My dog's painful ingrown nail: Should I trim it or wait for the vet?

I think as long as you schedule a visit on Monday Bertie should be okay. I'd recommend getting a E-collar to prevent Bertie from licking the nail as this may result in infection. You can also soak the foot in a diluted chlorohexidine or diluted iodine solution and then rinse thoroughly. If Bertie stops eating, acts lethargic, starts limping, or is obsessively trying to lick the nail then it would be better to get him to a veterinarian sooner. If he remains otherwise normal I think you are okay in waiting until Monday. Torn nails can be pretty painful, but please remember there are no safe over the counter pain medications for dogs so you will need a prescription from a vet for pain meds. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Bertie's issue resolves quickly!

I would cut the nail as it can grow into the pad causing pain and infection. Clean the pad with hydrogen peroxide afterwards. If he's still lame then bring him in Tuesday for an exam as the lameness may not be caused by the nail. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Marley.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.im so sorry to hear about Dexter. You’ll need to see a vet for this. They will cut the nail, remove it from the pad, clean the wound with antiseptic and probably prescribe an antibiotic and a pain medication. After that, I recommend frequent nail trims (every 2-4 weeks for long nails) to help prevent this from happening. Best wishes to you and Dexter!

Your dog will likely need to be sedated in order to examine the nails and treat the injured nail. At the same time you should have the other nails shortened. It is unlikely that this can be done at the walk in clinic. You can call the store and find out. Otherwise I suggest you find a veterinary office that is open today and have the nail taken care of today, as this is very painful.

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.

That one will likely need to be clipped past the split to alleviate the pressure and pain. Because doing that can be painful and typically requires a bandage for the bleeding, your vet needs to do it so they can use sedation to control the pain! If it is not bleeding you can wait until the morning for your vet to open