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My dog's paw is swollen, nails long. How can I help her affordably?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Italian Greyhound | Female | spayed | 3 years and 11 months old | 116 lbs

Hi my name is DeAndra and I have Italian Miniture Greyhound and one of her fingers on her paw is swollen and her nails are not cut what should I do..because right now I do not have money for her nails to get cut or take her to an animal hospital

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 30th, 2016

Poor girl. If I understand correctly her nails are not cut and potentially one of the nails is imbedded in the paw, causing it to be swollen. If this is the case, then you will have to carefully cut the nail that is embedded with pet nail trimmers from your local pet store. Do a quick search on youtube for instructions on how to properly trim a pets nails to make sure you don't cut them too short, causing pain and further bleeding. Also pick up some Kwik-Stop Styptic powder to use on the nail if it starts to bleed. Then soak the paw in a warm Epsom Salt bath to help reduce some of the pain and inflammation. Soak the paw daily thereafter, as needed, until the swelling has been resolved. If there is any sign of infection however then Cookie will most likely need antibiotics from a vet to get things to resolve completely, because there aren't many antibacterial options for her over the counter if an abscess has formed on the toe.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Cookie! If one of her digits is swollen, it could be because of an infection, and that does require a trip to the vet clinic. Infections require antibiotics to treat, and only the vet can prescribe them for her. In addition, her nails do need to be cut. If they are left too long, they can grow into the pads of her paw, which would be very painful for her and could also cause swelling and infection. I would take her into a vet today if you can can. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com

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