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My dog's dewclaw broke off and the quick is exposed. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boston Terrier | Male | neutered | 15 lbs

Dogs duclaw has broken completely off and the quick is still hanging out I’m not sure what I can do

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 12th, 2017

Ouch, poor Rupert! The quick itself should be left alone, but it appears in the picture that there is a long skinny piece of tissue or retained nail on the inner aspect of the quick. If that's the case, it will need to be trimmed back. If you're comfortable taking care of this yourself, you can trim that part back with a dog nail clippers (make sure you are comfortable with what you're doing and know what should and should not be trimmed - do NOT trim the quick itself as that would be very painfu for Rupert!). You can apply a gob of neosporin over the quick, and it may be helpful to cover that area with a clean sock for a few days, as the quick will be very tender, and will bleed easily. If you're not confident to do this yourself, bring Rupert in to the vet and they'll trim back any remaining nail tissue, and will likely apply medicated ointment and place a soft bandage. Monitor Rupert's nail bed over the coming week or two and make sure it is not getting red, swollen, or having discharge, which would indicate a nail bed infection requiring a vet visit and antibiotics. Hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 5th, 2017

    Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would recommend having your vet take a look at this. Generally, if this much quick is exposed, I will put the dog on a 7-10 day course of an antibiotic to help prevent infection. Also, it appears as though there is still broken nail remaining. I would have this trimmed back so it does not catch on anything. I would clean the foot by soaking it in a diluted Betadine and saline solution (light brown color) 2-3 times daily for 3-5 days. I generally do not bandage these so I would avoid allowing her to run in dirt or mud and make sure you clean the foot very well after being outside. This will heal and the nail will grow back. The goal right now is to prevent this from becoming infected. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

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