My dog's dew claw nail is torn. How do I treat it and what to expect?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can be quite painful. I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can consider removing the dew claw to take the source of pain away or it can be treated with pain medications and antibiotics for instance. In the meantime, keep him from being able to reach it as he will likely want to lick or chew at it which can make it a lot worse. You may use an e-collar for that purpose. Good luck!

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!

Ouch, poor Rupert! The quick itself should be left alone, but it appears in the picture that there is a long skinny piece of tissue or retained nail on the inner aspect of the quick. If that's the case, it will need to be trimmed back. If you're comfortable taking care of this yourself, you can trim that part back with a dog nail clippers (make sure you are comfortable with what you're doing and know what should and should not be trimmed - do NOT trim the quick itself as that would be very painfu for Rupert!). You can apply a gob of neosporin over the quick, and it may be helpful to cover that area with a clean sock for a few days, as the quick will be very tender, and will bleed easily. If you're not confident to do this yourself, bring Rupert in to the vet and they'll trim back any remaining nail tissue, and will likely apply medicated ointment and place a soft bandage. Monitor Rupert's nail bed over the coming week or two and make sure it is not getting red, swollen, or having discharge, which would indicate a nail bed infection requiring a vet visit and antibiotics. Hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ouch! You will need to pull the black nail that is lifted off the cuticle. If you don't that will be a chronic source of pain and infection. Be very careful doing this as it is painful and Ryder may bite. Have someone help you. Pull hard and fast. It may bleed. If you can't remove it make an appointment with your Vet. Good luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Ouch, poor Naria. If the nail is completely removed and exposing the nail bed, keep the toe as clean as possible to try to prevent infection. For my patients that have done this, I typically will place them on oral antibiotics and analgesics (pain medication) to prevent infection and keep them comfortable while the nail regrows. Some nails will not regrow normally if the nailbed was also injured. If Naria is limping on the affected paw, or the toe becomes swollen I would recommend having her seen by her veterinarian for appropriate medications to be dispensed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If you can remove the nail that is remaining, I would. You can cut the quick, too, if needed. If it bleeds, thickly apply something powdered, like corn starch or flour, to clot the blood. Then place a bandage over the nail for no longer than 24 hours. You MUST take the bandage off in 24 hours and do not place it tightly. If Rex is licking the area, he could cause an infection, so monitor for any swelling, discharge, or redness until the new nail grows. You can also soak the paw in an Epsom salt bath to soothe the area (make sure it is dry before applying the bandage). I cannot stress enough that he cannot wear the bandage longer than 24 hours. Good luck and kisses to Rex!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend taking her in to the vet to have this cut back so that the nail does not snag on anything and tear. She may need an antibiotic as well as a pain medication. Angel will be ok and it does not appear that there are any other concerning changes where the broken nail is. This should be quite simple for the veterinarian to address. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!