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My dog's damaged toenail looks infected and he keeps licking it. Help!

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 12 years and 7 months old | 65 lbs

Hello, My 12 year old mutt has a damage toenail. The nail is pulled back a little and it looks like a callus underneath it. It bothers him and he licks it frequently. Its been a few weeks and its not getting any worse but it is not getting any better. Since I trimmed the hair on his toes yesterday it looks like the two middle toes might be infected. What does this look like, what should I do? Thanks, Karl

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 10th, 2018

Ouch, this looks very painful to Radar! And I agree that it looks painful. I would take him into the vet first thing Monday. He will likely need to be sedated in order to remove the broken nail and antibiotics for an infection. Until you can get him into a vet, I would put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking at it. You can make one at home or you can buy one at a pet store. I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

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