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My dog's paw nail is bent and bleeding a little. Does he need a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 12 years old | 9 lbs

One of my dogs paws is bleeding a little bit. He fell off the bed this morning and I believe he bent his nail when he hit the ground. It definitely looks sideways compared to the same nail on the other paw. It's only bleeding a little in the one area that the nail looks bent. But he does not show signs of discomfort when he walks nor cry when he fell. Does he need to go to the vet to get this checked out, or will the nail grow/heal on its own time? We've been keeping that area of his paw clean.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 18th, 2022

I would keep an eye on the area for now given that Hercules is not showing any signs of discomfort when walking and there is only a bit of bleeding. It may be there was a bit of trauma to the nail when he fell but not serious enough to require a vet visit. Should he start limping on that leg, licking that paw a lot, the paw continues to bleed, the paw becomes swollen, red, and/or warm to the touch, the nail becomes cracked in half, he becomes lethargic, or has a loss of appetite, then he will need to see a vet. I hope this helps!

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