My dog's injured nail smells bad and isn't healing. Vet needed?

Hello. The nail has indeed split & what you are seeing is the fleshy quick of the nail. My remedy is to snip off the hanging part of the nail & bandage the foot for a few days to protect the sensitive quick until it begins to heal. Your veterinarian can do this quickly & efficiently & Tiny will feeling much better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ouch, poor pup! The nail will have to be cut, but if it's growing into her paw, it may be too painful for you to cut it. Sometimes dogs who have painful nails will not let their owners cut them, and they will have to be sedated by the vet in order to get it done. You can try to cut the nail yourself, and if you are successful, you will need to clean her pad afterwards with an antiseptic soap and warm water. The next day, you can do an epsom salt and warm bath soak with her paw twice a day, and do that for a couple of days. Keep an eye on the area, and if you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, the area is infected and she will need to see a vet for antibiotics. If Bellas doesn't let you cut the nail, I would take her into the vet first thing during normal business hours today or tomorrow so that your vet can cut it for you and clean the area. Don't feed her the night before in case they need to sedate her to get her nail cut.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. It is not likely that the nail became infected that quickly last night and it is more likely that the corn starch mixed with blood and moisture created a bad odor. I would leave the nail unwrapped. If you begin to see pus or any discharge at the site of the broken nail or any swelling of the toe, I would have Zoey examined by a veterinarian as she may need a course of an oral antibiotic. I would suggest soaking the foot in a solution of betadine and saline (so that you have a light brown solution). Soak the foot twice daily for 5-10 minutes at a time for 3-5 days and then stop. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

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

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.

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.

Hello. It appears that Daisy has avulsed the nail off of the sensitive nail bed. You might want to have your vet take a look at this to see if she needs antibiotics or needs to have the foot bandaged. You can soak the foot in warm water, your cleanser & Epsom salts for 10 minutes 2-3 times daily over the weekend, but if she is still having problems, please see your vet. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.