My dog lost a nail. Should I take him to the vet for infection?

Question

On the weekend (Saturday) my dog was playing on the caged rocks in Owen sound and his foot got stuck I am pretty sure it took his one nail off. I called the after hours vet there was told to just treat it like a stubbed toe-told me how to stop the bleeding and to wrap it. I was just wondering. It stopped bleeding and he seems fine. Is there any reason I should bring him in to be check. He is walking on it and it doesn’t seem to bother him (other than the occasional licking). Pet's info: Dog | Cockapoo | Male | neutered | 30 lbs

Ana M, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tucker. I typically put dogs with broken or lost toe nails on oral antibiotics. The paw is inherently dirty. Licking it will increase the risk of an infection in the nail bed. If the nail bed becomes infected it is very painful for the dog and can be difficult to treat. For this reason, I do recommend that he still sees his veterinarian. At minimum, you need to place an E-collar on him to prevent any further licking. I hope this information helps!

My dog lost a nail. Should I take him to the vet for infection?

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