My dog lost a nail. Should I take him to the vet for infection?

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

Aw, I bet that stings for sure! If the nails were pulled completely and cleanly, they aren't likely to become heavily infected. If there are remnants left behind, they rest needs to be dealt with by a veterinarian so they can grown back in properly. As for the chunk of tissue missing, this has a much higher likelihood for complications from infection. Since I can not see it, I can't say whether or not it needs to be assessed, closed, sutured, stapled etc. You may want to have someone take a look at it. If not, make sure to flush the area with some chlorhexidine solution, keep it clean as possible, make sure that Teddy can't lick the area (use an e-collar), and possibly apply topical antimicrobial ointment. Teddy would likely benefit from some pain medication and antibiotics, but a vet visit would definitely be required to obtain those. Hope this is helpful!

I think it would be best if you take him to the vet for a wound clean-up, and exam whether there is more than just a stripped nail. Your veterinarian will likely want to bandage the paw and give your dog pain medicine and an antibiotic so that the bacteria in that area cannot cause an infection.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hank. I am concerned that his toe is not healing. Infections in the nail and digit can be hard to treat. Sometimes aggressive antibiotics are needed. I will usually prescribe two separate antibiotics for a broader spectrum of coverage. However, I am always suspicious of cancer when there is a non-healing on a toe. In this case, you may discuss amputation with 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.

Not dangerous, but it does hurt a lot. I would recommend taking Colossus to the vet tomorrow. Some types of nail damage may need oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. You will need to prevent him from licking since it will delay healing and can lead to infection. You can cover the foot with a sock or have him wear an e-collar.

The nail seems attached but the nail bed is infected. The pink tissue seems inflamed but I would not jump to surgery yet. You can keep the area clean with soap and water and apply neosporin. the most important part is to stop him from licking it by getting an e collar or putting a baby sock over it. He does need to see a vet for antibiotics to see if it can heal as an open wound with that. IF that is not successful then they will go towards the surgery route