My dog's long nail looks infected. Is it serious and what should I do?

It does look like there is some discharge/pus around the nail bed and I would recommend getting it rechecked by your vet, if confirmed she may require a course of antibiotics. Bathing the are in saline/salted water and drying carefully will help to freshen the area in the meantime. If she is very lame x-rays may need to be considered to rule out underlying factors behind the lost nail/swollen toe

It sounds like it is infected. You could soak his paw in a warm Epsom salt solution and see if that helps. He should also be examined by a vet as he will probably need an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory to help treat the problem.

It’s possible but some dogs do show a preference for chewing on one set of nails versus another. Check to make sure there is not redness on the skin or discharge between the paw pads. If you see anything like that then it could be infected and she should see the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, sorry to hear about King. The nail looks like it may have broken at the base and may now be infected. The rest of the nail has likely lost its blood supply and therefore its changing colors. He will likely need to have this toe-nail removed under sedation and his local infection treated. Typically, nails grow back in a few weeks and the infection clears up in a couple of days with treatment. He may also require a light bandage to keep the site protected while it heals. Have your veterinarian take a closer look to determine what the best treatment for King is. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Swelling, pain/discomfort and itch, redness, discharge of the area involved are all possible signs. From what you described it may be possible that the nail bed is infected or there may even be a comminute fracture of the last phalanx. A check up is unfortunately needed to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

It looks a little red and inflamed so it could be an infection. You could soak his paw in a warm Epsom salt solution and see if that helps. Otherwise, have your vet take a look at him as he may need an antibiotic to treat the infection.

Yes, something like this can become easily infected. It does look a bit swollen and that can be one of the first signs of infection. I do think you should probably take her to the vet sooner if you can. In the meantime you can apply this wound spray to it a few times a day. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-wound-and-skin-care-for-dogs )