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My dog's nail is inflamed and bleeding. What can I do at home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 90 lbs

My dog has an immflamation around his nail and it is bleeding occasionally throughout the day, is there anything I can do for it?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Darvishian

Veterinarian

Published on August 2nd, 2017

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see that Remy is having this problem. Looks like he has an inflammatory process or infection of the nail bed and surrounding skin. These problems are often painful and usually cause a lot of licking and chewing which can definitely make the problem worse. I would advise taking Remy to your vet to have this evaluated or you could try some warm Epsom Salt soaks of the toe for 10 minutes two to three times daily. Put warm water and Epsom Salts in a basin and just have him stand in the basin while keeping him occupied with petting, treats, etc. If the area improves then you should be fine. If the irritation/infection gets worse then please see your vet for the appropriate treatment. Good luck with Remy.

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    Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    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 Remy will need systemic drugs as well as topical ones. I would recommend taking Remy 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.

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