Torn Toenail in Dogs

It is obvious that you will notice when your canine’s toenails are injured. Of course, the injury will be very painful. You may notice that your dog will walk lamely, yelp and constantly lick its wound. However, other symptoms will include:

• Hanging nail, which the dog may chew off
• Blood stains on carpeting or floors
• Exposed flesh
• Infection
• Trauma
• Visibly damaged toenails
• Swelling
• Excessive bleeding

Don’t be alarmed about the bleeding. The bleeding comes from blood vessels and not the artery; so it is not immediately life threatening. However, the bleeding can subsequently result in blood clots. The bleeding can be easily stopped by a veterinarian. Therefore, don’t try to handle this on your own because the pain is real. Your dog may bite if you try to administer first aid instead of seeking professional help.

There are several causes of a torn toenail in dogs. Some of the common causes include:

• Damage to the toenails, especially if your dog is very active
• Nail snagging on carpeting, plants or other material during activity such as running
• Inflamed toenails
• Clipping of the toenails
• Weakened toenails due to an underlying health condition
• Cancer in the foot and nail area

The diagnosis of a torn toenail in dogs is based on a visual examination of the affected area by a veterinarian. If there is extreme pain, the veterinarian will know by the dog’s response to touching. If so, the veterinarian may administer a local anesthesia to suppress the pain. 

If there is evidence that your pet may have an underlying condition affecting his health that may could change the condition of his nails, blood tests and urinalysis could be done at the veterinarian’s discretion.

Treatment for a torn toenail in dogs takes several distinctive steps. First, the veterinarian will inspect the area, after which damaged portions may be removed. Upon carefully inspecting the toenail, the veterinarian may muzzle the dog.

Of course, if there is bleeding, the veterinarian will try to stop the bleeding right away and disinfect the area. If your dog is prone to licking the area, the veterinarian will place the dog on its belly while administering massages to keep your dog relaxed. Any hanging portions of the nail will be removed with a nail clipper and the area will be disinfected for extra precaution against infection.

Antibiotics will also be administered to also prevent infection. If the condition is severe in the dewclaw area, the veterinarian might suggest removing the toe. However, this is only in extreme cases. If the veterinary caregiver has to remove a large portion of the nail, bandaging will be necessary to prevent infection of the nail bed. The area will be bandaged nicely and pain relief  may be prescribed, depending on how bad the wound is. The veterinarian will determine if follow up treatment is necessary, depending on the extent of the damaged toenail and how well the initial treatment went.