Why is my dog licking its raw nail bed? Infection, injury, or tumor?

Question

Dog is licking nail bed raw. How can I tell if it's an infection, injury, or something else? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 3 years and 5 months old

Rodrigo Roca, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, sorry to hear about Sawyer. Most of those cases can start as an injury to the toe nail which then develops a secondary infection. This typically responds to antibiotics and the nail grows back. If the nail does not re-grow, and the area becomes more swelling, firm, and painful, then we start to worry about a nail bed tumor. Most of the nail bed tumors are benign and cured with surgical removal of the affected toe. However, some tumors can be more malignant and carry a worse prognosis. I would recommend having Sawyer evaluated by a veterinarian so that they can perform an antibiotic trial. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Why is my dog licking its raw nail bed? Infection, injury, or tumor?

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