My dog has a broken nail. What's the best way to care for it?

The broken part of the nail needs to be cut off. A groomer can do this. As long as the nail bed isn’t bleeding or painful there is no need to see a veterinarian. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Winston.

Ouch, poor Rupert! The quick itself should be left alone, but it appears in the picture that there is a long skinny piece of tissue or retained nail on the inner aspect of the quick. If that's the case, it will need to be trimmed back. If you're comfortable taking care of this yourself, you can trim that part back with a dog nail clippers (make sure you are comfortable with what you're doing and know what should and should not be trimmed - do NOT trim the quick itself as that would be very painfu for Rupert!). You can apply a gob of neosporin over the quick, and it may be helpful to cover that area with a clean sock for a few days, as the quick will be very tender, and will bleed easily. If you're not confident to do this yourself, bring Rupert in to the vet and they'll trim back any remaining nail tissue, and will likely apply medicated ointment and place a soft bandage. Monitor Rupert's nail bed over the coming week or two and make sure it is not getting red, swollen, or having

That one will likely need to be clipped past the split to alleviate the pressure and pain. Because doing that can be painful and typically requires a bandage for the bleeding, your vet needs to do it so they can use sedation to control the pain! If it is not bleeding you can wait until the morning for your vet to open

Broken nails are quite painful. The bleeding tells me the quick is involved, which is the blood supply as well as nerve supply, so he may not let you touch it. Ideally the broken part should be removed but this often requires sedation by a vet. I recommend soaking his paw in an epsom salt tub for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times daily to clean it, draw out discharge, and help soften any part of the nail that is compromised. Watch for swelling or discharge that would indicate infection (and would require a vet visit). Unfortunately there is no human drug that is safe to give him for pain & inflammation but a vet could provide you with something. Again, these are painful especially if the quick is exposed so he will be tender until the broken part has come off and the exposed quick has hardened. Hope this helps.

You can try to trim back the nail if Buster Brown will let you, but if he's upset, don't try. You can wrap it up to keep it clean and dry, and have him seen by his vet as soon as you can. Best of luck.

Hello. Unfortunately, the only way to get this to start to heal is to clip the nail where it has broken. It will hurt, but once it is gone, your pup will actually feel much more comfortable. In my office, we clip really fast & then bandage the foot with an antibiotic cream that contains lidocaine. This numbs the nerve & allows things to heal quite nicely. While this is technically not an emergency, it is also a situation that you do not want to ignore, either. Most veterinary clinics are open to some degree. They may not allow pet parents into the hospital, but will meet you in the parking lot to take your pet inside for treatment. I would start calling around to see who is available to help with this. Good luck & thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Clip the nail carefully. If there is bleeding, gentle pressure and some Quik Stop powder or plain cornstarch should stop it. Clean daily with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. A dab of a triple antibiotic may be applied if necessary. Monitor for redness, swelling or lethargy. If she won't allow you to clip the nail, she may need to be seen by your veterinarian. Clip the other nails a bit to prevent snagging.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! There is really not much more you can do at home. You have done a good job so far. Now this is likely going to continue to improve slowly but it will take time to do so. If he appears to be painful, it would be best to go to a veterinarian as they can proceed to cut the rest of the nail so it heals quicker and also send him home on pain control medications. Best of luck!

Hello. Ouch! Morty did break the nail at the quick. Honestly, it would be best to take Morty to your vet & just clip the nail off. It will hurt for a second, but leaving the nail like this will cause constant pain, & may lead to an infection up the nail bed. Your vet can dress this properly & send Morty home with some antibiotics & pain medication that will help this to heal quickly. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

If a toe nail is broke, then it typically has to be cut where the break it. Because this is often near the nail bed, then it can be painful and bleed. It is performed at your vet's office to have sedation so a bandage can be placed to help control bleeding. If you let it be it may grow out at a different angle or break off on its own.