First Aid for dog with torn toenails

When the dog’s nails make clicking sounds when it walks on the floor, it means that the toenails already need trimming. Trimming the dog’s nails should be made a part of the grooming routine. Long toenail can hamper the normal stride of the dog. Moreover, dog nails that are allowed to grow long can be broken and cause the dog pain and discomfort. Nail clipping is a task that often takes a back seat as dogs commonly would not want to have their paws touched. Trimming the nails of a fidgety pet can result to bleeding as it would be very easy to cut the quick especially for dark colored nails.

A cut quick would bleed heavily because of the numbers of capillaries on the nail bed. The bleeding of a nail cut too short is not a serious condition. Bleeding can be controlled with styptic powder. If styptic powder is not available, cornstarch or flour applied on the nail will stop the bleeding.

Most dog owners would panic if the pet would come home one day trailing bloody footprints. Dogs are virtually magnets for accidents because of their energetic nature thus pet owners have been accustomed to dealing with the injuries of the pet. Dogs would often sustain broken toenails.

A broken toenail would not only bleed a lot, it would also cause the dog pain especially if a piece of the torn nail is still attached. A piece of the torn nail that remains attached would bleed every time it gets caught on the carpet or on the dog’s long fur. In spite of the bleeding, a broken toenail is not a life threatening condition. Bringing the pet to the vet’s may not even be necessary. Dog owners that bring the pet to the vets would find that the pet is no longer bleeding upon arrival at the vets.

To save the pet from discomfort and to prevent infection a dog owner need to administer first aid to the pet’s broken toenail. The broken toenail has to be removed. For a broken toenail that is still attached, a nail clipper has to be used. One that is barely hanging can be easily pulled. Clean the paw and the toes after the toenail was removed. If the toenail is still bleeding, a piece of cloth or a towel can be used to apply firm pressure on the bleeding toe to stop the bleeding. If a large portion of the nail was detached, the pet would need medical attention. A course of antibiotics will be necessary to ward off infection.

Sarah’s Dogs provides more information on broken toenails as well as first aid for dogs.