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My senior dog tore his toenail and won't stand on his paw. What now?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Male | neutered | 110 lbs

My dog of 15 years of age tore his toe nail out last night. He has had a bit of difficulty of walking in the past year bit right after his toenail tore he was in alot of pain and could not walk. He seems to be okay now but he will not stand on his paw

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 11th, 2017

Poor Alex. He could have a toenail that is embedded in the skin or even an injury to his toe itself if he landed on that foot the wrong way. He needs to have this examined by your local veterinarian to determine the extent of the injury first. Once we know what's going on with the toe then we can know how to best treat it. If you can't get him in right away then you can soak the foot in warm Epson salt bath for 5 to 10 minutes to alleviate pain and inflammation. Otherwise getting him seen is the best option to control Alex's pain and treat whatever injury exists.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 11th, 2017

    Yes, you can take Alex into a vet immediately. It's quite serious that he cannot stand up, and he's likely in a lot of pain. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. The vet can give him safe pain relief, and can treat his torn nail.

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    Answered By Maria DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 27th, 2017

    I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian. He should get antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. If not treated appropriately these can sometimes create a bone infection, which can take a long time to clear up and be very painful for the dog. The nail also may need to be pulled off and the paw bandaged so it stays clean and Sullivan does not lick at it. I would call your veterinarian in the morning and if you cannot get in right away I would recommend getting a bootie from a pet store to cover the toe. I would not bandage the toe I would just place the bootie on if you cannot get to your veterinarian tomorrow. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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Related Questions

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My dog ripped off one of his toenails about 2 weeks ago. It is now swollen & he's limping. What can I do?
It sounds like it is infected. You could soak his paw in a warm Epsom salt solution and see if that helps. He should also be examined by a vet as he will probably need an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory to help treat the problem.
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I recommend booking an appointment with a veterinarian to have Lexie’s nail evaluated, as it is likely causing her pain, as indicated by the limping. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to your pup without consulting with your vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe safe medication to help with the pain, and can clean and treat the injury to help reduce the risk of infection. In the meantime, I recommend putting an e-collar (cone) on Lexie to help prevent her from licking her paw an reduce the risk of infection. I hope Lexie feels better soon!
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My dog's front paws are swollen and a bit bloodied. The left one seems to be caused by a broken nail. What can I do to clean and treat it, and what can I give him to help with the swelling?
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My dog tore his nail off a week ago. We have been treatinf it at home. His nail was still partially on and I have left it but now he is biting it off and it is exposing the pink part of his paw and the top part of the nail is still attached. He doesn
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Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
Went running with my dog for a quick 10min run- we've done it before, we got back inside she seemed fine- all I noticed was her licking her paw. When I woke up 4-5 hrs later...I notice her limping when she was walking! One toe is red but not bloody-
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My dog will not walk on her right paw. After looking at her paw we noticed that her nail is torn off and the other is cracked. We are not sure how this happened. It there home care we can do for her?
As long as there is no active bleeding, you can try soaking her paw in a warm water bath with Epsom Salt for 5-10 minutes, twice a day. This can help soothe some of the tenderness associated with the torn nail. Do this daily and limit her activity until this area heals.
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