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My dog's dew claw is missing. What should I do for the sore toe?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 13 years and 5 months old

One of my adult dog's dew claws is completely missing, with only a sore and red looking toe left behind.

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on July 31st, 2016

Poor Molly!! It sounds like she may have ripped it off somehow. Dogs don't need their dew claws; in fact, some breeders have them removed them from their puppies. If it is not bleeding, I recommend monitoring Molly's toe for now. You can gently clean it with warm warm and antibacterial soap. Keep it clean and dry, and keep her from licking the area. Use an Ecollar if necessary. Monitor the area for redness, swelling, and heat, which are signs of infection. If you see any of those signs, she has an infection, and she will need to see a vet right away for antibiotics.

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18Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I am sorry to hear that your pet has some sort of trauma to the dewclaw area. This can be caused by the toenail getting caught in something or from he pet chewing this area excessively. I would recommend soaking the paw in an Epsom Salt warm bath for 5-10 minutes to help reduce the inflammation. You can also apply Iodine 50:50 diluted with water to antiseptically cleanse the area. Then a light bandage can be placed (i.e. Tefla pad, continuous gauze, padding, elastic wrap) to temporarily cover the area so that no further debris gets in there. When you have an available vet to take Molly to (I understand most vets are not open on Sunday), then it is best to get Molly seen to determine the extent of the injury there and if surgical closure of the area is needed. She also could use some pet friendly anti-inflammatory medication if she is in discomfort.

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    14Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 2nd, 2017

    It looks as if your dog has a nail bed infection. If it is just on the one nail you may able to treat it topically with antibiotic and/or antifungal ointment. If more than one toe is affected Zeus will need systemic drugs as well as topical ones. I would recommend taking Zeus to the vet so a cytology can be done to determine what type of infection is present (bacterial vs fungal) and the appropriate treatment can be started. I would also not wrap the area for now as this can cause more harm than good. It can decrease the blood supply to the area and cause the toe to become moist and fragile.

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    21Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 26th, 2018

    Get some epsom salt and bathe her foot in warm epsom salt solution. This will soothe the inflammation and help infection. You can do this twice a day for 10 minutes two to three days. If the dew claw is still swollen or painful after that or if there is a lot of pus, you should have her seen by a vet for an exam. The claw then may have to be removed or at least treated with antibiotics.

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    9Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 24th, 2017

    Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would recommend having it checked by a vet to make sure nothing else is wrong. Your vet can also start a course of antibiotics and an anti inflammatory to help with any inflammation and pain. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other concerns.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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