Treating a Torn Dog Nail

Torn dog nails happen, and I’m totally convinced it only happens on weekends when my regular veterinarian is closed. You know the look and sound; your dogs are playing in the backyard and you hear yelping followed by one dog holding up a paw. As you’re walking toward her, you’re hoping she just stubbed it on something. Then, you see it—your dog’s nail ripped off. Fortunately, we’ve provided you dog grooming tips to treat a torn dog nail.

Step One

Get a good look at the dog nail that ripped off. Check to see how much of the nail is torn off and if your dog’s paw is otherwise uninjured. When checking, move slowly and keep pressure to a minimum while holding your dog’s paw. Torn nails are extremely painful.

Step Two

Bring your dog inside and wash the area with an antibacterial soap and warm water. I highly recommend keeping Nolvasan in your pet first aid kit for this purpose. When rinsing, allow water to trickle down and pat dry.

Step Three

Usually, after washing the area, the bleeding from the torn dog nail will have stopped. If your dog’s nail continues to bleed, you can apply Kwick Stop (anti-coagulant powder) to the bleeding area. Now, wrap your dog’s ripped off nail in a clean towel and apply some pressure to help the anti-coagulant powder do its job.

Step Four

Now, you probably have a chance to look at the torn dog nail. This step depends on the severity of the nail injury, but more than likely you’ll need to plan a trip to the vet.

Types of Dog Nail Injuries

Minor Crack or Split

Once your dog’s torn dog nail is cleaned, trim the nail shards sticking out while making sure to keep clippers away from the quick. If the nail injury is minor, trimming will prevent the nail from splitting further up or over. If your dog is walking normally and the nail looks better after cleaning and trimming, you’ll need to keep the area clean. This means keeping your dog from licking the ripped off nail. I place an Elizabethan collar on my dog for a few days, so the nail area can breathe.

If your dog is in pain or the area gets worse, contact your vet. Sometimes, the nail can crack even more, so check it twice a day.

RELATED: Why Dogs Dislike Nail Trims

Cracked Dog Nail

You’ll need to visit your vet’s office if the nail is cracked more than 25 percent of the way. A cracked dog nail is extremely painful and can take weeks to heal and grow out, which can cause your dog unneeded pain. Once at your vet’s office, they’ll sedate your dog and clean up the area. Usually, pain medicine is prescribed afterwards and, depending on the severity, antibiotics may be too.

Dog Nail Ripped Off, Quick Exposed

Personally, I’ve had dogs rip their entire nails off, exposing the quick (i.e. blood supply of nail). That’s a sight I hope I never see again. Yes, we had to visit the vet’s office for sedation to clean the area and check for further damage of their paws. Pain medications were given and protective booties were worn for weeks until the nail grew back and protected the quick.

Entire Nail Ripped Off

Oh my, get to the veterinarian ASAP. This is an emergency, as there’s probably a lot of bleeding. Once your dog’s sedated, your vet will probably have to remove any remaining flesh and suture from the area. This is a common injury for dew claw nails. Those little things get caught on everything, especially if they’re not trimmed short.

Torn dog nails can’t be prevented, but keeping your dog’s nails properly trimmed will keep injuries to a minimum.