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Dog's dewclaw broken, painful, no bleeding. What to do overnight?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Blue Heeler | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 4 months old | 50 lbs

My poor pup either broke her dewclaw or something. There no bleeding but when I tryed to look at it she whimpered. I think it might be cracked or something. I live in a small town and the vets around here are closed. What should I do. Will she be ok until morning. I feel bad she's in pain and hiding

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 1st, 2020

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Harley! Torn toe nails (including dew claws) are common injuries, and thankfully are not medical emergencies so she should be ok until morning. If you can see a nail that appears broken, sometimes soaking in an epsom salt bath for 5-10 minutes twice daily can a bit. You can either soak the affected paw in a little bucket of epsom water, or you can fill the tub 2-3 inches and have her stand in it. However, if any of this causes her stress or she resists it, then I wouldn't push it - she could get more hurt if she's struggling against you. Otherwise, I recommend keeping her on level ground when she needs to go outside, so she's not accidentally bending that nail, and keep her as quiet as possible until she can be seen by your vet. I do NOT recommend giving her anything for pain. None of our human medications are going to be safe or effective, and anything you give her could interfere with a better medication that your vet may want to prescribe. Hope this helps!

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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