My dog has a split nail. Can I treat it at home or does he need a vet?

Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily for 5 days. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). If the wound does not heal in 5 days a check up would be required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily at least for the next 4 days. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. If not healing by then a check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics are needed to solve the problem, but disinfection can be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily for 4-5 days). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking.

This may be a resistant infection or the area may keep getting reinfected because it is in a highly mobile spot where contamination is very easy (the foot). I would recommend taking your dog back to the vet for a recheck and having her sedated for the examination. This way the doctor will be able to closely examine the toe and the nail. The doctor will then be able to clip the nails back far enough to hopefully remove the problem. There is also a specific disease of the toenails that may need long-term treatment from specific medications. This is an auto-immune disease, lipoid onchodystrophy, and has a very specific presentation. Your vet should be able to determine if your dog has this condition with a thorough exam. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

This presentation could be due to a trauma (foreign body lesion/abscess) or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. This is not an emergency but needs to be seen as soon as your vet is open during normal hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor guy. Since its split down the middle there with nerve exposure, I would recommend getting him seen for this for sure. We just want to make sure it doesn't get infected or is causing Hendrix any pain. I hope that Hendrix's nail injury gets resolved soon! Best wishes and take care.

This presentation could be due localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.