt a bit or otherwise bother your dog. This is why Walt is licking it There also may be a nailbed infection. I suggest you take Walt to your veterinarian for an exam. Your vet can check the nail for a fracture, infection or injury and help so that it does not bother your dog so much or hurt. It may need to be clipped or removed to aid healing. If you have an e-collar at home, put it on Walt so he cannot lick more bacteria into it. Please schedule an exam with your vet.

Poor Russell. He definitely avulsed his nail. The remaining quick should not be removed and as long as it is not bleeding, it should not pose too much risk. The unfortunate thing is that these are very uncomfortable and can lead to limping as the quick contains lots of sensitive nerves. I would limit his activity for several days and do not allow him to lick it. It will slowly start to dry out and the nail may regrow. There's potential that the nail may not grow normally and will require more frequent cutting.