My dog's nail is bent sideways and looks torn. What should I do?

Question

my dog nail got trapped and it bent to the side what do i do? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | 14 years and 4 months old | 30 lbs

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

I am so sorry to hear about Stella! This can be quite painful for a dog and difficult to treat at home. In many instances the nail is turned sideways due to it being torn from the quick of the nail, and the torn portion needs to be removed (we often use a topical anesthetic and then pull the remaining nail off with hemostats) and the wound cleaned and in some cases bandaged. I would recommend bringing Stella in for your vet to take care of the toenail. Many dogs will not tolerate the owners messing with the painful nail at home and sometimes we also need pain medication or antibiotics. If she is licking at the area then an e-collar can be used until she can be seen to prevent introducing bacteria/infection and causing further trauma.

My dog's nail is bent sideways and looks torn. What should I do?

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