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My dog has a sore paw, limping, and a bump under his nail. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 3 years and 10 months old | 74 lbs

Have a 3yr old GSD with a small bump under one nail. Seemed sore yesterday and was limping and licking, today was able to touch his paw and check ... looks almost a bit like dirt but doesn't come off... Wondering if something I need to worry about?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 14th, 2017

It is very difficult to tell from these photos, it is possible that your dog's toe nail became slightly torn/detached from the underlying nail bed and you are seeing the separation here. We can, however, occasionally see nail bed tumors. I would recommend a visit with your vet to better examine the area. If it is a loose toenail they may need to trim it back to make it more comfortable until it grows back in normally. This can be very tough to do at home because often these guys are painful so trimming the nail back can be really difficult without skilled help!

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    Answered By Dr. Paula Simons

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 20th, 2017

    Poor Rocky. I am so glad you got him into the vet and he is going to be treated. Quite often these types of nails can result from an injury to the nail bed, which can cause the toe nails to grow abnormally. This can also be caused by a tumor within the toe. It is probably best to have the toe removed but I would recommend having it biopsied once the surgery is complete. This will give a more definitive answer as to what may have gone wrong.

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