My dog's nail cracked and bled. Should I remove it or leave it alone?

Question

My dog cracked her nail very close to the base. It was bleeding bad, but i got the bleeding to stop and cleaned the area as best as i could. What should I do about the nail? Do i just leave it or try to removed it? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 1 year and 8 months old | 75 lbs

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

One of our biggest concerns with a broken nail where the quick is exposed (bleeding) is that the dog will infect the area by licking it. In order to prevent that, I will sometimes recommend an e-collar or a having the dog wear a bootie to prevent licking. Some owners decide to bandage the area, but you have to be very careful to keep the bandage clean and dry or it will worsen an infection. If a dog has already licked a quick, I will usually recommend soaking the foot in Epsom Salts (following the instructions on the box for making it up) for 5 minutes then just drying it well. Some dogs are so painful that they will not leave a broken nail alone and will require pain medications. I do not recommend removing the nail at home because it will be very painful. The nail will fall off on its own if the blood supply has been damaged. If at any time the nail or quick is red or has a discharge or odor, then it might be infected and your veterinarian should examine it. If the nail falls off, it should regrow normally and should not need further treatment after that. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Hayzel heals quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog's nail cracked and bled. Should I remove it or leave it alone?

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