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My dog's nail is torn, but the top half is still attached. Should it be removed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Bulldog | Male | neutered | 6 years and 9 months old | 70 lbs

Hi my American bulldog tore the underside of his nail off but he top half is still intact he has stopped licking it and I have been giving him antibiotics and it is no longer red. he walks on it fine, and I have been keeping it clean and making him stay off if it except for potty trips. The underside is growling. Will the top half need to be removed? Thank you!

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on May 18th, 2021

If there is still some torn nail hanging loose I would try to trim off as much as possible to avoid it snagging on more things, or once it's grown out enough trim it back to its normal length again. If you can't do that yourself, or Rocky seems painful/bothered by it, having your vet take a look and trimming the nail back is a good idea. In the meantime, I would definitely keep up with what you're currently doing by keeping it clean and dry, and keeping Rocky from licking it!

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 15th, 2018

    This nail will need to be removed (probably just a little snip by your vet) so it does not get caught on anything and cause more injury. This is not a big problem, but you should take Takito to your vet for this and not attempt to remove it yourself. You will also need to have all his nails trimmed regularly, which will help avoid snagging of the nails .

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 17th, 2020

    Poor Kratos. This will be painful for him. I think the best thing to do is take him into a vet now to get this nail treated. It will need to be removed, and he may need to be sedated to get it done. I hope this helps!

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