My dog's toenail came off and is bleeding. Does he need a vet or OTC?

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 Tandy! If the bleeding has stopped, then an emergency visit isn't need. I would gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep her from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on her. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and she will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. Best of luck.

That definitely sounds pretty painful for Brutis. If you are saying that his entire nail came off, this should probably be assessed. It will be important to make sure that there are no shards left so that it can grow back in properly. Additionally, the veterinarian will be able to provide you with some pain medication and anti inflammatory medication to provide him. Depending on his lifestyle, an antibiotic to prevent secondary infection could also be indicated. If the area is pretty clean right now and it is unlikely to become very dirty, you can try covering it or wrapping the area to prevent it from becoming soiled. At the vet it might also be useful to take an x-ray of the foot to make sure no bones were broken during the event. Hope this helps!

Poor baby. I would definitely go to the vet for that one. The groomer could pull it off, but there could be a lot of pain and bleeding. At the vet they can sedate him if needed, as well as send him home with a few days of pain medications or even antibiotics if he's been licking at it a lot.

It sounds like he tore off the nail. You can stop the bleeding using styptic powder, it’s what men use after cutting themselves shaving. I would get a cone to prevent licking, they should have them at Walmart or PetCo. I wouldn’t wrap the foot but soaking it in warm water to clean it after it stops bleeding will help prevent infection. Leaving it open to the air will let it dry and toughen up. There is no safe over the counter pain medication, especially for a small dog like yours. This shouldn’t be that painful after a day or so, just limit the walking to short potty walks only. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Koda.

Hello. This is such a common injury in dogs. Veterinarians deal with this by cutting the nail at the break & then applying an antibiotic cream mixed with a little lidocaine to stop the pain. The foot stays bandaged for a couple of days until the sensitive tissue starts to heal. From here, the nail will begin to grow out & Jack will be back to his old self. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ouch poor Delilah, that looks quite painful! She won't put weight on it because it hurts her a lot and unfortunately there are no OTC pain relievers you can give her. Many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Yes in this case, she does need to see a vet for this. I would take her into a vet now. I hope you are ok after the hurricane!