My dog's ingrown dew claw: Can I remove it at home safely?

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!

Hi Patricia! I'm sorry to hear about your situation - it's kind of you to try and help this dog, and I understand having financial constraints. Unfortunately, it sounds like you really are going to need a vet to help you with this. There are no over-the-counter medications you can give that will be safe and effective for sedating her for something like this - in most cases, injectable sedation is required and the dog must be monitored carefully while she is sedated in case of problems. If the nail has grown into the paw pad, she will also need antibiotics and pain medication for this. You may be able to find a low-cost SPCA clinic that could help, or you could try calling local vet clinics in your area to see if they take payments. Another option would be to apply for Care Credit, which is a payment plan accepted by most veterinarians: www.carecredit.com.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ouch! You will need to pull the black nail that is lifted off the cuticle. If you don't that will be a chronic source of pain and infection. Be very careful doing this as it is painful and Ryder may bite. Have someone help you. Pull hard and fast. It may bleed. If you can't remove it make an appointment with your Vet. Good luck!

The only safe and effective sedatives for dogs are available from the vet. Unfortunately it's illegal for me to recommend using anything, including OTC drugs, because I can't see Duke in person. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for your dog. He's an older dog, and specific drugs may be contraindicated in him due to potential health problems such as heart disease. I'd make an appointment with his vet. The vet can give him a safe sedative and trim the nails for you. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

I would not try to clip it more and just leave it until Monday when you see the vet. Should it become very swollen and ooze pus or your dog whine a lot (pain) you should take Charlee to an emergency room where they will treat this according to the type of injury, give him some pain medicine and possibly antibiotics if there is infection.

Just because the rear dew claws are floppy is not a good enough reason to remove them. Should your dog hurt them frequently they can be removed when needed. Dew claws can be removed under local anesthetic provided the dog is quiet enough to hold still during the procedure. Most vets will not do this procedure unless general anesthesia is applied.

You should take her to the vet as the broken piece may need to be removed. The vet can also prescribe an antibiotic to prevent infection and pain medication to help manage the discomfort. Soaking her paw in a warm Epsom Salt solution might also help.