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Dog's nail ripped, bleeding, quick exposed. Is a vet visit urgent?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 4 years and 11 months old | 65 lbs

Last night my dog daughter her nail on my bed while jumping off and it partially ripped out. It bled a lot and stopped for the most part. She keeps licking it so it starts bleeding again. It looks really painful as I think her quick is exposed. She won’t put weight on it. I’m not sure if I should take her into my local vet, and their phone lines are down due to a hurricane that just came through here.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on September 20th, 2020

Ouch poor Delilah, that looks quite painful! She won't put weight on it because it hurts her a lot and unfortunately there are no OTC pain relievers you can give her. Many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Yes in this case, she does need to see a vet for this. I would take her into a vet now. I hope you are ok after the hurricane!

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 3rd, 2017

    It probably keeps bleeding, because it is continually being scraped on the ground. I would bandage the foot with rolled gauze to prevent this from happening. It will also provide some comfort to Lemmy, as this is definitely very painful. You can tape a sock over the bandage to provide extra padding and protect the bandage from coming off. Even with the bandage it will bleed a bit, but it will heal quicker. I've included a link below to a good video that explains how to properly place a bandage. At this time, I don't think you need to go back to the vet. If the bandaging is not successful, then you may consider scheduling another appointment to discuss other options. https://youtu.be/BO5OCB5vGhg I hope that helps and Lemmy gets better soon.

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