Dog's toenail is swollen and hard. When should I take him to the vet?

Question

I noticed a couple days ago that my dogs toenail was really swollen. The skin around it is hard. We have soaked his foot in epsom salt and put antibiotic cream on it should we bring him to the vet? Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Schnauzer | Male | neutered | 20 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

Ouch. That does look swollen. Dogs can get bacterial or yeast infections around their nail beds. If that is what is going on, the Epson Salt soaks will likely slowly make the swelling go down over a couple of days. However, if Tom is licking the nail, it will likely stay moist and have a harder time resolving. Unfortunately, there are other conditions that can occur around nail beds like tumors and auto-immune problems, so if it is not getting better, is getting worse or seems painful I would take him to your vet. i hope that answers your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Dog's toenail is swollen and hard. When should I take him to the vet?

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