My small dog's nail is torn and bleeding. How do I treat it at home?

Poor guy. His nail is bleeding because the kwik (nail nerve) is exposed there. You will need to go to the pet store and pick up Kwik-stop styptic powder and apply it to the exposed kwik (pink area) underneath the nail to get this to stop. Petsmart, Petco or any other local pet store should have this readily available for you to pick up. If they are not open, any vet clinic will be more than happy to apply this for you, because every clinic has this in stock. You don't have to stop walking him, but perhaps he will need another application of the kwik stop if he starts bleeding again. Also you can try walking him on the ground (dirt) instead of cement, which should be less abrasive on his nails. : ) I hope that you can get Hobbes nail to stop bleeding soon. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This appears to be a simple torn nail. Even though this looks really scary, it’s not usually a big deal. Gently clean the area with diluted iodine or plain warm water. If you have nail clippers, clip that nail as short as you feel comfortable doing. If the nail is dangling, sometimes it will come right off, leaving that red inner hub. If there is bleeding, just apply pressure with a clean cloth until it stops. If Izzy is licking it, put her in an E-collar 24 hours a day for about 3 days. And that’s it. As long as you keep it clean, most simple torn nails will grow in on their own within a month. If anything looks odd, it’s not healing, it’s smelly, or anything concerns you, it’s time to see the vet. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Izzy!

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.

You can use both. A thin layer of iodine ointment will serve to help prevent infection. The Woun’ dres can be applied over it. If Caesar is likely to lick it, I recommend an e-collar. He may chew and eat a bandage if he isn’t wearing an e-collar. Bandages are also tricky because they can trap moisture and can tighten, cutting off circulation to the paw. I would continue applying both three times a day until the nail bed appears completely dry and scabbed over. You can place a toddler sock or a bootie over the paw when you take Caesar outside to pee and poop but I would avoid long walks for the next week. Good luck!

Soak it in soap and warm water to keep it clean. Once it is dry you can place medicated powder in between the toes to help minimize moisture to dry it out. You can place neosporin around the nail bed also. If this does not help then you will need to see a vet

I think it would be best if you take him to the vet for a wound clean-up, and exam whether there is more than just a stripped nail. Your veterinarian will likely want to bandage the paw and give your dog pain medicine and an antibiotic so that the bacteria in that area cannot cause an infection.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These lesions tend to heal rather quickly. As long as there is no actual deep cut (which I cannot appreciate in the picture), you may be able to treat him at home. To speed up the healing process, you may proceed with diluted epsom salt soaks every 8 hours for 3 days. If not improving or worsening, have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Make sure to dry up his pads well after soaks. Good luck and have a great day!