Dog toenail ripped almost off! Help!

dirtydog · 03-18-2007, 11:34 PM

I am in a new state visiting, and caring for my in-laws dog and today she darted out after the neighbors cat! I know, she was bad,.... but somehow she managed to rip her toenail, (hind leg, second toe from the inside), almost off! It's still attached, but i'm sure it will come off eventually. I can't afford to take their dog to the vet, so I'm looking for any advice on what to do. I've cleaned it several times but I don't know if i should wrap it at all, especially with the nail still loose and it still bleeds if you touch it. Any body out there delt with this? Please advise! Thanks, dirtydog

Alpha · 03-18-2007, 11:46 PM

Vet's. That's what I'd do.

But if for whatever reasons you can't. I'd soak it in epsom salts twice a day, well.

If it's bleeding pretty bad, I'd wrap it with some gauze and vet wrap. You can usually find it at tack shops (for horses), it's made by 3M and sticks to itself.

When Roxy cut her pad a few months back it was my saviour!

Don't keep it wrapped longer for a day or two though. And try to keep it dry.

Nagem · 03-19-2007, 03:12 AM

Try to make sure that she doesn't lick at it too much. While some licking can help the healing process, continued licking will slow it down and can cause an uninfected wound to fester.
Like Alpha said, epsom salts twice a day in warm water. The dog probably won't like it very much, but it is the best you can do.
Also, pet stores tend to sell styptic powder in the aisle with the nail trimmers. You mix it with water and dip your pets paw in it and it stops the bleeding.
Your biggest concern will probably be ensuring infection does not occur. Keep a close eye on it, soak it, and things should clear up.. However, if they do not, you will have no choice but to take the dog to the vets because it will require antibiotics.

animalcraker · 03-19-2007, 03:14 AM

A trip to the vet is definetly needed and if the nail is most of the way off then it will most likely need to be completely removed. That's what happened to my boses dog, also the owner of the vet clinic that I work at. His dog had some how gotten his foot caught in a pipe and broke the nail. We had wraped it at first, but the nail was just causing him too much pain, so we removed it, he was running around happy as a clam after it was removed.

shiba · 03-19-2007, 10:06 AM

I agree best to get the vet to look at it, you would never forgive yourself if you knew the dog was suffering.

Alpha · 03-19-2007, 04:13 PM

Oh just to add why the vet's could be a good thing...

Someone brought up infection, and they're right. That would be one of the biggest concerns with an injury that sometimes isn't in the cleanest of places

When I took Roxy to the vet for her pad, she admitted there was nothing she could do. (You can't stitch pads and sometimes glueing doesn't work either)

But she did give her a shot of long acting penicillin to make sure it didnt' get infected.

Another reason why a trip to vet's is in order

poodleholic · 03-20-2007, 03:03 AM

Without actually seeing it, it's hard to say what's best to do in lieu of a vet visit. Cleanse it first, and dry off - use a hair dryer on low. Clip, or dremmel the nail as close to the quick as you can, being sure to hold the nail tightly with two fingers of your other hand, to keep the nail stable, so not to hurt the dog. Once you've done that, evaluate whether or not it would be effective to glue together the split in the nail. If it's down to the skin, don't. But, if it's higher up, you can superglue the nail together. Then, keep her quiet - no running. Just walking normally may further irritate or injure, depending on the length of the nail. If nice and short, the dog should do fine, with activity limited. Good luck!