My dog has a painful split nail and is limping. What should I do?

If the nail is pushing into the skin or badly curled, it could be causing some pain and even infection if it digs deep enough. It would be best to try and get Mars to the vet to have the nail trimmed back, any wound from it treated, and antibiotics started to keep it from getting infected. If it hasn't dug into the skin yet, you might see if Mars will let you trim the nail back enough. You may need to trim it in small amounts over a period of weeks to get it trimmed back far enough. If the nail is trimmed back too far, it may bleed, however styptic powder or cornstarch can be used to treat any bleeding.

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.

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.

I recommend booking an appointment with a veterinarian to have Lexie’s nail evaluated, as it is likely causing her pain, as indicated by the limping. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to your pup without consulting with your vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe safe medication to help with the pain, and can clean and treat the injury to help reduce the risk of infection. In the meantime, I recommend putting an e-collar (cone) on Lexie to help prevent her from licking her paw an reduce the risk of infection. I hope Lexie feels better soon!

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.

Poor Chia - yes she has pulled the hard part of her nail off and the photos show she must be painful as she is holding her foot off the ground. I expect she'll try to lick the area which can make things worse so try to prevent her doing this by putting a sock over her foot, using an e-collar or cone if you have one. For first aid you can apply/ clean the toe by soaking it in a bowl of warm water with a couple of teaspoons of salt in - which is antiseptic. You can cover her foot with a dog shoe or boot which are sold at pet stores. For pain I recommend taking her to see her vet tomorrow. Please do not give her any human pain medicines which can be toxic to dogs. The nail will grow back slowly but the red area will be sensitive and sore for a few days until it dries up.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Devon. Poor boy! Limping means he is in pain, and the fact that he bites you when you try to touch it means he's really hurt. I would take him into a vet now. The vet can sedate him, and can remove the rest of the nail safely. He will also need pain medications and antibiotics, which the vet can prescribe. I recommend taking him into a vet immediately. I hope this helps!