My dog's lost toenail won't heal; why is he still limping?

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.

Sorry that Myles is having this issue. This is every concerning. If he just had a simple torn nail it would have healed by now. The way you are describing it sounds like a tumor to me. Especially with his breed and age. I strongly recommend you get him back to your vet ASAP for a biopsy of that toe. This is very concerning. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes.

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Reggie. I do not recommend giving him the cephalexin as you do not know for sure why his toe is sore. While he could have an infection, he could also have a wound, broken toe nail, a fracture or foreign object in the paw. Antibiotics are needed in some of these circumstances, but not all. He will need to see his veterinarian to determine the source of the lameness and the best treatment option for him. I hope this information helps!

Poor Rocky. The swelling can indicate infection and limping means he is in pain. Unfortunately there are no OTC pain relievers you can give him, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. You should take him into a vet now to have him treated. I hope this helps!

Poor Spike Lee (love his name!). No, unfortunately you can't treat this yourself, an infection requires oral antibiotics to treat and only a vet can prescribe them for him. I would take him into the vet tomorrow to have his nail treated. Tonight, you can try soaking his foot in an Epsom salt bath to give him some temporary relief. I hope this helps!

It is very difficult to tell from these photos, it is possible that your dog's toe nail became slightly torn/detached from the underlying nail bed and you are seeing the separation here. We can, however, occasionally see nail bed tumors. I would recommend a visit with your vet to better examine the area. If it is a loose toenail they may need to trim it back to make it more comfortable until it grows back in normally. This can be very tough to do at home because often these guys are painful so trimming the nail back can be really difficult without skilled help!