My old dog's crooked toenail hurts and he won't let me clip it. Help!

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.

By your description, your dog may have a partially [broken nail](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/broken-nails/) which can be a bit painful. You can take him to your veterinary office and ask them to cut the nail back to promote normal growth, or you can monitor the toe and see if the nail grows out naturally. Just watch for any signs of infection (redness, swelling, discharge) in the toe. Do not allow your dog to lick or chew at it. An e-collar (cone) can be placed on him until he has healed.

Poor Alex. He could have a toenail that is embedded in the skin or even an injury to his toe itself if he landed on that foot the wrong way. He needs to have this examined by your local veterinarian to determine the extent of the injury first. Once we know what's going on with the toe then we can know how to best treat it. If you can't get him in right away then you can soak the foot in warm Epson salt bath for 5 to 10 minutes to alleviate pain and inflammation. Otherwise getting him seen is the best option to control Alex's pain and treat whatever injury exists.

Unfortunately I think that seeing a veterinarian is your only choice. It looks like Pinky probably needs to be sedated to remove the nail, and I’m not sure but it looks like the base could be infected. It might fall off eventually but it will be painful until then. If you have financial constraints you can look into Care Credit - www.carecredit.com Good luck!

Hello. Ouch! Morty did break the nail at the quick. Honestly, it would be best to take Morty to your vet & just clip the nail off. It will hurt for a second, but leaving the nail like this will cause constant pain, & may lead to an infection up the nail bed. Your vet can dress this properly & send Morty home with some antibiotics & pain medication that will help this to heal quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Its impossible to know with out examining the quick of the nail. if the quick of the nail is cut, it will cause pain and bleed. I recommend to have the veterinarian cut the nails at least this one time since they are the best ones to know if there are concerns with the length of the quicks. Moving forward, make sure the groomer is clipping her nails. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Blue! It’s hard to picture what the nail looks like. If he is that lame on the leg the nail should be evaluated. We do cut the nail back if needed. A cracked or torn nail is a constant source of pain. If you want to post a picture I could try to give you a better idea if Blue should go to the Vet. I hope this helps!