How to help a stray dog with a painful curled nail and limp?

Hi, I think the old nail should be removed. It would also be great if we could prevent Marley from licking the area as this can cause inflammation and infection. I know this is tricky given Marley’s breed ! Another thing you could do is bathe Marley’s paw in diluted Chlorexidine twice a day, dilution is normally 1:10 (i.e. one part of chlorexidine to 10 of water ) but even to make a very diluted pink solution will do and dry up with a clean cotton cloth afterwards. Hope this helps !

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.

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!

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.

Though a trip to the vet may be stressful, it will be over and done with in 1 fail swoop that way, and you can also schedule a physical exam. It may be that Mia has some arthritis pain or other issues that are contributing to her limping, so a good once over would be best, and then nails can be trimmed as well. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If the nails are bothersome or getting torn off, your vet may ultimately recommend having them removed to prevent it. However, if you are waiting to save up for this procedure, keeping the nails trimmed back as close to the quick as possible can help keep them from snagging on things and tearing. Keeping the area clean and dry can also help reduce chances of infection or bacteria getting trapped in the area as well. If Ruby needs care sooner, this site may help give you some options to make veterinary care more affordable: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care

If the nail is less than 1 inch i would pull it and soak the area with 3% hydroxide or an iodine skin disinfectant, salt water would be sufficient until you can source these if necessary. Contact your vet for tetanus shot if not up to date with vaccines or if nail longer than inch as antibiotics and xray may be required